Getting Choline from Lecithin Supplements – Review and Side Effects

Choline Lecithin is a key component of soy and egg yolks and is used as a supplement to promote neurological health.

Once in the brain, Choline acts as a precursor to Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which is essential for the forming of synaptic connections between neurons. These connections are the basis of memory, logical reasoning, mental clarity, and response to sensory information.

Choline in lecithin form is a very common dietary supplement which can improve mental acuity as well as contribute to over health. Let’s take a look at how this natural compound produces its effects.

Lecithin is a phospholipid or fat that is derived from various food products. These include eggs, beef liver, wheat germ, soybeans and navy beans. Lecithin helps control fat in the body and is an effective treatment for some liver diseases, multiple sclerosis, and nerve damage. It also balances skin moisture and is used in many beauty products.

Lecithin’s most remarkable use, however, is in neurological function. In effect, this substance acts as a delivery device for choline, an organic compound which stimulates an elaborate process of neural expansion and health. This happens when the lecithin enters the body and begins to break down. One of lecithin’s component parts is phosphatidylcholine, which is a form of choline that is used in the brain.

Choline

Cholinergic Supplement

Memory

Brain Health

Cognition

How It Works:

• Supports memory and synaptic plasticity
• Raises acetylcholine levels
• Promotes brain health and focus

Dosage:

Between 250 - 1,000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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How Does Choline Lecithin Work?

Once the lecithin has broken down, the choline which is released gets to work. Choline is a major component of the neurochemical Acetylcholine.

This bioavailable agent maintains and enhances the plasticity of the structures of the brain. That means that the brain is more able to change its structure, grow new pathways, and make new synaptic connections.

This flexible, growth-oriented environment is conducive to the formation of new memories, and the drawing of connections between different experiences and sensory data.

That’s another way of describing learning. The more plastic the brain is, the easier learning will be, the more recall will be available, and the more fluidly thoughts will flow.

Acetylcholine is also involve in maintaining concentration, attention, and the executive functions of the brain. For the typical user, this translates into a clear-headed, sharply focused mental feeling, whether it is applied to work, creative endeavors, or social situations.

Phosphatidylcholine Supplements as a Source of Choline

It’s also valuable for us to look at lecithin’s component part Phosphatidylcholine on its own. Phosphatidylcholine and lecithin are often mistaken as being one and the same, but in fact lecithin is made up of a number of different phospholipid compounds including Phosphatidylcholine.

This compound is also frequently taken as a stand-alone mental health supplement. Phosphatidylcholine helps to build and regulate cell structure, while removing cell waste. And, as the name implies, it contains choline.

Unfortunately, oral Phosphatidylcholine supplements have low bioavailablity. Much of its choline is lost during the digestion process and never makes it to the brain. For this reason, it’s not recommended as the ideal choline supplement. This is the same issue which plagues another well-known choline supplement, Choline Citrate. Without strong bioavailability, many of the benefits are lost.

Lecithin

Nutrient Supplement

Brain Health

Memory Function

Metabolism

How It Works:

• Natural source of Phosphatidyl Choline
• Provides nervous system support
• Promotes memory function & brain cell health

Dosage:

Between 1 - 35 g per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

Top Lecithin Products* ❯

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Other Excellent Forms of Choline

Even though the choline content in lecithin is too low to make a major difference to cognitive function, there are a few other supplements which are highly bioavailable and are able to cross the blood brain barrier.

These include Alpha GPC and CDP Choline (Citicoline). In particular, Alpha GPC is made by purifying lecithin so that only the phospholipid-bound choline remains.

Unlike Choline from lecithin which exists in low concentrations, supplements like Alpha GPC and CDP Choline contain high concentrations of free choline which rapidly penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, the choline can then be used to synthesized Acetylcholine which is then taken up by your neurons for later use.

Many people have reported great success with the practice of stacking Alpha GPC and CDP Choline with other nootropics such as racetams like Piracetam. This combination has been shown to improve memory, learning and mental performance. Some users claim the mental clarity and sense of recall is so acute that they use it as an alternative to drugs such as Adderall.

Choline And The Fight Against Neurological Disease

Choline from Lecithin supplements and all of the other forms of choline might lead to a promising advance in the quest to understand and stop various mental disorders. Of chief interest is Alzheimer’s disease, the ubiquitous mental decay associated with old age which robs people of memory and all mental focus.

It is possible that the lack of neuroplasticity in these patients is caused by choline, and subsequently Acetylcholine, deficiency. While choline supplementation has not been able to stop or reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s, it has been hypothesized that taking supplemental choline in older age may prevent the start of the disease. Choline is also used to treat symptoms of Tourette’s disease, Huntington’s disease, myasthenic syndrome, and mania.

Research on supplemental Choline use is very promising, however the research is somewhat limited in scope, and more large-scale human trials are still needed. At this time, Choline is available as health supplements only, and the FDA has not approved Choline as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.

Choline Dosage and Bioavailability

While the exact recommended intake of Choline suggested per person per day varies with age, amounts for adults generally fall around 400 to 500 mg per day. There’s just one catch – these dosages do not take into account the bioavailability issue of Choline lecithin and its component Phosphatidylcholine.

If more than 60 percent of this substance is eradicated by gut flora during digestion, it is hard to say how much choline actually makes it to the brain. For this reason, it is prudent to skip Choline lecithin products and take choline brain supplements in the form of more bioavailable supplements like the above mentioned Alpha GPC or Citicoline.

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