"Lecithin is more" article by Jim Wright

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Lecithin is worthy of consideration as what we call a "standard issue" supplement. To us, that means its significance to bodybuilders can't be overstated. Lecithin can help your brain, liver and immune system, and it can also help in the digestion of fats. Every cell in your body needs lecithin. Its efficiency is matched only by its versatility. Because its actions are so crucial to cell integrity, lecithin is a first-class addition to any bodybuilder's supplement regimen.
Federal regulators in the United States indirectly acknowledged the importance of lecithin last year by identifying choline, contained in lecithin, as an "essential" nutrient. An essential nutrient is required by the body but must be obtained from the diet because the body doesn't make it in adequate amounts. The federal designation for choline -- and by inference lecithin, as a significant source of choline -- seems to confirm lecithin's worth. (It also underscores the fact that bodybuilders -- who have used and promoted lecithin as a supplement staple for decades -- are and always have been at the cutting edge in the science of nutrition and in manipulation of body composition.)
WHAT IS Lecithin? Lecithin also known as phosphatidyicholine (PC), is a special type of lipid (a phospholipid) found naturally in the body. In fact, cell membranes contain a substantial portion of lecithin, which indicates how important it is, as it helps regulate what flows in and out of cells.
WHY SUPPLEMENT WITH IT?
Supplemental lecithin can make a difference -- albeit subtly and over the long term -- in your health, appearance and gym performance. Besides, you're not likely to get enough lecithin and choline in a typical bodybuilding diet, which is low in saturated fat and processed foods.
Many processed foods contain lecithin because of its emulsifying properties -- preventing separation of ingredients. We wouldn't recommend processed foods as a wellspring of lecithin, regardless of how much of it (or any other potentially beneficial substance) they contain. As for getting enough lecithin from whole foods, unfortunately, the richest sources tend to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
The best whole-food sources of lecithin and choline are egg yolks, soybeans and organ meats such as beef liver. Grains, fruits and veggies are essentially insignificant sources. Milk and powdered milk proteins are not much better.
Americans, including bodybuilders, have cut their total fat intake over the past 20 years, primarily by decreasing consumption of eggs, organ meats and red meat. These declines -- despite any beneficial effects they may have in reducing the risks of heart disease and other ailments-- have nevertheless also reduced lecithin intake to levels that are often marginal even in the average person, let alone in bodybuilders.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LECITHIN? Lecithin, choline and their major metabolites are involved in enough of the body's processes to fill quite a few huge books. Lecithin enhances cell membrane dynamics. It's a major phospholipid in the membranes surrounding cells. As the gatekeepers of the cells in the body, membranes provide ultimate control over what and how much of anything goes in and out. For maximum processing volume and efficiency, it's imperative that we nutritionally support these critical structures as best we can. This is even more important for bodybuilders, who constantly put their bodies and physiological systems under stress.
Lecithin keeps fats "in line." It helps reduce cardiovascular-disease risk by contributing cholesterol-lowering polyunsaturated fatty acids, inhibiting intestinal absorption of cholesterol, increasing excretion of cholesterol and bile acids, and positively affecting the overall lipoprotein profile. Every serious bodybuilder knows how important these actions are.
In addition, lecithin helps promote a healthy liver. Besides working to lower cholesterol levels, lecithin amazingly has been shown to prevent the development of alcohol induced cirrhosis of the liver in various animals (human studies are now underway). Choline is required for normal liver function. Healthy humans fed a choline-free diet for only a few weeks develop profiles that include early indicators of liver dysfunction.
If you take a lot of painkillers, you need lecithin. Research has shown it protects against gastrointestinal (GI) injury caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Despite their efficacy and widespread use, NSAIDs can cause GI lesions, perforations and bleeding. In human and animal studies, including lecithin with NSAIDs not only prevented GI irritation in subjects, but also enhanced the antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic efficacy of the therapy. That's something every sore bodybuilder can use.
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH WHAT CHOLINE?
Scientists discovered this nutrient in animals about 140 years ago. Its importance as an essential nutrient remained unclear until much later. Proof that a nutrient is essential usually involves the development of a deficiency disease when the nutrient is withheld from the body. In addition to fatty liver, choline deficiency causes abnormal kidney function, infertility, growth impairment, bone abnormalities, reduced production of blood cells and hypertension, among other problems. As a result of its recently being declared essential, you'll soon see new product labeling, authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, identifying foods and supplements that deliver "qualifying levels" of choline.
