CHOLINE –
May 7, 2026 – Anxiety has become one of the most visible mental health problems in the United States, showing up not only in clinics but also in schools, workplaces, and everyday family life. Although therapy and medication can help many people, anxiety disorders often go untreated, and even those who receive care do not always recover fully.
A new UC Davis Health study points to a possible biological clue: people with anxiety disorders appear to have lower levels of choline, an essential nutrient involved in brain function.
The study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, reviewed 25 datasets from 24 published studies that used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), a specialized MRI technique that measures brain chemistry. Together, the studies included 370 people with anxiety disorders and 342 people without anxiety. The analysis focused on generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
The clearest finding was an 8% average reduction in choline-containing compounds in the brains of people with anxiety disorders. The difference was especially consistent in the prefrontal cortex, a region involved in planning, emotional control, decision making, and regulating behavior.
