Lecithin

Lecithin is also known as phosphatidylcholine in medical circles, as about 95% of lecithin is made up of phosphatidyl-choline. Lecithin is necessary for all living cells in the body and is the key component from which all cell membranes are made. A deficiency of lecithin can cause these membranes to become hardened, prohibiting nutrients from entering and exiting the cell. Lecithin protects cells from damage by oxidation, which may explain why lecithin makes up the protective sheaths around the brain. Lecithin even helps rebuild brain cells and increase brain function, being an essential part of nerve transmission and neurotransmitter production. Lecithin actually crosses the blood-brain barrier, creating an instant reaction.

Although it is a fatty substance, lecithin acts as a fat emulsifier, breaking down cholesterol and fat and helping to prevent these substances from sticking to the walls of arteries and vital organs. Lecithin causes fats, such as cholesterol, to be dispersed in water and removed from the body. Lecithin is known to help prevent arteriosclerosis and protect the body against heart disease.

Lecithin also assists in fighting infection and building the body’s resistance against disease by enhancing the colon’s absorption of vitamin A and the liver’s absorption of vitamin B1, improving energy, slowing the aging process, and aiding in the repair of liver damage resulting from alcoholism.

Lecithin is obtained mostly from soybeans, but also from brewer’s yeast, fish, grains, legumes and wheat germ. Many nutritionists recommend taking vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) along with lecithin.

Two to three tablespoonfuls of lecithin taken daily has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol levels. A UCLA study reported taking 4,800mg of lecithin daily reduced cholesterol levels 22% over 2 years. Another study, published in Biochemical and Medical Metabolism and Biology, reported that 9 men and 9 women having high cholesterol and triglycerides experienced significant reductions in both. The participants also demonstrated an increase in HDL cholesterol, all after receiving lecithin supplementation. Authors of the report concluded lecithin may prove beneficial as a complementary treatment for atherosclerosis.

Lecithin has been used with success in the treatment of various cases of tardive dyskinesia—a neurological disorder which causes facial twitches—a common side effect of heavy use of tranquilizers such as Thorazine.

A group of researchers in London conducted a 6-month study on the effects of lecithin in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Participants fed large amounts of lecithin showed improvement in some mental functions and also in the ability to care for themselves. Similar studies confirm these findings; however, best results were seen in early stages of the disease. Interestingly, Dr. Richard Wurtman, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claims levels of choline, a neurotransmitter derived from lecithin, are reduced by up to 90% in Alzheimer’s patients, thus accounting for their loss of memory.