Lecithin Supplements: Understanding the Risks and Benefits

By: Dov Michaeli, MD, PhD

Updated July 2, 2020

Before you take lecithin supplements, you should weigh the lack of credible evidence of benefits against scientific literature suggesting safety concerns.

Lecithin is a very popular dietary supplement. But what do we know about its risks and benefits?

With regard to benefits, we know that lecithin supplements are heavily promoted as a panacea for:

• Cardiovascular health
• Liver and cell function
• Fat transport and fat metabolism
• Reproduction and child development
• Physical performance and muscle function
• Cell communication
• Improvement in memory, learning, and reaction time
• Relief of arthritis
• Healthy hair and skin
• Treatment for gallstones

I have always been suspicious of promotions that promise to cure all human ailments. But a recent review of a number of scientific papers on PubMed reveals that the researchers still refer to hoped for lecithin benefits with terms like “may,” “might,” “theoretically could” and not with “does.” Further, most papers…