Lecithin/CholineLecithin Or Choline Supplementation... 
The question of whether to supplement with choline or lecithin (which contains 
phosphatidylcholine), as well as how much to supplement, has always been 
difficult to answer. This has mainly been due to a lack of research into the 
dietary requirement of choline or choline phospholipids (lecithin) in man. In 
recent years, interest has been renewed into the health benefits and dietary 
requirements for choline and/or lecithin. Growing evidence now suggests that 
dietary choline and lecithin are very important for the prevention of many 
pathologic conditions, and both have been used as a dietary supplement for the 
purpose of treating or preventing several human diseases including cirrohis of 
the liver, arteriosclerosis and certain deficiencies of brain function and 
memory. 
Many researchers have lamented the fact that the best sources of lecithin and 
choline in the diet are high-fat, high -cholesterol foods such as eggs, red 
meat, and organ meats like liver, which are all foods of which many people have 
reduced their intake. The most recent research has shown that lecithin and 
choline are essential dietary components for ensuring optimal nutrition, and 
that although they are both sources of choline, they may have different and 
complementary properties that may make it desirable to supplement with both. 
Lecithin and its component phosphatidyl choline are known to be essential for 
liver function. In fact, even a few weeks on a choline-deficient diet has been 
shown to cause abnormalities in liver function. Studies in primate models of 
alcohol-induced cirrhosis have shown that lecithin, but not choline, protects 
from alcohol liver damage.1 This is a particularly important finding, since 
liver cirrhosis caused by excessive intake of alcohol is the fourth-leading 
cause of death in people 25 to 64 years of age in the U.S. 
Choline and lecithin have also been shown to be essential for proper brain 
development in infants and children. In fact, supplementation of animal diets 
with choline or lecithin at particular times of brain development has been shown 
to permanently increase cognitive function. A just published study on the 
effects of choline supplementation on carnitine metabolism has shown that 
choline supplements reduce the urinary excretion of carnitine, through the 
conservation of skeletal muscle carnitine.2 In this study it was also suggested 
that there was an increased capacity of those tissues for fatty acid oxidation, 
a beneficial effect due to the increased synthesis of carnitine. It is not known 
to what degree lecithin may have the same effects. Based on the information and 
research to date, it appears prudent to consume both lecithin and choline to 
ensure all the benefits of both these sources of dietary choline. 
Lecithin, found in foods such as eggs, soybeans, peanuts, and liver, is the 
predominant source of choline in the human diet. The normal intake of lecithin 
and choline has been estimated to be approximately 6 grams and 800 milligrams 
per day respectively. Commercial soy lecithin is defatted from soy bean oil to 
contain dominantly (± 95%) acetone insolubles- the most important of which are 
the phospholipids phosphatidylcholine, inositol and ethanolamine. Commercial 
lecithin is about 23% phosphatidylcholine (PC), and PC contains about 14% 
choline. Due to space limitations, choline sources like choline bitartrate and 
choline citrate have been used as the predominant source of choline in vitamin 
supplements. However, the increasing evidence that lecithin is a source of 
choline that may have benefits beyond simply being a choline source, has 
provided a reason for supplementing with both choline and lecithin itself. 
One of the problems with lecithin supplementation has always been the 
susceptibility of lecithin to becoming rancid. Even "dry" lecithin granules 
contain approximately 80% fat, because the actual lecithin molecule is mostly 
composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, when supplementing with lecithin 
it is essential that the product be fresh and packaged in an oxygen-free 
container. After opening it should be refrigerated. This will ensure all the 
benefits of lecithin without the risk of consuming rancid lecithin. While some 
companies claim to add preservatives to their lecithin, this is not effective, 
as the preservative must be added to the lecithin prior to processing into 
granules. Simply mixing a preservative with the dry lecithin granules is not 
effective. 
Based on the research to date, a reasonable amount of choline supplementation is 
250 to 1000 milligrams daily. Lecithin supplements can be consumed in the range 
of 5 to 20 grams daily. Because of the increasingly recognized importance of 
choline in the diet, both from its choline and lecithin sources, it seems 
plausible that most of us are not comsuming an optimal level of these choline 
sources in our diet. By supplementing, however, we can ensure that we do receive 
ample amounts of these important nutrients. 
References: 
  S. Lieber, S.J Robins, J. Li, et al, Gastroenterology 1994; 106:152-159 
  J.W. Daily III and D.S. Sachan, J Nutr 1995; 125: 1938-1944. 
This article first appeared in the September, 1995 issues of VRP's Newsletter