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Choline Bitartrate

Choline Bitartrate molecule structureCholine Bitartrate molecule structure
2-Hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylethan-1-aminium
Choline, Vitamin B4Open in Piru
Psychoactive Class
Nootropic
Chemical Class
Ammonium salt

Choline bitartrate is a trimethylammonium salt of tartaric acid used as a dietary supplement1 and reported to produce nootropic effects. It supplies choline, which serves as a precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine1, and is a white crystalline powder with an acidic taste and hygroscopic properties1. Choline is generally well tolerated, with extremely low toxicity and few acute physical side effects reported at reasonable doses in careful contexts.

Dosage & Duration

Log in Piru

Dosage

Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.

Threshold50 mg
Light100-250 mg
Moderate250-1000 mg
Strong1000-2000 mg
Heavy2000+ mg
Bioavailability
40%

Duration

Onset45-75 minutes
Come Up15-30 minutes
Peak2-4 hours
Offset1-2 hours
After Effects2-8 hours
Total4-8 hours

Subjective Effects

Subjective Effects not written up yet

Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

Choline is a precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine,2 and supplemental choline may allow acetylcholine to accumulate at higher levels. It is also an integral component of some phospholipids important to membrane structure and function2 and contributes to trimethylamine (betaine) production, which participates in osmoregulation and SAM-e synthesis.

Pharmacokinetics

Oral choline bitartrate has a reported bioavailability of 40%. Choline is metabolically used for acetylcholine and phospholipid synthesis and is converted to trimethylamine (betaine).

Interactions

Interactions not written up yet

An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.

Check TripSit

Tolerance

Tolerance timelines are rules of thumb, not exact schedules, and vary widely between individuals and use patterns.

Full Tolerance
Tolerance develops after prolonged and repeated use.
Baseline Reset
Tolerance returns to baseline in about 14 days without further consumption.
Half Tolerance
In the absence of further consumption, tolerance is reduced by half in about 7 days.

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Extremely Low

Choline bitartrate is non-addictive and does not produce reinforcing effects that would lead to compulsive use patterns.

Physical

Extremely Low

As a naturally occurring nutrient precursor, choline bitartrate does not produce physical dependence or withdrawal symptoms.

Toxicity

Lethal Dosage

For humans, the estimated oral LD50 is roughly 200-400 grams calculated as choline, suggesting very low toxicity compared with ordinary supplemental amounts.

LD50 Data
SpeciesRouteValue
humanoral200-400 g (estimated range)
Gastrointestinal

High doses may cause gastrointestinal irritation including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; these effects are dose-dependent and typically occur only at doses significantly exceeding normal supplementation.

Integumentary

May cause skin irritation upon direct contact; can be harmful if absorbed through skin.

Central Nervous System

Large doses may cause dizziness, and depression or worsening depressive symptoms have been reported in people taking high-dose choline bitartrate.

History & Culture

Choline bitartrate is used as a dietary supplement, food additive, nutrient, and lipotropic compound. It has also been used as a medication for bipolar disorder and mania. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in five patients with early Alzheimer-type dementia suggested improvement in some aspects of cognitive performance during choline bitartrate treatment.3

Legality

By Country

Legal / decriminalized2
United States flagUnited StatesLegal (regulated)
Germany flagGermanyLegal (regulated)

References

Source Pages

  1. Erowid: Choline Experience Vault
  2. PsychonautWiki
  3. Wikipedia

Citations

  1. Technical Evaluation Report — Choline — Handling/Processing. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (2012). https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Choline%20TR.pdf123
  2. Dietary Reference Values for nutrients Summary report. European Food Safety Authority (2017). https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2017_09_DRVs_summary_report.pdf12
  3. Choline bitartrate treatment of Alzheimer-type dementias. Experts@Minnesota / Communications in Psychopharmacology (1980). https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/choline-bitartrate-treatment-of-alzheimer-type-dementias1
  4. Regulation (EU) No 609/2013, Article 1 and Article 4 (German consolidated text, 1 September 2025). eur-lex.europa.eu (n.d.). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A02013R0609-202509011
  5. § 5 Nahrungsergänzungsmittelverordnung (NemV) — Anzeige. gesetze-im-internet.de (n.d.). https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/nemv/__5.html1
  6. BVL — Regelungen für Online-Shops: Nahrungsergänzungsmittel. bvl.bund.de (n.d.). https://www.bvl.bund.de/DE/Arbeitsbereiche/01_Lebensmittel/04_AntragstellerUnternehmen/13_FAQ/FAQ_OnlineShops/FAQ_OnlineShops_node.html?cms_thema=Regelungen+f%C3%BCr+Online-Shops1
  7. PubChem PUG REST — Choline Bitartrate identity (CID 6900). pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug/compound/name/choline%20bitartrate/property/Title,IUPACName,MolecularFormula,CanonicalSMILES,IsomericSMILES/JSON1
  8. 21 CFR Part 182—Substances Generally Recognized as Safe (2025 edition), § 182.8250 Choline bitartrate. govinfo.gov (n.d.). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2025-title21-vol3/pdf/CFR-2025-title21-vol3-part182.pdf1
  9. 21 CFR Part 101—Food Labeling (2025 edition), § 101.36 Nutrition labeling of dietary supplements. govinfo.gov (n.d.). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2025-title21-vol2/pdf/CFR-2025-title21-vol2-part101.pdf1
  10. 21 CFR Part 107—Infant Formula (2025 edition), § 107.100 Nutrient specifications. govinfo.gov (n.d.). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2025-title21-vol2/pdf/CFR-2025-title21-vol2-part107.pdf1

Further Reading

  1. Frontiers: Choline Supplements - An Update (2023)
  2. Glier et al. - Methyl nutrients, DNA methylation, and cardiovascular disease (2014)
  3. Linus Pauling Institute - Choline
  4. Naber et al. - Improved human visuomotor performance after choline supplementation (2015)
  5. Nootropics Depot: Choline Supplements Guide
  6. Nootropics Expert: Choline Bitartrate
  7. Sitaram et al. - Interaction of choline and scopolamine in human memory (1978)
  8. Smolders et al. - Natural choline from egg yolk phospholipids is more efficiently absorbed (2019)
  9. Zeisel & Da Costa - Choline: An essential nutrient for public health (2009)

Article Status

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    Step 1 · Automated synthesis

    An autonomous workflow built by Josie Kins compiled this article's foundation from information published across the web.

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