The Nutrient Phosphatidylcholine (PC)
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a purified extract from lecithin and is one of the
components of bile (it is required for normal transport of bile acids). Emulsifies and
breaks down fat deposits in the body, which make it helpful in the prevention of
gallstones, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and liver problems. Research has shown that
Phosphatidylcholine is beneficial in depression, memory loss and neurological disorders.
It is 3 times more potent than Lecithin
Phosphatidylcholine is one of the most important support nutrients
for the liver. PC is a phospholipid, a large biological molecule that
is a universal building block for cell membranes. A cell's membranes
are its essence: they regulate the vast majority of the activities that
make up life. Most liver metabolism occurs on cell membranes, which
occupy about 33,000 square meters in the human. More than 2 decades of
clinical trials indicate that PC protects the liver against damage from
alcoholism, pharmaceuticals, pollutant substances, viruses, and other
toxic influences, most of which operate by damaging cell membranes. The
human liver is confronted with tens of thousands of exogenous
substances. The metabolism of these xenobiotics can result in the
liver's detoxicative enzymes producing reactive metabolites that attack
the liver tissue. Dietary supplementation with PC (a minimum 800 mg
daily, with meals) significantly speeds recovery of the liver. PC has
also been shown to be effective against alcohol's liver toxicity in
well-controlled studies on baboons. PC has other qualities that enhance
its usefulness as a dietary supplement. PC is safe, and is a safer
means for dietary choline repletion than choline itself. PC is fully
compatible with pharmaceuticals, and with other nutrients. PC is also
highly bioavailable (about 90% of the administered amount is absorbed
over 24 hours), and PC is an excellent emulsifier that enhances the
bioavailability of nutrients with which it is co-administered. PC's
diverse benefits and proven safety indicate that it is a premier liver
nutrient.
Lecithin is a nutrient compound which was first isolated from egg
yoke in 1850 by Maurice Bobley. Since that time, it has been shown to
be present in many foods. Soybeans and other legumes, grains, wheat
germ, brewers yeast, and fish, as well as egg yokes are all good
sources of lecithin.
Biochemically speaking, lecithin belongs to a group of nutrients known as lipids (fats,
oils, waxes) and is a phospholipid called phosphatidylcholine. It is important to note
that since what is commercially called lecithin is actually only one-third true lecithin.
The other two-thirds is made up of other phospholipids.
Lowering serum cholesterol levels has been recommended as an important factor in
coronary health. Lecithin, specifically granular lecithin with 98%+ phosphatidylcholine
content, can be an valuable component in that process.
In 1958, that Dr. Lester M. Morrison, director of a research unit at Los Angeles County
General Hospital, first published (Geriatrics, January, 1958) his findings that lecithin
could be used to lower cholesterol levels. In fact, Dr. Morrison reported that "lecithin
was found to be the most effective cholesterol lowering agent tested.." He reported that
80% of his patients suffering from high serum cholesterol levels showed an average
decrease of 41% in serum cholesterol after taking lecithin for several weeks.
Instead of "blocking" absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract as other
cholesterol reducing agents did, lecithin enhanced the metabolism of cholesterol in the
digestive system and aided in its transport through the circulatoiy system. The lecithin
acted as an emulsifier and broke down the fats and cholesterol in the diet into tiny
particles and held them in suspension, preventing them from sticking to blood platelets or
arterial walls. It is when fats are not properly emulsified, that they become "sticky" and
this is the major cause of blood clots, atherosclerosis, and coronary thrombosis.
Interestingly enough, researchers have since demonstrated that atherosclerosis (blockage
of the arteries) can be induced in the laboratory by either increasing the cholesterol
introduced into the body or by decreasing lecithin intake.
Researchers Adams and Morgan have also shown that lecithin from a vegetable source
(soybeans) is more effective than lecithin from an animal source (eggs) in acceleratingly
re-absorption of cholesterol back into the blood stream that has adhered to the walls of
blood vessels and caused blockage.
This difference is attributed to the fact that lecithin from animal
sources contains high amounts of saturated fatty acids, while lecithin
from vegetable sources are about 80% unsaturated fatty acids.
Perhaps the most interesting new findings on lecithin concern its
connection with the functioning of the brain and nervous system.
The main source of energy for the brain comes from a combination of
oxygen and glucose (sugar). For brain cells to function normally they
must receive a constant supply of these nutrients. As areas of the
brain become more active blood flow into and out of these areas
increase.
In addition to oxygen and glucose, the brain uses chemical compounds
known as phospholipids. These phosopholipids make up the covering of
nerve cells that assist in the transfer of information from cell to
cell. Without phospholipids brain cell activity may become abnormal and
cause problems in the nervous system.
