Menopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who don't consume enough of the essential nutrient choline appear to be at higher risk for liver scarring, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that compared liver damage and choline consumption among 664 children and adults with NAFLD. Low choline intake was not linked to worse damage in children, women of childbearing age and men with NAFLD, a finding that underscores the existence of important age and gender differences in disease progression, the research team reports. The scientists caution that the exact link behind low choline and liver damage remains unclear and emphasize that adding choline to one's diet may not halt disease progression. Choline-rich foods include dairy, eggs, cod, broccoli, peanut butter, lean beef, chicken breast, chicken liver, seed oils, leafy greens, cauliflower and legumes, such as peas, beans and lentils.