Healthy Shopping: Choline, taurine and glycine supplements

Fill in your nutritional gaps with these important supplements, says Joanna Evans

In “The Nutrients We Quietly Lost,” Celeste McGovern reveals three critical nutrients that may be missing from your diet: choline, taurine and glycine. If you’re struggling to get your daily dose of these essential compounds, supplements can help. Here’s a quick guide to what consider when choosing a supplement and a selection of top products.

What to look for

Formulation. If you need high doses, which is usually the case for choline, taurine and glycine, a powder supplement may be a better option than capsules and will likely be more affordable. Choosing a powder also means you can easily adjust the amount you need. For those who prefer to skip mixing and measuring, though, capsules will be more convenient.

Ingredients. A downside of powders is that they often come with added sweeteners or flavorings. Always check the ingredients list to make sure you’re not getting any unnecessary extras. Especially watch out for artificial ingredients like colorings and preservatives. The same goes for capsules. And if you suffer from allergies, seek out hypoallergenic formulas.

Testing. Is the product tested, ideally by a third party, for potency and purity? In other words, does the label description match what’s actually inside, and is the product free of harmful contaminants like pesticides and heavy metals? If it’s not clear from the label or the company’s website, get in touch with them to check.

High manufacturing standards. Is the supplement manufactured according to stringent quality standards? Look for certifications from trusted bodies such as NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) International, the world’s authority on good manufacturing practices (GMPs).

Product picks

Choline

We’ve gone for phosphatidylcholine, a food-like supplement form that’s gentle on digestion. If you want to avoid soy, whether due to allergy, sensitivity or GMO concerns, look for sunflower-derived phosphatidylcholine, like the supplements below.

Now Foods
Sunflower Lecithin Pure Powder, $26.99/£21.95 (16 oz/454 g)
US: nowfoods.com; UK: dolphinfitness.co.uk

A good budget option, this sunflower lecithin powder—with nothing else added—contains naturally occurring phosphatidylcholine and other phospholipids. Typically, you’ll get around 2,500 mg phosphatidylcholine per 1⅓ Tbsp serving. It’s soy-free, non-GMO verified and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Pure Encapsulations
Phosphatidylcholine (sunflower), $49.50/£45.49 (90 capsules)
US: pureforyou.com; UK: healf.com

Featuring choline as sunflower-derived, phospholipid-bound phosphatidylcholine, these softgel capsules are free of soy, dairy, gluten and GMOs. Each capsule provides 275 mg phosphatidylcholine with no unnecessary extras like binders, fillers or preservatives.

Taurine

Taurine supplements generally come in one simple form: free-form L-taurine, which is the standard, bioavailable form that your body can readily absorb and use.

Life Extension
Taurine Powder, $15/£18 (11 oz/300 g)
US: lifeextension.com; UK: lifeextensioneurope.co.uk

Life Extension is GMP registered with NSF International and provides certificates of analysis for every supplement upon request. This gluten-free, non-GMO taurine powder has no added ingredients whatsoever and supplies 750 mg taurine per ¼ tsp.

Designs for Health
Taurine, $32.99/£30.99 (120 capsules)
US: designsforhealth.com; UK: healf.com

This high-dose, professional-grade supplement gives you 1,000 mg taurine per capsule with minimal added extras (just cellulose and vegetable stearate). As with all Designs for Health products, the ingredients are third-party tested for potency, purity and identity. A combined taurine and glycine powder is also available, supplying 3 g taurine and 2 g glycine in each scoop.

Glycine

Free-form L-glycine, which is highly bioavailable, is the standard form used in supplements.

Swanson
Glycine Powder, $15.59/£17.32 (8 oz/227 g)
US: swansonvitamins.com; UK: uk.iherb.com

This vegan, non-GMO powder is made with AjiPure® pharmaceutical‑grade glycine, a branded form of L‑glycine that’s used by healthcare professionals and manufactured to high purity specifications. There’s nothing else added—each 1 g scoop provides 1 g of glycine.

Thorne
Glycine, $31/£24.38 (250 capsules)
US: thorne.com; UK: healf.com

Manufactured in the USA to strict standards, this supplement delivers 500 mg of glycine per capsule. It’s a relatively simple formula consisting of just glycine plus the capsule (hypromellose) and calcium laurate as an anti-caking agent. Like all Thorne supplements, it’s third-party tested to verify the label claims and ensure it’s free of contaminants.

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