What is Phosphatidylcholine?
Depleted battery? Longevity docs are looking at this forgotten fat to repair your energy issues from the inside out.
It’s like my battery won’t charge.
That might be the statement of the year. We are all dealing with fatigue and desperately turning to biohacking for a solution. Chasing NAD+ seems to be the quick fix right now. It’s the new caffeine of longevity but perhaps it’s just a temporary boost for tired cells.
Earlier this year I started to investigate. What if the problem isn’t just a low battery? What if the whole power grid is compromised?
Your mitochondria, the tiny batteries that make your energy, live inside delicate lipid membranes. When those membranes are damaged, they can’t hold a charge, no matter how much NAD+ you pour in.
“Energy is a membrane story first. Fix the membrane, and the mitochondria can finally use your NAD⁺ properly.”
— Jess Kane, BodyBio
Modern life is a slow assault on those membranes: processed food, environmental toxins, junk light, disrupted sleep, and chronic inflammation all chip away at the fatty acids that keep them flexible and functional.
Many of the longevity doctors I follow such as Dr Kara Fitzgerald and Dr Bruce Hoffman directed me to a nutrient that helps repair the membranes that house and protect your mitochondria called phosphatidylcholine (PC).
Instead of forcing more energy with NAD+ and CoQ10, PC rebuilds the structure that makes energy possible in the first place.
What is Phosphatidylcholine?
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is one of the most abundant fats in the human body. It’s the primary building block of every cell membrane, from your brain to your liver to your mitochondria.
Your mitochondria rely on intact, well-structured membranes to generate energy efficiently.
Stronger membranes = batteries that can both hold and generate a charge.
What is it good for?
PC supports cellular repair and resilience. Some integrative physicians use it to restore membranes damaged by stress, toxins and poor diets. You’ll see it as part of protocols to treat the most complex cases of mold poisoning and long Covid.
Energy + Mitochondria: Rebuilds the membranes that hold mitochondrial charge, helping cells make ATP more efficiently.
Brain + Mood: Supports neurotransmitter signaling, memory, and focus
Liver + Detox: Key component of bile that helps break down fats and flush out toxins, essential for sluggish detox or fatty liver
Gut + Inflammation: Repairs the phospholipid layer lining the intestines, strengthening the barrier and calming inflammation.
Skin + Aging: Improves elasticity, hydration, and cell turnover by nourishing the lipid layer from within.
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How does it work?
PC is a membrane-ready lipid that delivers choline plus a phospholipid backbone your cells can slot into bilayers. Replenishing healthy fats helps rebuild cell membranes making them more fluid, resilient and able to hold energy efficiently.
A liquid PC supplement taken with food is the simplest and most effective way but softgels can be easier for travel (although they have slower absorption). IVs are used by functional doctors for deeper detox or neurological repair.
Worth taking?
Given the deluge of stressors from modern life, any proactive support for your mitochondria gets a YES in my books.
You can get choline from food (egg yolks, liver, fish) but clinical contexts often need higher, targeted doses to show improvement in very damaged membranes from ulcerative colitis or mold/CIRS.
“Membranes are living — feed them good fats, defend them from oxidation, and keep bile moving.”
Jess Kane, BodyBio
On a Longevity Docs thread BodyBio’s PC oil was recommended for people with the APOE4 gene — linked to higher risk of Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular issues. APOE4 carriers struggle to recycle and transport the lipids that keep mitochondrial membranes stable and resilient so supplementation can be beneficial.
BodyBio PC oil has been part of my morning routine for the past year — one filled with added stress from the LA fires, perimenopause and my start-up schedule. Paired with my Magic Mind performance shot, it’s my brain booster.
We can’t forget about eating whole foods, exercise and other lifestyle interventions like reducing alcohol to protect against oxidative stress. However, I’m game for anything that gives those tired batteries a glow up.
All writing is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
As an integrative nutrition health coach, I begin with diet and lifestyle modifications. However, supplementation can be an effective tool, when used correctly.
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References
Mitochondria, NAD⁺/NADH & membranes: Trends Endocrinology & Metabolism 2024; CL-supercomplex reviews (MDPI Cells 2019; JBC & related works). (Cell)
Fatty liver/essential phospholipids: Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022; BMJ Open Gastroenterology (observational). (Frontiers)
Choline nutrition & eggs/TMAO: Examine.com FAQ 2025; American Journal of Medicine 2021; Harvard T.H. Chan Nutrition Source (choline basics). (Examine)
Lipid Replacement Therapy & fatigue: Nutrition Journal RCT 2018; Biochimica et Biophysica Acta review 2014. (BioMed Central)
I am in ... I bought the soft gels.