How Lyme Disease Steals Your Phospholipids and What That Means for Your Health background image
July 18, 2025

How Lyme Disease Steals Your Phospholipids and What That Means for Your Health

Ashley Palmer profile image

Ashley Palmer

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Health & Wellness Expert
Pooja Mahtani profile image
Medical Review By:

Pooja Mahtani

PHARMD, MS, CNS, LDN, IFMCP, RN

Featured Product:

BodyBio PC (Phospholipid Complex)

BodyBio PC

From £64.99 GBP
BodyBio PC (Phospholipid Complex)

BodyBio PC

From £64.99 GBP

Key Takeaways:

  • Phospholipid loss during/after Lyme disease can quietly affect how your body absorbs nutrients, processes energy, and supports your immune system.
  • Supporting your cells with key fats like PC and PE can make a meaningful difference in how you feel day to day.*
  • Even when Lyme symptoms improve, your cells may still need extra, targeted support that can help ease long-term symptoms and help you feel more balanced over time.

Lyme disease doesn’t just make you feel tired or foggy. It impacts your body down to the cellular level. One of the lesser-known ways it does this is by stealing phospholipids (the fats that form the protective layer around each cell). These fats aren’t just structural. They help your cells absorb nutrients, get rid of waste, and communicate with each other. So when your phospholipid levels are low, you physically feel it through low energy, brain fog, sluggish digestion, or even immune system burnout.

Fortunately, you can replace these crucial phospholipids through supplementation and support your cells to thrive with Lyme.*

Table of Contents:

  • What Are Phospholipids, and Why Do They Matter for Lyme Recovery?

  • How Lyme Disease Disrupts Cell Membranes

  • The Long-Term Impact of Phospholipid Loss After Lyme

  • A Closer Look at Cellular Signaling and Membrane Repair

  • PC & PE: Where to Get More (and Why You May Need Them)

  • Rebuilding Cellular Health While Living with Lyme

What Are Phospholipids, and Why Do They Matter for Lyme Recovery?

Do you feel like your body just can’t bounce back, even after treatment for Lyme disease? It might not be your immune system that’s struggling. It could be your cells. Phospholipids are essential types of fat that form the membrane, or outer shell, of every cell in your body. These membranes aren’t just structural; they regulate what comes in, what goes out, and how your cells communicate with one another. 

Two phospholipids in particular, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), are especially critical for this process. They’re the same ones most targeted by Borrelia bacteria (a type of spiral-shaped bacteria that causes Lyme disease). When this bacterium enters your body, it doesn’t just cause a temporary infection. It starts pulling resources directly from your cells.

PC and PE are two of the most important phospholipids for your health. PC helps build strong cell membranes that are durable yet permeable. This permeability (ability to let fluids and nutrients pass in and out) is especially helpful in organs that are constantly working, like your gut and liver. PE plays a complementary role to PC by helping cells repair themselves and communicate efficiently, as well as support your mitochondria.

How Lyme Disease Disrupts Cell Membranes

When the Borrelia bacteria (which causes Lyme disease) enters your body, it doesn’t just cause a temporary infection and immune response. It starts pulling resources directly from your cells (acting similar to a parasite). According to 2013 research in Pathogens, Borrelia spirochetes extract PC and PE phospholipids from your cells to build their own protective outer layers.

In other words, these bacteria are using your cell building blocks for themselves, and that leaves your body with less to work with.

This “phospholipid hijacking:”

  • Reduces your ability to maintain strong, functional cell membranes.

  • Leads to a buildup of cellular damage (when cells can’t repair or restore themselves fast enough), which can leave your organs and bodily systems, like your brain, gut, or immune system, struggling to work efficiently. 

  • Means healing from Lyme isn’t just about fighting infection. It’s also about restoring balance and integrity to your cells.

The Long-Term Impact of Phospholipid Loss After Lyme

Without enough phospholipids, your cells can’t hold their shape, protect themselves, or communicate effectively with other cells. This disruption affects everything from how your immune system responds to how your body recovers and repairs tissue damage. Which is why you may continue to feel “off” through lingering symptoms like low energy, brain fog, digestive trouble, or mood swings even after Lyme diagnosis and treatment. You can think of this kind of damage as having leaky cells, which can lead to wide-ranging systemic issues.

