Herbs & Supplements

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Uses

A component of foods, lecithin sometimes is called phosphatidylcholine. In the body, it separates into several different compounds, including choline, a water-soluble nutrient related to the B vitamins. Found throughout the body, choline helps maintain cell structure, plays a key role in the breakdown of fats in the diet, transports cholesterol, and provides raw materials for the production of certain essential substances. Choline also protects the liver by decreasing the amount of fat accumulation. Recently, choline was recognized as an essential nutrient, even though the human body can make some choline. An essential nutrient is a substance which is required for normal growth and functioning, but which the body either cannot make or cannot produce in high enough amounts to meet its needs.

Lecithin and choline have been studied extensively for possible benefits in preventing or treating dementia. In general, dementia is a serious cognition impairment that may be caused by stroke, Alzheimer's disease, substance abuse, brain infection, or injury to the brain or spinal cord. Cognition includes the mental processes used to acquire, maintain, retrieve, and utilize information. Individuals who have dementia often also have a low level of a natural chemical known as acetylcholine. A neurotransmitter (a natural body chemical involved in carrying signals from nerve cells to other cells), acetylcholine affects muscles and memory. Lecithin supplementation may improve symptoms associated with dementia by increasing levels of acetylcholine in the body.

In several studies, laboratory animals were given lecithin or choline while they were young or were born to mothers that were given supplemental lecithin or choline while they were pregnant. Animals treated with lecithin or choline seemed to have fewer cognitive difficulties later in life. However, no human studies have tested whether lecithin or choline may prevent dementia, and the few studies evaluating the use of lecithin or choline supplementation in individuals with dementia showed poor or variable results. One small study reported that lecithin seemed to improve memory in Alzheimer's disease patients, but later studies found no such improvement. Lecithin or choline supplementation does not appear to increase memory for adults without dementia.

In human and animal studies, lecithin or choline supplementation resulted in slight decreases in cholesterol. A small study of individuals with normal or mildly elevated cholesterol levels showed that lecithin supplementation decreased both the absorption of cholesterol from foods and the production of low-density lipoproteins (LDL--the "bad" type of cholesterol) by the body.

In another study, laboratory rats that were given a choline-free diet developed liver diseases, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Choline deficiencies also caused artificially-induced liver cancer and other cancers to spread faster than they did in animals receiving normal amounts of choline. In human studies, individuals who had diets with no choline developed liver damage. When laboratory animals and human study participants were given lecithin or choline supplementation, however, the buildup of fat and the development of fibers in liver cells were blocked and existing liver fibers were reduced at least partially. This blocking of fiber formation is important because fiber formation may lead to cirrhosis, liver damage, and even death due to liver dysfunction. In another human study, adding lecithin to the diets of patients who were receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition (feeding through an intravenous line) decreased fatty deposits in their livers. Results of some animal studies show that supplemental lecithin may help to prevent or reduce liver damage caused by drinking alcohol, but similar evidence from human studies is lacking.

Lecithin may also be applied to soften dry skin and to relieve minor irritation from scrapes, sunburn, and similar injuries. Frequently, it is added to cosmetics and over-the-counter medications to keep the ingredients from separating as well as to enhance their penetration of the skin.