Certain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and brain tumors can
affect blood flow to the brain and change the way the brain metabolizes
phopholipids. In addition to diseases, changes in the brain occur with
normal healthy aging.
Besides being an important factor in controlling cholesterol levels and aiding coronary
health, lecithin is involved in a myriad of body functions. Every cell of your body
contains lecithin. Lecithin is responsible for maintaining the surface tension of the cell
membrane. It therefore controls what goes in and out of each cell, allowing nutrients in,
or wastes out. Without enough lecithin, the cell wall hardens, thus not allowing enough
nutrients in or wastes out. This means premature aging of cells. The surface tension of
the cell maintained by lecithin is also responsible for transmitting nerve impulses and
messages through or from the cell.
A key factor in proper brain and nerve transmissions is the presence
of cellular substance called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine deficiencies
are linked with the neurological disorders tardive dyskinesia
(involuntary facial grimaces and body jerking), Huntington's chorea.
Friedrich's ataxia (speech impairment, irregular movements, and
paralysis), olivaponto-cerebellasatrophy (wasting away of the brain),
Alzhemer's disease (a mind destroying disease that starts with memoiy
difficulties), and myasthenia gravis (progressive paralysis).
Until recently, medical researchers were using choline chloride to help their patients
who suffered from these insidious brain disorders to produce more acetylcholine in their
bodies. However, in 1977, Dr. Richard Wurtinan and his colleagues at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology found that lecithin (which contains phosphatidylcholine) increased
serum choline levels more than three times as much as the previously used choline chloride
and kept those levels raised more than three times as long. This meant that researchers
had found a way to significantly raise acetylcholine levels in their patients since
acetylcholine production in the brain was dependent on serum choline levels.
An unexpected discovery by researchers at The National Institutes of Health (NIH), may
help to explain how Alzheimer's disease causes memory loss. The research shows that beta
amyloid, a common protein in the brain, can make cell membranes leak choline, and thus
reduce production of acetylcholine in cells. Choline, an
essential ingredient in acetylcholine, has been known for many years to help store and
retrieve memories. Two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease are accumulation in the brain of
beta amyloid and reduction of the concentration of acetylcholine. In Alzheimer's disease,
as well as in older subjects with Down syndrome, the brain cells which produce
acetylcholine are known to die.
The research is reported in the May 23rd issue of Brain Research by investigators at
the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
(NINDS). According to Dr. Stanley Rapoport, Chief of the NIA's Laboratory of Neurosciences,
"We think that increased leakage of choline through the nerve cell membranes, due to
prolonged exposure to excess concentrations of beta amyloid, may make these cells more
vulnerable. This could contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome dementia."
Studies on the effect of phosphatidylcholine administration on
memory are limited. We administered egg phosphatidylcholine to mice
with dementia and to normal mice and compared the differences in memory
and serum choline concentration, and choline and acetylcholine
concentrations and choline acetyltransferase activities of three
forebrain regions (cortex, hippocampus and the remaining forebrain).
Mice with dementia were produced by mating sibling mice who had
impaired memory for > 20 generations. These mice had poor memory and
low brain acetylcholine concentration. We administered 100 mg of egg
phosphatidylcholine (phosphatidylcholine group) or water (control
group) by gavage to each mouse daily for about 45 d. Control mice with
dementia had poorer memory in passive avoidance performance and lower
brain choline (cortex and hippocampus) and acetylcholine (hippocampus
and forebrain excluding cortex and hippocampus) concentrations and
lower cortex choline acetyltransferase activity than the control normal
mice (P < 0.05). The administration of phosphatidylcholine to mice
with dementia improved memory and generally increased brain choline and
acetylcholine concentrations to or above the levels of the control
normal mice. In normal mice, phosphatidylcholine treatment did not
affect memory or acetylcholine concentrations in spite of the great
increase in choline concentrations in the three brain regions. Serum
choline concentration in mice treated with phosphatidylcholine
increased to a similar level in both strains of mice, indicating that
the absorption of phosphatidylcholine was not impaired in mice with
dementia. The results suggest that administration of egg
phosphatidylcholine to mice with dementia increases brain acetylcholine
concentration and improves memory.
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is a purified extract from lecithin and is one of the
components of bile (it is required for normal transport of bile acids). Emulsifies and
breaks down fat deposits in the body, which make it helpful in the prevention of
gallstones, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and liver problems. Research has shown that
Phosphatidylcholine is beneficial in depression, memory loss and neurological disorders.