Replenishing phospholipids gives your body what it needs to restore healthy cell function and rebuild from the inside out.*

A Closer Look at Cellular Signaling and Membrane Repair

Your cell membranes are in constant communication. They pass signals between cells to coordinate immune responses, guide tissue repair, and help your body stay balanced through physical or immune stress. But when your membranes are damaged, like after a Lyme infection, those communications can get scrambled or lost.

That breakdown can disrupt your body’s natural rhythms. When membranes lose integrity, it can affect:

  • Mitochondrial function (how your cells generate energy)

  • Inflammatory signaling (how your body responds to threats)

  • Immune coordination (how well your body recovers or defends against illness)

Research continues to clarify the connection between membrane health and long-term symptoms. A 2021 study in Nature highlights PC as a structural cornerstone of cellular membranes, particularly in the brain, where it supports neuron signaling and cell membrane integrity, having a “pro-neurogenic effect.” A broader review in The Journal of Clinical Investigation explains how phospholipids like PC and PE regulate immune cell behavior, including degranulation (the release of antimicrobial or inflammatory molecules) and cytokine production (proteins that direct immune activity).

For anyone managing post-Lyme symptoms, this means membrane support isn’t just “nice to have,” it’s essential. Nourishing your body with phospholipids helps repair these signaling pathways, a process sometimes supported through approaches like lipid replacement therapy, allowing your cells to communicate more clearly and respond appropriately to stress.

PC & PE: Where to Get More (and Why You May Need Them)

Most people get some phospholipids from food, but depending on your health status post-Lyme, you may not be getting enough through diet alone. And since Lyme pulls these fats out of your system, you may need more than the average person to replenish your cells.

BodyBio PC is a highly absorbable source of both PC and PE (along with PS and PI). It’s designed to support your cells where they need it most—your brain, gut, immune system, and liver.*

How to Support Your Cells in Everyday Life

Making PC and PE part of your daily routine doesn’t have to be complicated. These small changes can add up to meaningful support for your cellular health, especially if you’re managing ongoing symptoms from Lyme.

  • Mix BodyBio PC (liquid version) into smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt.

  • Take PC softgels as part of your daily supplement routine.

  • Pair with nutrient-dense foods and movement to support cellular recovery.

Food & Supplements

Phospholipid Content

How It Helps

Eggs (especially yolks)

High in PC

Supports liver function, brain health, and metabolism

Beef liver

High in PC and PE

Promotes cell repair and energy production

Soy/Tofu

High in PC

Assists with nerve signaling and membrane composition

Sunflower seeds

Moderate PC

Provides antioxidant support and membrane strength

BodyBio PC Supplement

Concentrated PC and PE blend

Directly restores cellular health at the membrane level*

Rebuilding Cellular Health While Living with Lyme

Even after acute Lyme symptoms go into remission, many people still experience lingering fatigue, brain fog, or immune challenges. These long-term symptoms aren’t always about the infection itself—they can also point to the damage Lyme leaves behind at the cellular level. When Borrelia hijacks your phospholipids, it compromises the structure of your cells. That cellular wear and tear doesn’t just bounce back on its own. Your body needs support to rebuild what was lost.

Replenishing phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine supports your cells in doing what they’re designed to do. And that cellular support can make a real difference in how you feel day to day, even years after your initial Lyme diagnosis. The goal isn’t just to feel “not sick.” It’s to feel strong, energized, and supported from the inside out.

Looking to support your cells where it counts? BodyBio PC is formulated to deliver bioavailable phospholipids, so your body can rebuild and restore from within.*

Related Articles

The Missing Link in Longevity: Repair the Cell First, Everything Else Follows
Ashley Palmer | 01.05.2026

The Missing Link in Longevity: Repair the Cell First, Everything Else Follows

You've cleaned up your diet. You're taking the supplements everyone's raving about. Maybe you've even invested in a longevity protocol complete with cold plunges and red light therapy. And yet, something's still off. Your energy isn't there. Your mental clarity comes and goes. Your body isn't responding the way you expect it to. What gives?

