| Dietary sources | |
| Lecithins (also: phosphatidylcholines) are phospholipids and are found in higher amounts in soy products and egg yolk. Sunflower seeds, peanuts, corn or milk also provide phosphatidylcholine. | |
| Physiological effects | |
| Nervous system |
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| Neurotransmitter synthesis |
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| Fat metabolism |
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| Detoxification |
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| Blood |
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| Requirement | |||
| Increased demand | Pregnancy, growth, alcohol abuse, high consumption of hydrogenated fats, smoking, diseases (such as allergies, diabetes mellitus), multiple sclerosis, neurodermatitis, PMS, rheumatism | ||
| Special group at risk of deficiency | Liver disease, dementia, Alzheimer's disease | ||
| Lecithin and phospholipids: nutrients with multiple tasks |
| Lecithin and the phospholipids it contains are phosphoric acids esterified with choline. Due to the choline component, lecithin is of particular physiological importance. As part of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, it is involved in the transmission of stimuli to the nervous system and as a component of the platelet activating factors it can also have an effect on inflammatory reactions, platelet aggregation and blood pressure(1). In the liver, lecithin leads to a reduction in cholesterol levels and, in the case of a pathologically altered lipoprotein pattern, to its normalization. Lecithin also has liver protection properties and can reduce elevated serum transaminase levels which occur in liver toxicity (2). |
| Liver protective properties of lecithin |
| Clinical studies have shown the benefits of supplementing with lecithin in liver function disorders and to protect against liver damaging influences, e.g. from medication or alcohol. Liver parenchyma cells have a very high membrane density. The matrix of these membranes consists of phospholipids. Various studies confirm that an additional supply of lecithin (> 1 g/day) has a favorable influence on membrane properties. In addition, lipotropic functions limit the accumulation of fat in the liver, which promotes cell regeneration in acute liver damage (1) (3). Lecithin also protects the liver tissue against an accumulation of triglycerides and other fats in the cells due to alcohol abuse (4). Lecithin also stimulates the liver's enzymatic systems to degrade and excrete toxins and foreign substances. Phospholipids can also have a positive effect on antioxidative processes by increasing glutathione status (5). The combination of lecithin with B-complex vitamins is superior to the exclusive use of lecithin. In an animal study, for example, an alcohol-induced increase in interleukin-10 and gamma interferon was reduced by the combination of lecithin and B-vitamins and at the same time an 36% increase in reduced glutathione and a 61% increase in superoxide dismutase was documented (6). |
| Lecithin in psychoneurological symptoms |
| A targeted supply of lecithin has also been shown to have a positive effect on brain functions. Both learning and memory performance are improved by increased neurotransmitter synthesis in the central nervous system. This applies to both healthy people and people with mild forms of dementia (7). |
| Phospholipids as protective factors for aging membrane structures |
| Cell membranes and structures change with age. As a result, aging processes develop and manifest themselves. Lecithin seems to have a protective effect on these processes. According to clinical studies, the subjective quality of life increases in older people after lecithin supplementation (8). In animal experiments, targeted lecithin supplementation was able to attenuate aging processes and age-related hearing loss (9) and thus provides further evidence of the membrane-stabilizing effects. Memory functions can also be significantly improved by regular supplementation (10). For the phospholipids, phosphatidycholine and phosphatidylserine, contained in lecithin, there is a broad base of evidence for benefits such as the promotion of neurotransmitter synthesis which is important for memory (11). |
| Phospholipids to promote performance in sports |
| Some experimental studies in animals, but also in humans show that the phospholipids contained in lecithin have a performance-stabilizing or performance-enhancing effect on the organism. Through a short-term supplementation, the performance capacity of runners and cyclists could be increased. This is probably due to improved choline supply and a consequent reduction of the circulating cortisol concentration (12). |
| Nutrigenetik | |
| Bestimmte Nährstoffmängel und deren Einfluss auf die Gene, bezogen auf die damit assoziierten Erkrankungen |
|
| Impact on | Symptoms |
| Liver | Increase in transaminases and risk of liver damage, obesity and fibrosis |
| Detoxification | Disruption of liver detoxification processes |
| Nervous system | Learning and memory disorders |
| Kidney | Disruption of function |
| Effect | Indication | Dosage |
| Physiological effects at a low intake |
Complementary therapy for neuropsychiatric diseases,especially in children and adolescents and older people | 1500 - 5000 mg/d |
| Complementary therapy for liver diseases and liver toxicities | 1500 - 5000 mg/d | |
| For disease prevention with regular alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse | 1500 - 5000 mg/d | |
| For memory, attention and concentration problems, nervousness and irritability in older people | 2000 - 10000 mg/d | |
| General mode of administration | |
| When |
Lecithin should be taken with meals. |
| Side effects | |
| Nausea may occur in rare cases at high long-term doses (>20 g/d). | |
| Contraindications | |
| No contraindications are known to date. | |
| Drug interactions | |
| Anti-tuberculosis agent (e.g. isoniazid) | Lecithin may reduce liver function disorders that occur under isoniazid therapy. |
| Cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) | Lecithin can increase the cholesterol-lowering effect of statins. |
| Nutrient interactions | |
| None | No relevant interactions known to date. |
| References |
|
1) Hahn, A.. 2006. Nahrungsergänzungsmittel und bilanzierte Diäten. References Interactions |
