A group of obstetricians and nutrition scientists at the Universities of Cornell and Rochester Medical Center has discovered newly that choline may be a great help in protecting a baby from mental disturbances, according to a report published in the FASEEB journal.

The team says that higher amounts of the nutrient consumed during pregnancy can bring changes in epigenetic markers in the foetus.

The choline nutrient can be consumed by one from eggs and meat, the team says. And children at a later stage in their life would also have least risks of a stress-related illness such as hypertension, in case their mothers have the same during gestation period.

Besides, it has been told that the epigenetic markers are those DNA modifications that direct genes to switch on or off. While the news was exciting, it became more pleasing when researchers told that the affected markers were the ones responsible for regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal or HPA axis.

It is being said that more choline means more stable HPA axis, which in turn results in less cortisol in the foetus. "The study is important because it shows a relatively simple nutrient can have significant effects in prenatal life, and these effects likely continue to have a long-lasting influence on adult life", said study author Eva K. Pressman.