All those expensive interventions, cutting-edge health protocols, and carefully curated routines can only work if your cells are actually healthy enough to use them. Otherwise, your supplements are like sand slipping through the cracks of a broken foundation.

If you were a homebuilder, you wouldn't build your house on a pile of sand or a crumbling concrete foundation. You could have the best materials, the most skilled builders, the finest finishing carpenters... But if the foundation is compromised, everything you've built on top of that foundation would mean that the entire structure is at risk. Your cells are that foundation. And your health is that future home.

Here’s why you need to build your foundation first with phospholipids before every other supplement, lifestyle change, and nutrient optimization can revive your health from the cellular level.

Table of Contents:

  • Why Cellular Health is the Missing Piece

  • Phosphatidylcholine Declines as You Age

  • Why Phosphatidylcholine Supports Longevity

  • What Happens When Membranes Function Properly

  • Building Cellular Health for Longevity

Why Cellular Health is the Missing Piece

Longevity protocols (strategic approaches to slowing aging and extending vitality) all share one assumption: that your cellular health is strong enough to use what you're giving them. Most people focus on aging interventions without considering whether their cells are capable enough to put them to work.

Your body contains roughly 40 trillion cells (at least!). Every process that keeps your body functioning depends on those cells working properly. Energy production happens in the mitochondria, but your mitochondria need healthy membranes to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy ‘currency’ used by all living cells. Brain cells communicate through chemical signals, but those signals require flexible cell membranes (and the ability to allow molecules to pass through) to transmit information properly. Immune cells detect and respond to threats through membrane receptors. At the smallest level, the cell membrane runs everything. 

When cellular membranes are compromised, none of this works efficiently. Your mitochondria can't produce energy if their membranes are rigid (stiff and lacking that flexibility). Your brain cells can't signal effectively either if their membranes are too rigid. Those NAD+ boosters and longevity peptides? Not even those can enter your cells if the membrane isn't letting them through.

Phosphatidylcholine Declines as You Age

In younger tissues, phosphatidylcholine (PC) creates flexible cell membranes that allow rapid signaling and efficient nutrient transport. As PC declines with age, it gets replaced by sphingomyelin and cholesterol, stiffer lipids that reduce membrane flexibility. Your membranes become more rigid, and cellular processes slow down.

Studies of human brain aging show people lose roughly 10-20% of their phospholipids between ages 40 and 100. That significant decline affects how efficiently your cells function. Research also demonstrates that phosphatidylcholine supplementation extended lifespan in model organisms by nearly 29%. PC doesn't just support membrane structure; it influences how cells age at the most foundational level.*

Why Phosphatidylcholine Supports Longevity

Most longevity protocols and cellular health supplements focus on boosting NAD+, supporting mitochondria, reducing inflammation, and enhancing autophagy (the process where cells break down and recycle damaged components). All valuable, but these interventions assume your cells can actually absorb and use what you're giving them.

When cell membranes don't have enough PC, that absorption breaks down. Mitochondrial support can't reach mitochondrial membranes that are too rigid to let it work. Nootropics can't enhance signaling through neuronal membranes that lack the flexibility to transmit properly.

Researchers demonstrated this directly by isolating rat heart cells and removing PC from their environment. Beating rates dropped to 20 beats per minute. Some cells stopped beating entirely. When they added PC back, the cells recovered completely within 24 hours.

PC isn't about adding something extra. It's about restoring what your membranes need to function. Membrane fluidity affects nutrient transport, energy generation, cellular signaling… The basic processes that every other intervention depends on.

What Happens When Membranes Function Properly

When cellular membranes have adequate phospholipids, your body works better. 

