Since their discovery in the mid-1800s, phospholipids have been the subject of hundreds of human studies and tens of thousands of scientific publications.  But only within the past decade have the phospholipids gained respect as versatile and safe nutraceuticals with unique health benefits:

 

For Homeostasis, fundamental life processes, survival: Homeostasis at the level of the cell maintains the conditions necessary for life, and meets the constant challenge for survival. Supplementing the daily diet with phospholipids strengthens homeostasis throughout the body as a whole.  This is because phospholipids make up the matrix, or foundation of the cell membranes that control the internal cell environment. Maintaining cell membrane integrity is the “bottom-line” prerequisite for survival, and dietary phospholipids safeguard this fundamental life process.

 

For enhanced nutrient absorption: The phospholipids are readily compatible with the entire range of vitamins, minerals, metabolites, and herbal preparations currently consumed as dietary supplements.  PC is routinely present in the bile fluid, to help emulsify food ingredients for absorption. Also, when PC and other phospholipids are taken as dietary supplements along with food, many of the  nutrients from the food are better absorbed. PC and the other dietary phospholipids also work in concert with the body's orthomolecular antioxidants (vitamins C and E, alpha-lipoic acid, glutathione, coenzyme Q10, selenium, zinc, manganese, copper) to protect membranes in the liver and other organs. In particular, the dietary phospholipids and the omega-3 fatty acids work in functional synergy in our cell membranes, to make our cells more efficient in all their functions

  

Protection against chemical and biological attack: Cell membranes are vulnerable to toxins, whether these stem from poor lifestyle (smoking, alcohol, other drug abuse), toxic pharmaceuticals, or environmental pollutants.  Viruses, bacteria, and other infectious agents also target cell membranes.  Most detoxication activities occur in the liver.  As liver membrane mass is destroyed, more membrane must be assembled to replace it.  PhosphatidylCholine (PC) is the major membrane building for protecting the liver from damage or speeding its recovery following damage.  The other phospholipids GPC, PE, PS, and PI also have essential roles in building cell membrane and restoring cell integrity.

Memory, learning, word recall, other cognitive brain functions: PS (PhosphatidylSerine) is the best documented phospholipid for this application, as validated from many double-blind trials.  Memory pioneer Thomas Crook and colleagues concluded PS might “turn back the clock on aging” for over-50 subjects having accelerated memory decline.  No other nutrient or drug has been proven to achieve this distinction.  But GPC also has an enviable track record from its double blind trials, as an all around enhancer of mental performance. The combination of PS and GPC is a logical nutritional approach to fighting mental decline.