Phosphatidylcholine
Phosphatidylcholine

Background

Phosphatidylcholine is a chemical found naturally in all cells in the body. It is a source of the essential nutrient, choline. It's also found in foods.

Phosphatidylcholine is a major part of lecithin, which is a mixture of fats that are essential to cells in the human body. It's found in soy, sunflower, mustard, and eggs. The body makes a chemical called acetylcholine from phosphatidylcholine. Acetylcholine is important for memory.

People use phosphatidylcholine for inflammatory bowel disease. It is also used for acne, memory loss, Alzheimer disease, liver disease, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Don't confuse phosphatidylcholine with Alpha-GPC, choline, lecithin, phosphatidylserine, or soy. These are related but not the same.
When taken by mouth: Phosphatidylcholine is possibly safe when used in doses up to 30 grams daily for 6 weeks, or up to 6 grams daily for up to 2 years. It's generally well-tolerated. Side effects might include altered taste, bloating, diarrhea, itching, nausea, and sweating.

When applied to the skin: Phosphatidylcholine is possibly safe when used in products also containing niacinamide for up to 12 weeks.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy: Phosphatidylcholine is possibly safe when taken by mouth starting at 18 weeks of pregnancy at doses up to 5 grams daily.

Breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if phosphatidylcholine is safe to use when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Likely effective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
  • A type of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis). Taking phosphatidylcholine by mouth might improve symptoms in people with ulcerative colitis.
There is interest in using phosphatidylcholine for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Likely ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions

Dosing & administration

Phosphatidylcholine has most often been used by adults in doses of 1.05-6 grams by mouth daily for up to 24 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

It is not known if Phosphatidylcholine interacts with any medicines. Before taking Phosphatidylcholine, talk with your healthcare professional if you take any medications.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.
 
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