  • Mitochondria generate ATP more efficiently. Mitochondria have their own membrane systems, and when those membranes are fluid and PC-rich, energy production works the way it’s intended. Your cells have the energy they need.*

  • Brain cells communicate more effectively. Neurons are particularly dependent on PC because membrane fluidity directly affects how neurotransmitters are released and how signals travel between cells. Better membrane composition means faster, clearer signaling between neurons.*

  • Liver cells process toxins properly. The liver relies on membrane-dependent enzymes for detoxification. When hepatic membranes are rigid, this process slows down. PC restoration allows these pathways to function normally, improving detoxification.*

  • Intestinal cells absorb nutrients more efficiently. Nutrient transport happens through membrane protein channels (tiny gateways that allow specific nutrients to pass through). PC supports these channels and allows them to work properly.*

This is why BodyBio PC delivers concentrated phospholipids in the most bioavailable form. 

When your cell membranes work, your cells work. When cells work, your longevity protocols have something solid and stable to build on. Translation? You feel better, for longer. 

Building Cellular Health for Longevity

Longevity protocols like NAD+ and peptide therapy can address symptoms and optimize processes. But they can't fix compromised cellular structure. Your cells need functional membranes to transport nutrients, generate energy, respond to signals, and clear waste. Without membrane integrity, these processes can’t work properly.

As you age, phospholipids like PC naturally decline. Supplementation isn't about enhancement; it's about giving your body the standard tools it needs to operate every day. It's about giving membranes what they lose over time, so everything else can work the way it's supposed to.

Give your cellular membranes the PC they need to function properly with BodyBio PC.*

The History of BodyBio: Pioneering Cellular Health Since 1998
Jess Kane | 11.07.2025

The History of BodyBio: Pioneering Cellular Health Since 1998

When you see a new wellness brand pop up, it often looks shiny, polished, and backed by a well-oiled marketing machine. But BodyBio isn’t that story. We’re not a trend. We’re a tradition.

For nearly 30 years, BodyBio has been quietly shaping the landscape of functional medicine and cellular health long before those terms entered the mainstream. Our history begins not with supplements, but with science.

The Origins: Science Before Supplements

In 1998, Ed Kane founded BodyBio with a simple but revolutionary idea: if you want to heal the body, you have to start with the cell.

Fueled by his own health challenges, Ed spent years researching what was making him sick with chronic fatigue. In the early 90’s Ed developed one of the first computerized diagnostic systems that linked blood chemistry and red blood cell fatty acids to nutrition. This became known as the BodyBio Biomedical Report, a groundbreaking tool that allowed doctors to see exactly where a patient’s biochemistry was imbalanced, and what nutrients could restore health.

At the time, functional medicine wasn’t a movement. Mark Hyman and the Cleveland Clinic hadn’t yet made it mainstream. But BodyBio was already doing the work in the 1990s: bringing together lab science, nutrition, and clinical practice to restore health at the cellular level.

Training the First Wave of Functional Medicine Practitioners

As word spread, doctors didn’t just want the report, they wanted training to incorporate this new technology into their practices. BodyBio became a hub for medical education, offering seminars, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring.

Thousands of practitioners learned how to interpret blood chemistry, analyze fatty acid profiles, and use targeted nutrition to change patient outcomes.

This was long before social media or online courses. Trust was built face-to-face, in conference rooms and classrooms filled with binders of case studies. BodyBio wasn’t marketing itself; it was mentoring a generation of doctors.

This hands-on approach is one reason why BodyBio is still trusted by over 35,000 healthcare practitioners today.

Products Born from Necessity, Not Trends

As doctors applied what they learned, they hit a roadblock: the products they needed simply didn’t exist. So BodyBio made them.

  • e-lyte — way before the days of powdered electrolytes this was one of the first sugar-free electrolyte concentrates, created to help patients restore hydration and cellular energy without additives.*

  • Balance Oil — based on groundbreaking research, which identified the optimal 4:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids for brain and cellular health.*

  • BodyBio PC (Phospholipid Complex) — developed through a proprietary extraction process that concentrated the phospholipids that rebuild and protect cell membranes.*

  • Butyrate — while the wellness world was fixated on probiotics, BodyBio was one of the first to recognize the power of this unique short-chain fatty acid. Ed Kane understood that antibiotics, pesticides, and herbicides were damaging the microbiome — and with it, our natural production of butyrate.*

These products weren’t designed to ride a wellness trend. They were built to solve real problems uncovered in the lab.

Why Lipids Matter: The Cellular Defense System

From the very beginning, BodyBio has emphasized one truth: health begins with the cell membrane.

