How VitaCholine® Supports Brain Health In Menopause: New Research On Working Memory And Brain Activation
BCPC
Published on 04/16/2026 at 09:10 am EDT
Montvale, New Jersey (April 14, 2026) - For the first time, new clinical research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has demonstrated that choline can influence brain network efficiency in post-menopausal women,1 a population historically underrepresented in nutrition research. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients, the study used Balchem's VitaCholine® ingredient, showing its effects on working memory-related brain activation and functional connectivity. For nutraceutical manufacturers, these findings represent an important step towards creating more personalized nutritional solutions that support women's health at every stage of life.
In the pilot, randomized, cross-over study, 20 healthy postmenopausal women aged 50-65 years old consumed 1650 mg of choline (as VitaCholine®) or placebo before undertaking a working memory exercise (an N-back test) during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Compared to placebo, researchers observed that choline intake had a rapid effect on the brain, significantly increasing functional connectivity within the working memory network to help optimize brain efficiency just 3 hours after consumption. 1
"Estrogen is a key driver of choline production in the body, so when levels of the hormone drop during menopause, women are at increased risk of choline deficiency.2 This is important because choline is needed to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in cognitive functions such as mood, memory and attention,3,4" explains lead author of the study, Professor Julie A. Dumas, of the University of Vermont. "Previous choline research has commonly relied on self-reported scores or assessments from participants, but what makes this study unique is that it utilized functional MRI scans and working memory exercises to capture an objective view of how brain networks respond to choline intake after menopause, gaining valuable insights into how targeted supplementation may support a pivotal moment of women's life."
This latest study adds to the existing body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of choline across different life stages. Previous research has established choline's role in supporting fetal brain and cognitive development during pregnancy and lactation,5 with long-lasting benefits that extend beyond birth.6,7 Additional research has also demonstrated that choline intake may support people's cognitive health later in life.8,9,10 This new study expands the industry's understanding of choline's effects in postmenopausal women, representing a new frontier in personalized nutritional solutions for women's health.
"Investing in women's health research is something we feel very strongly about at Balchem," adds Eric Ciappio, PhD, RD, Senior Manager, Nutrition Science, Balchem HNH. "In the past, so much of nutrition science was largely shaped by male-centric studies and the assumption that these findings were also applicable to women's health.11This study is part of an essential shift towards a greater understanding of women's specific nutritional needs and how we as an industry can better support them at every stage of life. VitaCholine® is our premium, high-quality choline ingredient with a robust clinical track record, and it continues to be at the heart of pioneering research. We're excited about these preliminary results and are already building on them with further research underway."
For more information about Balchem and its branded ingredient VitaCholine®, visit: https://balchem.com/hnh/mn/vitacholine/
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Director Marketing Communications Human Nutrition & Health Balchem Human Nutrition and Health [email protected]
Director Marketing Consumer Strategy & B2B2C Growth Balchem Human Nutrition and Health [email protected]
Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets specialty ingredients that improve and enhance the health and well-being of life on the planet, providing state-of-the-art solutions and the finest quality products for a range of industries worldwide. The company reports three business segments: Human Nutrition & Health; Animal Nutrition & Health; and Specialty Products. The Human Nutrition & Health segment delivers customized food and beverage ingredient systems, as well as key nutrients into a variety of applications across the food, supplement and pharmaceutical industries. The Animal Nutrition & Health segment manufactures and supplies products
to numerous animal health markets. Through Specialty Products, Balchem provides specialty-
packaged chemicals for use in healthcare and other industries, and also provides chelated minerals to the micronutrient agricultural market.
VitaCholine® is the gold standard choline ingredient from Balchem. Developed to supercharge body and mind, VitaCholine® supports innovative nutraceutical solutions for a wide range of applications, from prenatal to active lifestyle and healthy aging. VitaCholine® is a proud partner of the New York Jets, raising the profile of the critical nutrient and its benefits for mental performance and physical wellness.
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1Dumas, J. A., Testo, A., Miller, A. S., Ozahl, A., Potts, C., Zhang, J., Aboukhatwa, M. & Boyd, J. (2026). Oral Choline Reduced Working Memory-Related Brain Activation in Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot Study. Nutrients, 18(3), 459.
2Fischer, L. M., et al. (2007). Sex and menopausal status influence human dietary requirements for the nutrient choline. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1275-1285.
3 NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. (Updated 2022). Choline - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/
4Parikh, V., & Bangasser, D. A. (2020). Cholinergic signaling dynamics and cognitive control of attention. Behavioral Pharmacology of the Cholinergic System, 71-87.
5Obeid, R., et al. (2022). Association between maternal choline, fetal brain development, and child neurocognition: systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies. Advances in Nutrition, 13(6), 2445-2457.
6Caudill, M. A., et al. (2018). Maternal choline supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy improves infant information processing speed: a randomized, double-blind, controlled feeding study. The FASEB Journal, 32(4), 2172.
7Bahnfleth, C.L., et al. (2022). Prenatal choline supplementation improves child sustained attention: A 7-year follow-up of a randomized controlled feeding trial. The FASEB Journal, 36(1), e22054.
8Ylilauri, M.P., et al. (2019). Associations of dietary choline intake with risk of incident dementia and with cognitive performance: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 110(6), 1416-1423.
9Yuan, J., et al. (2022). Is dietary choline intake related to dementia and Alzheimer's disease risks? Results from the Framingham Heart Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 116(5), 1201-1207.
10Niu, Y.Y., et al. (2025). Association of dietary choline intake with incidence of dementia, Alzheimer disease, and mild cognitive impairment: a large population-based prospective cohort study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 121(1), 5-13.
11Merone, L., et al. (2022). Sex inequalities in medical research: a systematic scoping review of the literature. Women's Health Reports, 3(1), whr-2021.
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Balchem Corporation published this content on April 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 16, 2026 at 13:09 UTC.