Phosphatidyl choline (PC) is used in the food industry as a food emulsifier. Emulsifying means that it makes fat-soluble in water. As a supplement, PC breaks down fats, builds the cellular membrane and synthesizes the neurochemical acetylcholine.

How Phosphatidyl Choline Works In The Body

PC’s emulsifying properties prevent fatty build-ups in the body, for example in the blood vessels, gallbladder and liver. Decreasing fatty build-up in arteries helps to regulate blood pressure. PC is a large component of all cell membranes because it regulates the passage of substances into and out of the cell. It can cross the blood-brain barrier to produce brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that aid in memory - in particular acetylcholine.

The protective coating of the brain and nerve cells is also composed of choline. In this respect PC helps to make the sheath (myelin) that surrounds the nerves that conduct messages from the brain to the muscles and organs of your body, performing a similar function to the insulation sheathing of electrical wires. If this protective sheath degenerates (as in MS), a "shorting out" of the message that the nerve is carrying occurs. Natural health practitioners for alcoholic liver damage, Alzheimer’s disease, gallstones, hepatitis, atherosclerosis, memory loss, nerve degeneration and depression recommend PC.

Phosphatidyl Choline Supplement Varieties

PC supplements are made in capsules but lecithin is found in capsules or as granules. Lecithin granules should be refrigerated for freshness because the essential fatty acid component can go rancid. Lecithin contains 10-20% PC. Newer lecithin supplements, made from fresh egg yolk, contain a higher percentage of PC.

Key Considerations

Oral contraceptives, estrogen, sulfa drugs, food processing, coffee and alcohol deplete lecithin in the body, which contains PC. Do not use high doses of lecithin if you have manic-depressive disorder.