Through his research, the blood test data, and working with leading doctors all over the world, Ed saw firsthand how modern life attacks our lipids — the fats that make up and protect our cell membranes. Processed oils, environmental toxins, chronic stress, and oxidative damage all erode the very boundary that allows cells to function.

When membranes break down, cells can’t communicate, detoxify, or repair. The result? The cascade of chronic illness we see today, from chronic fatigue to autoimmunity to neurological disorders.

By restoring phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine, and balancing essential fatty acids and electrolytes, we don’t just treat symptoms, we rebuild the very structure of life itself.

This philosophy set BodyBio apart then, and it still does today.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

In 2016, Ed asked his grandson Brad Berman to join as president to modernize BodyBio and expand its reach. Under his leadership, BodyBio underwent its first-ever brand transformation, bringing decades of practitioner-trusted science to a wider audience of people looking to improve gut health, brain health, and energy at the cellular level.

Today, BodyBio remains proudly family-owned and independent — now in its third generation. Jess and Brad Berman continue the mission their grandfather began: delivering uncompromising science and products that protect and restore health at the cellular level.

BodyBio Today: Where Legacy Meets Innovation

As the wellness space grows crowded with new brands, BodyBio’s difference is clear: we’re not newcomers. For three decades, we’ve:

  • Partnered with thousands of functional medicine doctors

  • Developed unique proprietary formulations like BodyBio PC and Balance Oil

  • Educated practitioners on the science of fatty acids, phospholipids, and electrolytes

  • Maintained independence as a family-owned company, free from trends and venture capital

And most importantly: we’ve never lost sight of the cell.

Not a Trend. A Tradition.

The BodyBio history is one of persistence, science, and legacy. We’ve been here since 1995, long before wellness was an industry, carrying forward a belief that true health begins in the cell.

And while trends will come and go, our mission remains the same: to protect, restore, and rebuild health — one cell at a time.

Curious? Learn more about the science behind cellular health. 

The Mitochondria-Brain Connection: Why Cellular Energy Powers Mental Clarity
Ashley Palmer | 11.07.2025

The Mitochondria-Brain Connection: Why Cellular Energy Powers Mental Clarity

You've tried the supplements. You've adjusted your diet. Maybe you've even worked with practitioners who specialize in brain health. And yet, that persistent mental fog lingers. Your focus still wanders midsentence. Words you know perfectly well won't surface when you need them. The afternoon energy crash hits like clockwork.

What if the problem isn't just about neurotransmitter levels or blood flow? What if it starts deeper, at the cellular level, with tiny structures called mitochondria that power every thought, every memory, every moment of mental clarity you experience?

When your mitochondria struggle, your brain struggles. When they're properly supported, your thinking improves naturally. Understanding this connection is the foundation to actually address brain fog at its source.

Table of Contents:

  • What Are Mitochondria?

  • When Your Brain Runs Low on Energy

  • Why Most Brain Supplements Skip the Most Important Step

  • Supporting Your Mitochondria: What Actually Works

  • The Phosphatidylcholine Connection

  • Why Cellular Health Matters for Your Brain

  • Supporting Your Brain at the Cellular Level

What Are Mitochondria?

You probably remember mitochondria from high school biology as "the powerhouse of the cell." That's accurate, but it doesn't fully capture why they matter so much for your brain.

Mitochondria turn nutrients into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule your body uses as energy currency.  A single neuron can contain up to 2 million ATP-producing mitochondria, and your brain accounts for approximately 20% of your body's resting energy consumption despite representing only 2% of your total body weight.

When mitochondria can't produce enough ATP, neurons can't maintain essential functions. Signal transmission slows. Memory formation becomes less efficient. Your thoughts, emotions, and mental sharpness start breaking down—not because something is wrong with your neurons, but because they lack fuel.

This shows up as brain fog, difficulty focusing, and mood instability. That foggy feeling when you can't recall someone's name? Often an energy problem at the cellular level. Brain fog that doesn't respond to caffeine? Your cells are running low on energy. Even normal stressors feeling overwhelming? Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to anxiety and depression, conditions often resistant to treatments that don't address the underlying energy problem.

