For healthy cognitive function
Lecithin is the common name for a compound made of fatty acids and choline known as phosphatidylcholine. It is found in soy, eggs, organ meats and nuts among other things, and if you read ingredient labels you may recognize it as a common food additive. Your body normally makes all the phosphatidylcholine it needs, and it’s the most abundant phospholipid component in cell membranes throughout the body, thereby supporting many functions including not only your brain but the liver and gallbladder too.
In terms of cognitive function though, lecithin is a precursor molecule for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in your brain and muscles, and has been shown to have a positive effect on brain and memory functions.
My personal testimonial:
I spent two years studying hard for my oral exams to obtain my Ph.D. in Physiology. If you have been or are a graduate student, or know one, you probably know the level of stress ‘the orals’ has for people. Consequently I did everything in my power to improve my chances of passing, and supplementing with lecithin was one of those optimizations for the entire two years prior to my exam because I knew how important it was for my brain chemistry to be top notch. I practically quit drinking alcohol entirely, completely stopped smoking pot for those two years, kept a steady sleep schedule, studied systematically and rigorously, and optimized my diet including all the supplementation described under basic necessities. I also employed one very special secret weapon that I cannot divulge here for a number of reasons, but it wasn’t anything to do with diet or nutrition so it isn’t relevant to you in this context.
Long story short I went into my oral exam with the same clammy sweaty fear and trepidation every other grad student does, but I quickly found myself so on top of the game that it turned into one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. When we had a short break for my committee members to confer among themselves and I went out into the hallway, my fellow grad student friends who I had studied with all that two year’s time that were waiting outside for me were all nervous and concerned, while I was calm and confident and all smiles because I knew I had nailed it. Shortly I was called back into the exam room, informed I had passed my orals, and then spent another half an hour or forty-five minutes standing at the blackboard continuing to talk physiology with the committee members because we were all having so much fun! I have never known or heard of another grad student having such a positive oral exam experience.
How much did the lecithin help? There’s no way to isolate out its own effect, so I don’t know. The best I can say is that it was probably like every other aspect of good nutrition, if you cover all the bases you can expect the best results.
My recommendation for lecithin is that you probably don’t need it unless you’re a grad student trying to optimize everything you can in preparation for your oral exam, if you have a really crappy normal diet devoid of the nutrients your own body needs to make it, if you want to be sure you’re totally on top of your mental game, or if you’re suffering any amount of cognitive decline and want a mental tuneup. If you’re going to go to the trouble I would recommend at a minimum doubling the recommended dose from one capsule to two capsules daily; but please note the fine print on the Vitacost page explaining that some beneficial effects are only noticeable at relatively high doses of 15 to 30 grams daily. The good news is that lecithin is completely nontoxic and you cannot overdose on it, so use your own discretion on this nutrient.