Research has clearly linked choline to improved cardiovascular health, liver and reproductive functions and more. Choline has been shown in several studies to improve performance in endurance sports (running, swimming, cycling). Research has determined that cholinergic nerves transmit signals to skeletal muscles, and choline levels decline as a result of long hard exercise. The kicker for bodybuilders is that supplementation, even if it's just prior to training, increases blood choline levels and prevents the decline. As has been the case with other supplements and types and intensities of exercise, though, only those studies in which the exercise was long and hard enough to elicit a decline showed significant benefits of supplementation.
Choline also plays a critical role in brain development, learning and memory. Choline is used to produce acetylcholine, the exclusive neurotransmitter for a large part of the nervous system. When choline is fed to pregnant rats, their offspring perform significantly better in maze tests than rats whose mothers were not fed choline. Amazingly, even as the rats age, the improved memory is maintained at a level comparable to much younger rats.
WHY SHOULD YOU GET CHOLINE FROM LECITHIN?
Both lecithin and choline are available as supplements (choline comes in the form of various salts, such as choline chloride, choline bitartrate and choline dihydrogen citrate). However, lecithin provides a more timed-release and bioavailable source of choline than do salts or multicomponent supplements. This property would obviously be especially important for growth and physical performance, as well as for supporting brain and nervous-tissue functions. Furthermore, choline salts are far more likely than lecithin to result in the production of metabolites that can produce an offensive fishy body odor.
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH PC?
Commercial lecithin used in supplements is mostly PC mixed with small amounts of other phospholipids extracted from soybeans. Phosphatidylcholine acts as a "second messenger," transmitting signals from the outside of a cell to the interior, an essential process for the absorption and use of nutrients and normal growth. It also binds to and enhances absorption of powerful antioxidants that work with vitamin C, help strengthen capillaries, enhance peripheral blood flow and cross the bloodbrain barrier (supporting brain/nervous system functions and recovery). That helps explain the beneficial effects of lecithin on brain function.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I TAKE?
Recent estimates suggest that healthy adults in the United States should consume about six grams (g) of lecithin daily and .6-1 g of choline. Lecithin is available in granular form and in "softgel" capsules. One tablespoon of granular lecithin provides about 1,700 milligrams (mg) of PC and 230 mg of choline, a little less than the amounts of PC and choline in an egg. In the capsule form, concentrations vary from brand to brand, but levels of 180 mg of PC and 24 mg of choline per one 1,200-mg lecithin capsule are common.
Some top researchers in the field recommend a couple of tablespoons a day of the granular lecithin, which would provide roughly the amount of choline (500 mg) that healthy adults would get from a decent diet. For bodybuilders, we recommend four or more tablespoons. Although there are no definitive data that could be applied to bodybuilders, that amount sounds reasonable to us. We prefer the granular form of lecithin as a supplement, especially since the granules can be mixed into protein drinks as well as sprinkled on cereals or even into salads.
You can, of course, go higher in dosage, but before you think of megadosing this good stuff, first get in the habit of taking it consistently. Besides, top-level bodybuilders of previous generations started and maintained the buzz about lecithin by using a couple of tablespoons a day as the dosage level. And although its effects might be more noticeable during fat-cutting cycles, this is one supplement that really ought to be part of your standard-issue package.
IS IT SAFE?
Commercial lecithin, choline chloride and choline bitartrate are all categorized by law as generally recognized as safe and nontoxic. Unless you're pushing beyond 16-20 g of choline or 40 g of PC daily (well over 100 g of lecithin), there's nothing to worry about. Even above those levels, GI effects, such as bloating, nausea, diarrhea and anorexia, will pretty much limit your desire and capacity to continue overconsuming.
IT WORKS!
We can't recommend lecithin (and its accompanying nutrient choline) too strongly. Both clinical and anecdotal research give supplemental lecithin extremely high marks in boosting bodybuilding performance and results. And it's inexpensive. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
RELATED ARTICLE: FLEX QUICK-TAKE GUIDE: LECITHIN
What is it? Lecithin, or phosphatidylcholine (PC), is a lipid naturally found in the body that contains other important nutrients, including choline.
What does it do? Every cell in the body needs lecithin. Cell membranes are composed mostly of lecithin. Among other benefits, lecithin enhances the function and health of the liver, brain, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system.
Is it found in whole food?
Yes, but unfortunately it's in many fattening processed foods. To get as much as a bodybuilder needs, supplementing with it is important.
How much should I take?
Adults need at least six qrams a day of lecithin and .6-1 gram of choline. Bodybuilders should get more. We recommend you take lecithin in its granular form. Over the course of the day, take four or more tablespoons with food (sprinkled on cereal or salads) or mixed into protein shakes.
Jim Wright "Lecithin is more: why you should be using this unique supplement". Flex. FindArticles.com. 06 Oct, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KFY/is_8_20/ai_98539294/