Lecithin is a fatty substance that occurs in many plant and animal tissues. Lecithin benefits are due to it being an excellent source of phospholipids, which are the largest component of membranes in the body (eg, cell membranes). (R)
Lecithin is rich in phospholipids, including phophatidylcholine (PPC), phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, (R) phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid. (R)
Dr. Patricia Kane, a specialist in lipid treatment, has gone so far as to say that PPC in particular determines the health of the gut and brain. (R)
Lecithin’s benefits are well known for brain function, gut health, blood pressure, and the liver.
The Lecithin I Take
NOW Sunflower Lecithin (Amazon)
Types of Lecithin
Lecithin supplements come from sunflower or soy sources.
You can buy it either as granules or “liquid,” though that’s something of a misnomer. The liquid form has a fatty, oily consistency, and while it doesn’t taste bad, I don’t recommend it unless you’re a seasoned health warrior.
Lecithin Dosage
Studies on lecithin use a wide daily dose between 1200mg and 20gms a day. (R1, R2)
Lecithin supplements, on the other hand, recommend a dose of about one to 1 1/2 tablespoons, or around 10 to 14 grams a day. (R1, R2)
If you opt instead to take phospholipids directly, you’ll be taking a much lower dose, as phospholipids make up less than half of lecithin.
Lecithin-Rich Foods
Lecithin is present in some common foods, such as milk, (R) soybeans and egg yolks (R), egg yolk being an especially rich source of lecithin. (R)
Lecithin Allergy
If sensitivity to chicken eggs is a concern for you, duck, goose, or quail eggs are good alternatives. Dr. Mercola recommends eating them raw or close to raw, as the risk of salmonella is low and high heat turns the fats in the egg rancid; the egg protein also becomes more inflammatory with heat. (R)
Soybean- and egg-derived lecithin supplements, however, don’t appear to contain enough of the allergenic proteins to be a concern for most soy and egg allergy patients. (R1, R2)
Lecithin Dangers
Lecithin overdoses may induce severe gastrointestinal distress, sweating, and anorexia. (R)
Animal studies found lecithin caused abnormal brain growths (R) and behavioral and neurochemical issues in developing rodents. (R)
Taking large amounts of lecithin for long periods of time has the danger of causing changes to the brain, making certain types of receptors hypersensitive or underresponsive. (R)
Lecithin and the Brain/Nervous System
Lecithin benefits many nervous system disorders, including Huntington’s disease, myasthenia, mania, dyskinesia, Friedreich’s ataxia, and Tourette’s. (R)
However, an analysis of studies found no benefit for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
Lecithin did benefit those with general memory issues, though. (R)
In a study of six patients with mania, five of six saw improvement that was “significantly greater” than placebo. (R)
People taking a combination of phospholipids saw reduced stress hormone levels in response to a stress test.
This treatment reduced response in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, (R) a key nexus of stress in the body.
Dr. Amy Yasko recommends the use of lecithin or phospholipids for attention issues, including ADD. (R)
Lecithin and Leaky Gut
PPC makes up most of the mucus that lines your gut (large intestines).
Substances that break down PPC, like mycotoxins (mold toxins), are a source of leaky gut. (R)
PPC creates a surface inside the intestines that repels bacteria, preventing leaky gut. (R)
Those with ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease, have 70% less PPC in their gut than health people. Supplementing with PPC caused 53% of UC patients to achieve recovery in one study. (R)
Lecithin and the Liver
Lecithin prevents alcohol damage to the liver. (R)
Lecithin increases numbers of white blood cells in the liver. (R)
People who receive nutrition via IV for long periods often have low choline levels in blood. Of these patients, 50% develop fatty liver. Lecithin supplementation for several weeks greatly raised low choline levels in these patients and reduced amounts of liver fat. (R)
Lecithin also protected against fatty liver in animals. (R)
Lecithin and Omega-3s
Lecithin’s benefits to the liver are strengthened when taken with omega-3 fatty acids. (R)
Adding lecithin to omega-3 fatty acid supplements makes one of their fatty acids, DHA, more available for use by the body. (R)
Lecithin and Blood Pressure
1200mg of lecithin a day lowered diastolic blood pressure in middle-aged women. (R)
Lecithin reduced heart rate, constriction of arteries, and markers of inflammation in animals with high blood pressure. (R)
Lecithin lowers blood pressure through anti-inflammatory activity, including reduction of the adhesive molecules ICAM-1 and E-selectin and the cytokines (inflammatory proteins) TNF-a and MCP-1. (R)
Lecithin and Weight Loss
Lecithin may assist with weight loss (R) and is used to increase fat burning. (R)
Additional Lecithin Health Benefits
Lecithin increased vigor in middle-aged women with fatigue. (R)
Lecithin benefits the mitochondria; it reduced age-induced hearing loss by protecting mitochondrial function in the cells of the inner ear.
It achieved this via antioxidant action, routing oxidative stress in the form of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reducing damage to DNA.
PPC and lecithin support some of the body’s most important antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione and superoxide dismutase. (R)
Lecithin’s anti-inflammatory action is owed to inhibiting the protein complex Nf-KB. (R)
Lecithin and phospholipids are “short cut support for the methylation cycle, ” according to Dr. Amy Yasko. (R)
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