It is 3 times more potent than Lecithin
Phosphatidylcholine is one of the most important support nutrients
for the liver. PC is a phospholipid, a large biological molecule that
is a universal building block for cell membranes. A cell's membranes
are its essence: they regulate the vast majority of the activities that
make up life. Most liver metabolism occurs on cell membranes, which
occupy about 33,000 square meters in the human. More than 2 decades of
clinical trials indicate that PC protects the liver against damage from
alcoholism, pharmaceuticals, pollutant substances, viruses, and other
toxic influences, most of which operate by damaging cell membranes. The
human liver is confronted with tens of thousands of exogenous
substances. The metabolism of these xenobiotics can result in the
liver's detoxicative enzymes producing reactive metabolites that attack
the liver tissue. Dietary supplementation with PC (a minimum 800 mg
daily, with meals) significantly speeds recovery of the liver. PC has
also been shown to be effective against alcohol's liver toxicity in
well-controlled studies on baboons. PC has other qualities that enhance
its usefulness as a dietary supplement. PC is safe, and is a safer
means for dietary choline repletion than choline itself. PC is fully
compatible with pharmaceuticals, and with other nutrients. PC is also
highly bioavailable (about 90% of the administered amount is absorbed
over 24 hours), and PC is an excellent emulsifier that enhances the
bioavailability of nutrients with which it is co-administered. PC's
diverse benefits and proven safety indicate that it is a premier liver
nutrient.
Lecithin is a nutrient compound which was first isolated from egg
yoke in 1850 by Maurice Bobley. Since that time, it has been shown to
be present in many foods. Soybeans and other legumes, grains, wheat
germ, brewers yeast, and fish, as well as egg yokes are all good
sources of lecithin.
Biochemically speaking, lecithin belongs to a group of nutrients known as lipids (fats,
oils, waxes) and is a phospholipid called phosphatidylcholine. It is important to note
that since what is commercially called lecithin is actually only one-third true lecithin.
The other two-thirds is made up of other phospholipids.
Lowering serum cholesterol levels has been recommended as an important factor in
coronary health. Lecithin, specifically granular lecithin with 98%+ phosphatidylcholine
content, can be an valuable component in that process.
In 1958, that Dr. Lester M. Morrison, director of a research unit at Los Angeles County
General Hospital, first published (Geriatrics, January, 1958) his findings that lecithin
could be used to lower cholesterol levels. In fact, Dr. Morrison reported that "lecithin
was found to be the most effective cholesterol lowering agent tested.." He reported that
80% of his patients suffering from high serum cholesterol levels showed an average
decrease of 41% in serum cholesterol after taking lecithin for several weeks.
Instead of "blocking" absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract as other
cholesterol reducing agents did, lecithin enhanced the metabolism of cholesterol in the
digestive system and aided in its transport through the circulatoiy system. The lecithin
acted as an emulsifier and broke down the fats and cholesterol in the diet into tiny
particles and held them in suspension, preventing them from sticking to blood platelets or
arterial walls. It is when fats are not properly emulsified, that they become "sticky" and
this is the major cause of blood clots, atherosclerosis, and coronary thrombosis.
Interestingly enough, researchers have since demonstrated that atherosclerosis (blockage
of the arteries) can be induced in the laboratory by either increasing the cholesterol
introduced into the body or by decreasing lecithin intake.
Researchers Adams and Morgan have also shown that lecithin from a vegetable source
(soybeans) is more effective than lecithin from an animal source (eggs) in acceleratingly
re-absorption of cholesterol back into the blood stream that has adhered to the walls of
blood vessels and caused blockage.
This difference is attributed to the fact that lecithin from animal
sources contains high amounts of saturated fatty acids, while lecithin
from vegetable sources are about 80% unsaturated fatty acids.
Perhaps the most interesting new findings on lecithin concern its
connection with the functioning of the brain and nervous system.
The main source of energy for the brain comes from a combination of
oxygen and glucose (sugar). For brain cells to function normally they
must receive a constant supply of these nutrients. As areas of the
brain become more active blood flow into and out of these areas
increase.
In addition to oxygen and glucose, the brain uses chemical compounds
known as phospholipids. These phosopholipids make up the covering of
nerve cells that assist in the transfer of information from cell to
cell. Without phospholipids brain cell activity may become abnormal and
cause problems in the nervous system.
Certain diseases like Alzheimer's disease and brain tumors can
affect blood flow to the brain and change the way the brain metabolizes
phopholipids. In addition to diseases, changes in the brain occur with
normal healthy aging.
