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Choline contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function. Here you will find liver complexes with choline, plus products with milk thistle and artichoke. Our pick: Optiolex Liver & More. Read the guide ↓
After a rich festive meal, a lot feels heavy. Meanwhile, your liver works quietly in the background.
It processes fats from food, stores nutrients and breaks down substances, around the clock. For the liver there is exactly one nutrient with a claim the EU has assessed and approved: choline.
Here you will learn where choline is found in food, how the liver complexes in our range differ and what milk thistle and artichoke are all about. With figures instead of promises.
Symbolic image: AI-generated
Choline: the one nutrient with an EU claim for the liver
For food supplements, only what the EU has assessed and approved may be claimed. For the liver, that is a single nutrient. The graphic shows which foods are rich in choline.
1
nutrient with a liver claim
400 mg
choline recommended per day
150 mg
choline in one egg
Choline
“Choline contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function.”
“Choline contributes to normal lipid metabolism.”
“Choline contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.”
Recommended per day: 400 mg (adults, EFSA)
Found in: eggs, liver, beef, fish, soybeans
Curious fact: The name comes from the Greek word for bile. Choline was discovered in 1862 in pig and ox bile.
Good to know: Milk thistle, artichoke, dandelion and bitter herbs are in almost every liver product. If you want something assessed, look for choline in the ingredients list.
Liver complexes compared: choline plus plant extracts
These four complexes combine choline with milk thistle and artichoke. The boxes show how much choline, silymarin (from milk thistle) and cynarin (from artichoke) a daily dose contains. A grey box means: not stated or not included.
Choline, compact: with one companion or as lecithin
Fewer ingredients, easier to compare: these four products provide choline with one or two further ingredients, Cosmoterra's lecithin as a powder to stir in.
Milk thistle, artichoke, bitter herbs: what is behind them
These plants have a long tradition in cooking and folk tradition.
Milk thistle
Silybum marianum
A thistle from the Mediterranean with white-veined leaves. Silymarin, a group of plant compounds, is obtained from its seeds. The figure on the pack shows how strongly an extract is standardised.
Artichoke
Cynara cardunculus
As a vegetable we know the flower buds, but extracts are usually made from the leaves. A typical compound is cynarin, which contributes to the bitter taste.
Dandelion and bitter herbs
Taraxacum, wormwood, gentian
In many countries, bitter plants are a tradition after meals. Dandelion is in several of the complexes, wormwood for example in Optiolex Liver & More and the Paracel Milk Thistle Complex.
Our view: These plants may interest you, for example because you know them from tradition. If you want something backed by evidence, look for choline in the ingredients list.
Two myths that refuse to go away
Myth 1
“A course in spring gives your liver a good clean.”
Fact: The liver breaks down substances itself all the time, day and night.
Myth 2
“Choline is a vitamin.”
Fact: Choline is a vitamin-like nutrient. The body makes some itself, but not enough. Food provides the rest, especially eggs, meat and fish.
Good to know when taking supplements
✓
Eggs count too
One egg provides around 150 mg choline, more than most capsules. If you regularly eat eggs, meat or fish, your meals already cover a good part of the recommended 400 mg.
✓
Spread over the day
For some products the manufacturer recommends several portions: Dr.Wunder Hepy 2 capsules three times, anatis, Paracel and Cosmoterra Artichoke Plus 1 capsule twice a day.
✓
Lecithin: mind the soy
Cosmoterra Soy Lecithin Plus contains soy, one of the major allergens. The powder does not dissolve easily in water; the manufacturer recommends stirring it into milk or plant milk.
✓
Check age information
According to the manufacturer, the SB milk thistle capsules are not suitable for children and adolescents under 17. Notes like this are on every product page.
Frequently asked questions
Which nutrient has an approved claim for the liver?+
Only choline: “Choline contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function.” Choline also contributes to normal lipid metabolism and normal homocysteine metabolism.
How much choline do I need per day?+
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) sets 400 mg per day as an adequate intake for adults. Good sources are eggs, liver, beef, fish and soybeans. One egg provides around 150 mg.
What is silymarin?+
A group of plant compounds from milk thistle seeds. The silymarin figure on the pack shows how strongly an extract is standardised.
What is cynarin?+
A plant compound from artichoke that contributes to its slightly bitter taste.
In short
For the liver there is exactly one nutrient with an approved claim: choline. Eggs, liver, meat and fish already provide plenty of it.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Choline contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function.
400 mg a day is recommended; one egg provides around 150 mg.
Note: Health claims refer exclusively to the nutrients named and comply with Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Keep out of the reach of young children.
