Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder by the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders." In anxiety disorders, individuals experience fear in the absence of fear-provoking stimuli. In cases of OCD, patients have obsessive thoughts, such as fear of germs, or worries about locking the door properly. When these irrational thoughts occur, the compulsion that follows is an attempt to soothe the anxiety. When a cycle of obsession-compulsion begins is it hard to break and can disrupt daily life. The search for therapeutic or medical ways to treat this disorder includes using natural substances such as lecithin.
What is Lecithin?
Lecithin is the common name for a specific kind of phospholipid called phosphatidylcholine. Although lecithin remains synonymous with phosphatidylcholine, the compound is actually composed of various lipids, fatty acids and carbohydrates. The main purpose of this group of lipids is to help strengthen cell walls and membranes. Cell health impacts brain function. In 2008, researchers at Tufts University in Boston published a study in the "Journal of Nutrition" suggesting that as rats age, changes in phosphatidylcholine in brain membranes are related to cognitive deficiencies.
Fatty Acids and Anxiety
Fatty acids, or lipids such as those found in lecithin, may play a role in mental health. In 2011, researchers in France investigated the role of chronic stress and low levels of specific fatty acids in mental health. To test their theory, the scientists fed a group of baby rats a diet low in essential fatty acids and induced stress by separating them from their mothers. They created different groups of rats, some of whom met each experimental condition and some of whom met both. The results, which were published in the journal "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids," suggest that the combination of low fatty acids and stress induced an anxiety disorder. Based on these results, the scientists theorized that poor nutrition and stressful situations may lead to anxiety disorders in humans.
Social Stress and Fatty Acids
In 2011, researchers at the Healthcare Research Institute in Hiroshima, Japan examined the role of some major polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain and the implications for mental health, specifically anxiety caused by social situations and isolation. To investigate their theories, the scientists created two groups of rats, some of whom were fed adequate levels of essential fatty acids and some of whom were not. They then put some of the rats in socially isolating conditions and tested levels of anxiety. Their results, which were published in the journal "Lipids," revealed that the group of mice fed low levels of fatty acids seemed more susceptible to the stress of chronic social isolation.
Putting It All Together
As of September 2011, there is no sufficient body of research linking lecithin directly to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, research does seem to suggest that low levels of lipids and essential fatty acids, which are found in compounds such as lecithin, may play a role in anxiety, especially when combined with environmental stress. Taking nutritional supplements and reducing overall stress may help in the treatment of OCD. However, such additions to a treatment plan should be reviewed with a physician or clinical psychologist.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Cognitive Impairment in Folate-deficient Rats Corresponds to Depleted Brain Phosphatidylcholine and Is Prevented by Dietary Methionine without Lowering Plasma Homocysteine; A.M. Troen, et al.; 2008.
- "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids"; Dietary n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Deprivation Together with Early Maternal Separation Increases Anxiety and Vulnerability to Stress in Adult Rats; G. Mathieu, et al.; 2011
- "Lipids;" Dietary n-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency in Mice Enhances Anxiety Induced by Chronic Mild Stress; A. Harauma, et al.; 2011