When Your Brain Runs Low on Energy

Most people don't recognize mitochondrial dysfunction when it first appears. Instead, they notice vague, frustrating symptoms that don't fit neatly into any diagnosis: difficulty concentrating, words that won't quite surface when needed, that foggy sensation making even routine tasks feel exhausting.

These symptoms point directly to an energy crisis at the cellular level. When mitochondria struggle to produce enough ATP, several cascading effects occur. Oxidative stress increases (cellular damage from unstable molecules). Struggling mitochondria produce more of these damaging molecules, which particularly harm the mitochondrial membranes themselves, especially the phospholipids that make up these membranes. When these membranes become damaged, energy production becomes less efficient, creating a cycle where compromised mitochondria get worse and worse at creating energy.

Why Most Brain Supplements Skip the Most Important Step

Browse any supplement aisle and you'll find countless products promising sharper focus, better memory, clearer thinking. Many provide building blocks for brain chemicals (amino acids like tyrosine or tryptophan) or herbs meant to support brain chemistry.

These supplements have their time and place, but if your mitochondria can't generate enough energy, all the brain chemical building blocks in the world won't help much. You can't make brain chemicals without ATP. You can't maintain connections between brain cells without energy. You can't form new neural pathways when cells are running low on fuel.

Addressing brain fog and mental fatigue requires working at the foundation: the energy systems powering every thought and emotion.

Supporting Your Mitochondria: What Actually Works

So how do you actually support these tiny energy producers? The answer involves reducing stressors and incorporating specific nutrients into your wellness routine.

  • Nourish with essential nutrients. Magnesium activates over 300 enzymes involved in energy production. B vitamins help convert food into usable energy. CoQ10 works in the energy production process where ATP is made. And phospholipids provide the building blocks for healthy mitochondrial membranes.

  • Reduce cellular damage. Chronic inflammation, environmental toxins, poor sleep, and excess stress all speed up mitochondrial damage. Prioritizing restorative sleep, managing blood sugar, staying hydrated, and minimizing processed oils helps protect your mitochondria.

  • Build mitochondrial resilience. Your body can create new mitochondria to replace damaged ones. Physical activity triggers this process, particularly in the brain. Even moderate movement matters. Practices like controlled cold exposure and time-restricted eating can also help.

The Phosphatidylcholine Connection

Among all nutrients supporting mitochondrial function, phosphatidylcholine (PC) deserves particular attention. PC is a key building block in both mitochondrial and brain cell membranes.*

Cell membranes aren't just protective barriers. In mitochondria, the inner membrane is where ATP generation happens. When membranes become rigid or damaged, energy production suffers. PC keeps these membranes healthy, resulting in improved energy production and enhanced brain cell communication.*

Research suggests PC levels decline by approximately 20% as we age, affecting both energy production and brain signaling. By supplementing with high-quality PC, you can support your mitochondria and your cell membranes at the same time.*

Why Cellular Health Matters for Your Brain

The philosophy behind cellular health is straightforward: when cells work well, everything else follows. Brain health isn't solely about brain chemical levels or blood flow. It's fundamentally about whether your neurons have healthy structures and enough energy to do their jobs.

A neuron is only as healthy as its membranes and mitochondria. When membranes become compromised, toxins enter more easily. When mitochondria can't produce enough ATP, the neuron runs low on energy, unable to fire signals reliably or maintain the connections that support memory and thinking.

Supporting cellular health through healthy mitochondria and membranes creates the foundation for better brain performance. This is why focusing on cellular health often produces improvements across multiple areas simultaneously: mental clarity, stable energy, stress resilience, and balanced moods.

Supporting Your Brain at the Cellular Level

If brain fog, mental fatigue, or declining focus have persisted despite trying everything else, you may have been addressing symptoms rather than the true root cause.

Mitochondria power every thought, memory, and moment of mental clarity. When they're properly supported, you establish the foundation for better thinking and resilience. Address the power source, and mental clarity naturally improves.

BodyBio PC delivers a complete phospholipid complex, including phosphatidylcholine, to support membrane health and cellular energy.*