Besides being an important factor in controlling cholesterol levels and aiding coronary
health, lecithin is involved in a myriad of body functions. Every cell of your body
contains lecithin. Lecithin is responsible for maintaining the surface tension of the cell
membrane. It therefore controls what goes in and out of each cell, allowing nutrients in,
or wastes out. Without enough lecithin, the cell wall hardens, thus not allowing enough
nutrients in or wastes out. This means premature aging of cells. The surface tension of
the cell maintained by lecithin is also responsible for transmitting nerve impulses and
messages through or from the cell.
A key factor in proper brain and nerve transmissions is the presence
of cellular substance called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine deficiencies
are linked with the neurological disorders tardive dyskinesia
(involuntary facial grimaces and body jerking), Huntington's chorea.
Friedrich's ataxia (speech impairment, irregular movements, and
paralysis), olivaponto-cerebellasatrophy (wasting away of the brain),
Alzhemer's disease (a mind destroying disease that starts with memoiy
difficulties), and myasthenia gravis (progressive paralysis).
Until recently, medical researchers were using choline chloride to help their patients
who suffered from these insidious brain disorders to produce more acetylcholine in their
bodies. However, in 1977, Dr. Richard Wurtinan and his colleagues at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology found that lecithin (which contains phosphatidylcholine) increased
serum choline levels more than three times as much as the previously used choline chloride
and kept those levels raised more than three times as long. This meant that researchers
had found a way to significantly raise acetylcholine levels in their patients since
acetylcholine production in the brain was dependent on serum choline levels.
An unexpected discovery by researchers at The National Institutes of Health (NIH), may
help to explain how Alzheimer's disease causes memory loss. The research shows that beta
amyloid, a common protein in the brain, can make cell membranes leak choline, and thus
reduce production of acetylcholine in cells. Choline, an
essential ingredient in acetylcholine, has been known for many years to help store and
retrieve memories. Two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease are accumulation in the brain of
beta amyloid and reduction of the concentration of acetylcholine. In Alzheimer's disease,
as well as in older subjects with Down syndrome, the brain cells which produce
acetylcholine are known to die.
The research is reported in the May 23rd issue of Brain Research by investigators at
the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
(NINDS). According to Dr. Stanley Rapoport, Chief of the NIA's Laboratory of Neurosciences,
"We think that increased leakage of choline through the nerve cell membranes, due to
prolonged exposure to excess concentrations of beta amyloid, may make these cells more
vulnerable. This could contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome dementia."
Studies on the effect of phosphatidylcholine administration on
memory are limited. We administered egg phosphatidylcholine to mice
with dementia and to normal mice and compared the differences in memory
and serum choline concentration, and choline and acetylcholine
concentrations and choline acetyltransferase activities of three
forebrain regions (cortex, hippocampus and the remaining forebrain).
Mice with dementia were produced by mating sibling mice who had
impaired memory for > 20 generations. These mice had poor memory and
low brain acetylcholine concentration. We administered 100 mg of egg
phosphatidylcholine (phosphatidylcholine group) or water (control
group) by gavage to each mouse daily for about 45 d. Control mice with
dementia had poorer memory in passive avoidance performance and lower
brain choline (cortex and hippocampus) and acetylcholine (hippocampus
and forebrain excluding cortex and hippocampus) concentrations and
lower cortex choline acetyltransferase activity than the control normal
mice (P < 0.05). The administration of phosphatidylcholine to mice
with dementia improved memory and generally increased brain choline and
acetylcholine concentrations to or above the levels of the control
normal mice. In normal mice, phosphatidylcholine treatment did not
affect memory or acetylcholine concentrations in spite of the great
increase in choline concentrations in the three brain regions. Serum
choline concentration in mice treated with phosphatidylcholine
increased to a similar level in both strains of mice, indicating that
the absorption of phosphatidylcholine was not impaired in mice with
dementia. The results suggest that administration of egg
phosphatidylcholine to mice with dementia increases brain acetylcholine
concentration and improves memory.
- Vikki McInnis-Shaw. Liver Disease Medical Glossary. Hepatitis Central.
- Parris M. Kidd, Ph.D. Phosphatidylcholine: A Superior Protectant Against Liver Damage. Alt Med Rev 1996;1(4):258-274
- Hanin I, Ansell GB: Lecithin: Technological, Biological, and Therapeutic Aspects. New York: Plenum Press, 1987
- Positron
Emission Tomography Imaging of Human Brain Phospholipid Metabolism in
Relation to Age and Disease. National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke 94-N-0205 - Hypothesis for Cause of Memory Loss in Alzheimer's Disease Proposed. National Institute on Aging.
- Chung
SY. Moriyama T. Et al. Administration of phosphatidylcholine increases
brain acetylcholine concentration and improves memory in mice with
dementia. J Nutr, 125(6) :1484-9 1995 Jun
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