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Phosphatidylcholine (PPC): A Building Block for Wellness
by Karl-Josef Gundermann, Ph.D. Like bricks of a wall, cellular membranes act as barriers to protect each cell and organelle in the human body. These membranes maintain cellular structure, function and co-operation. Membranes are an essential building block for life as cells, tissues, organs, and ultimately an organism cannot be formed without them. Without cellular membranes, life on earth would not be possible. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the predominant component in cellular membranes. It is estimated that the human liver alone consists of 300 billion liver cells, with a total cellular and sub-cellular surface area equal to approximately 355,000 square feet. With so much surface area requiring essential PC for proper membrane function, it is no surprise that most people never have enough. WHAT MAKES POLYENYL-PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE SPECIAL? PC clearly plays a vital role in human life. Its role is even more important when unhealthy lifestyle choices are made. For example, excess consumption of saturated fats, alcohol, and drugs, among others, can lead to membrane damage. When cell membranes become rigid, function decreases, and health and well-being are replaced by disease. When membrane damages are present, PC is in high demand to help form, proliferate, restore, and regenerate cell membranes and to enhance membrane-dependent metabolism. Despite PC being consumed through our diet and synthesized within the body, there are fundamental reasons that one ought to supplement with PC. One reason is that energy typically used for the body's own production of PC is saved. This saved energy can then be used to rest and reduce stress in damaged areas or can be freed up for other tasks necessary to the healing process. Another reason is that the two richest dietary sources of PC are egg yolks and liver, both high in potentially membrane-damaging saturated fats. Supplementation with purified Polyenyl-Phosphatidyl-Choline (PPC) from soybean provides the body with a preferred source of polyunsaturated PC, responsible for making membranes more flexible and active, and hence more effective. More than 1,000 experimental and clinical investigations clearly demonstrate that PPC and its primary active ingredient 1,2 dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) significantly improve membrane-dependent cellular and organ functions (i.e., enzyme activities). DLPC is quantitatively and qualitatively responsible for the superior therapeutic effects of purified PC. Only purified PPC can deliver a bio-available and therapeutic dose of DLPC, a superior building block for life and total wellness. COMMON AREAS OF APPLICATION: THE LIVER The liver is the key biochemical factory in our body, responsible for most of the synthesis, metabolism, excretion, and detoxification necessary to live. Chronic damage to the liver induces the formation of fibrous tissue, which can lead to cirrhosis. PPC's cell-protective effects have been corroborated in at least 140 pharmacological studies, with chemical substances, medication, alcohol, and radiation exposure overload being some of the cases examined. More than 200 clinical trials have been performed, showing an accelerated improvement or normalization of subjective symptoms, clinical findings, biochemical functions, cell health (histology), and a shortened hospital stay. THE BLOOD VESSELS PPC positively influences various conditions related to the development and progression of atherosclerosis, such as lipoprotein alterations and free radical-induced lipid peroxidation. Other results include improved cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratios, and a reduction in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Excessive blood clotting is also reduced, and blood flow properties and microcirculation are improved. MEMORY It is well known that low choline levels, deficiency in unsaturated fatty acids, and increased rigidity of neuronal membranes may influence metabolic processes and nerve function, leading to memory loss and concentration disturbances. It has been shown that long-term PPC use aids the brain with such problems. DIABETES Although PPC does not directly influence sugar levels, it protects pancreatic cells against oxidative stress and acts as an anti-fibrogenic agent. PPC also helps to treat the metabolic syndrome by improving lipid levels while delaying and inhibiting diabetes-associated vascular processes positively impacting clinical symptoms such as reduced walking distance and myocardial infarction. GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT Scientific research has been able to determine that PPC has an affinity for the gastric and intestinal mucosa, with a therapeutic effect on these tissues. It is interesting to see that the positive influence of PPC on local biochemical mediators, lipid peroxidation, and collagen deposition is extended to the gastrointestinal tract. Studies show that PPC helps protect the gastrointestinal mucosa against stress ulcer formation, NSAID-induced inflammation, and colitis. PhosChol from Nutrasal, Inc., is a 100% purified source of PPC specially manufactured to consistently deliver the highest concentration of DLPC. According to analytical and therapeutic investigations, PhosChol is capable of delivering 10 to 30 times more DLPC than most standard lecithin and PC products, making it more concentrated, more bioavailable, and therefore more therapeutically effective. In summary, there is strong and increasing scientific evidence that DLPC from soybean-derived PC in natural supplement form is a superior membrane therapeutic, an essential building block for life, and a necessary component for wellness. |
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