What is Lecithin?

Lecithin is actually a yellow to brown fatty substance in eggs and animal tissues that is made up of a mixture of phospholipids.

• Lecithin was first discovered in mid 19th century by a French chemist called Maurice Gobley but its wide variety of benefits remained vague for a long time.

• It is extremely important for your body because 65% of your liver fat and 30% of your brain weight is lecithin, as well as being an essential part of your every cell.

• Phospholipids, phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids and triglycerides all are the substances that make up lecithin.

• Recommended intake level of choline is 425 mg for women and 500 mg for men per day.

• Choline substance in lecithin is now recognized as an essential nutrientby US food authorities, because it is very important for your well-being and must be obtained from the foods as your body doesn’t make it in sufficient amounts. The lack of it would lead to diseases caused by deficiency.

• Lecithin is also approved by FDA as a generally safe supplement.

• Soybeans, beef liver, sheep brain and egg yolks are the best sources of lecithin but whole grains, legumes, yeast, milk and peanuts also include the substance in lower amounts.

• It is also sold in powder, grain, liquid, or capsules as a dietary supplement.

• Many processed foods contain lecithin as it helps prevent the separation of ingredients, but this does not mean you should eat these foods because they contain lecithin, you are much better off sticking to supplements or lower fat varieties of lecithin rich foods.

• It is not used as a source of energy by your body, but is responsible for vital tasks in the cell membranes, especially in nervous tissue.

• What is lecithin for cooking? Well, lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps cocoa and cocoa butter in a chocolate bar from separating. It is also used for creating baked goods as a great ingredient for improving shelf life, moisturizing and emulsifying.

• It is added to margarine as an anti-spattering agent for shallow frying, and is also a key ingredient in in cooking spray that is used to replace margarine, butter or oil.

Egg Lecithin: Egg yolks are a great source of lecithin with well over 300mg of choline in a single boiled egg. Although eggs do contain cholesterol, lecithin was found to be effective in preventing the absorption of cholesterol in your body and fat build up within your liver.

Soy Lecithin: Soy lecithin, as a natural emollient, has been part of a variety of foods and can easily be extracted from soy beans, using a solvent such as hexane and it’s a by-product of soybean oil. It is usually found in very small amounts – less than 1 percent of the weight of any food. It is commonly used as an emulsifier in chocolate bars, or as a wetting agent in baking.

What is Lecithin Beneficial For? It is claimed to be good for strengthening nerves, influencing cholesterol levels, hindering the formation of gallstones, preventing liver cancer or other liver abnormalities, improving cardiovascular health, fat transport and metabolism, endurance and physical performance, improvement in memory and learning, helping with treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia, relief from arthritis, healthy hair and skin.

Lecithin deficiency may lead to fatty liver, abnormal kidney function, hypertension, infertility, bone abnormalities, growth impairment and reduced production of blood cells.

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