Lecithin
What is lecithin? You are probably familiar with the word. In fact, you may even be taking it as a supplement. But what is lecithin really? Where does it come from? And what can it do for you? ‘What is lecithin?’ and other such questions are what we are going to tackle in this article.
Actually the term lecithin connotes two meanings that are somewhat related but are not used in the same sense. In biochemistry and other related science, lecithin is a synonym for phosphatidyl choline. It is the main lipid component in biological membranes, like our cell membranes or cell walls of plants. On the other hand, commercial lecithin is actually a natural mixture of neutral and polar lipids, including glycolipids, triglycerides, sterols, and small quantities of fatty acids, carbohydrates, and sphingolipids. The polar lipid Phosphatidyl choline is present in commercial lecithin in concentrations of 20 to 90%.
Where does lecithin come from?
After asking what lecithin is, you want to know where it is found. Lecithin that contains phosphatidyl choline is produced mainly from vegetable sources, although it may also be found in animal and microbial sources. Majority of commercial lecithins sold in the market today come from soybean (mostly), sunflower, and grape seed. When talking about plant lecithins, the most common source is soybean.
When Maurice Gobley, the French scientist discoverer of lecithin, found lecithin in egg yolk in 1950, egg yolk was the sole source of lecithin used by the commercial food industry. However, by the 1930s, the time when soybean lecithin was discovered, egg yolk no longer held its former place of being the major source of lecithin for commercial use. Today, it is not even a major source of lecithin in nutritional supplements. The reason may be that lecithins that come from plants are GRAS or generally regarded as safe.
Who needs to take lecithin?
When you know all there is to know about what is lecithin, then you probably know already that the substance is synthesized by the body from food. This means that it is not an essential nutrient, since the body can always get its supply of lecithin from its diet. This is also one of the reasons why hardly anyone ever suffers a deficiency in lecithin. Still, having a steady supply of lecithin for our body’s use is good, if only to take advantage of the benefits it has to offer.
Lecithin is naturally found in the foods that we eat, especially rich foods, such as egg yolk, soybeans, grains, wheat germ, fish, legumes, yeast, peanuts, etc. The compound can also be found as supplement sold to the public. Lecithin capsules, powder, or granules are sold in many food and drug stores, often marketed as weight loss promoting supplements for dieters and weight loss enthusiasts. In addition to that, lecithin is also taken in a pill form or mixed into health shakes.
What is lecithin’s claim to health?
The following are some of the many health claims that lecithin is said to have:
- Cardiovascular health
- Liver and cell function
- Fat transport and fat metabolism
- Reproduction and child development
- Treatment for gallstones
- Improvement in memory, learning and reaction time
- Healthy hair and skin
- Cell communication
- Physical performance and muscle endurance
- Relief of arthritis
Lecithin in Food Industry
In the food industry, lecithin is regarded as one of the few emulsifiers commonly regarded as safe and was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for human consumption. Since the substance is already an integral part of biological membranes, it can be totally biodegradable and metabolized, making it virtually non-toxic, unlike its synthetic alternatives.
Lecithin Benefits
It breaks up fats and cholesterol. It is excellent for a healthy heart. It is a rich source of gamma linoleic acid (GLA) and has the highest phosphatide concentratil available (98% or more). It helps the body utilize vitamins A, D, E, and K and is excellent for memory, concentration, and recall. It cleanses the liver and kidneys and helps the body absorbs nutrients. And to top it all off, it adds sprinkle to your salads, favorite drinks, nut butter, spreads or sauces.
Yet, for all the wonderful benefits of lecithin, would you believe that it is actually nothing more than a byproduct of soybean processing? Byproduct, meaning it is little more than waste. So how come this purportedly “waste” product contains so many health benefits? What is the theory behind the benefits of lecithin? .
Where Lecithin is extracted from?
The lecithin used in commercial food industry is often extracted from egg yolk and soy. But the food is actually widely found in many animal and plant based foods, including liver, peanuts, wheat germ, cauliflower, grape juice, and cabbage. There are various studies that show lecithin from soy may have some positive effects on persons with high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Lecithin: Functions of Choline
The benefits seem to be attributed to the presence of choline. As a lipotropic substance, choline functions as an agent in the body’s metabolism, giving aid in the digestion of fats. To put it simply, choline helps in burning fat that gets stored in tissues, thereby acting as an agent to support weight loss.
The more choline you have in your body, the faster your fat metabolism becomes, and the lower your blood cholesterol level goes. As you probably know, a large number of health problems are due to high levels of blood cholesterol levels, which actually leads to a congestion of blood vessels. The condition therefore results in the likely occurrence of heart attacks and strokes.
The intake of lecithin may help you avoid this thing from happening to you. As it supports fat metabolism and has been shown to aid in bringing down cholesterol levels, lecithin can protect you against heart attacks and strokes.
Lecithin for Treatments
In addition, choline in its dietary supplement form is commonly recommended for treating liver, nerve, and a variety of other conditions. It has even been used to treat degenerative conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and memory loss.
As a treatment for memory loss or impairment, many nutritionally oriented doctors consider lecithin or phosphatidylcholine a valuable nerve-building nutrient that may help slow or reverse memory loss because of its function as a phospholipids that serves as a major structural component of brain cells.
Lecithin Benefits
It breaks up fats and cholesterol. It is excellent for a healthy heart. It is a rich source of gamma linoleic acid (GLA) and has the highest phosphatide concentratil available (98% or more). It helps the body utilize vitamins A, D, E, and K and is excellent for memory, concentration, and recall. It cleanses the liver and kidneys and helps the body absorbs nutrients. And to top it all off, it adds sprinkle to your salads, favorite drinks, nut butter, spreads or sauces.
Yet, for all the wonderful benefits of lecithin, would you believe that it is actually nothing more than a byproduct of soybean processing? Byproduct, meaning it is little more than waste. So how come this purportedly “waste” product contains so many health benefits? What is the theory behind the benefits of lecithin?
What is Lecithin?
The word lecithin comes from the word lekithos, which is Greek for “egg yolk.” It was given that name because lecithin was actually first discovered in 1805 when the French scientist Maurice Gobley isolated the compound from an egg yolk.
Lecithin Emulsifier is a great emulsifier. Since its discovery, it has been widely marketed in the commercial sector as an emulsifier used mainly in the food industry as well as an ingredient in products such as paints and pharmaceuticals.
For years, people got their source of lecithin from egg yolk. Then in the mid 1930s, lecithin was recovered from the waste products of soybean processing, a discovery that changed the whole face of commercial lecithin. Today, most of the commercial lecithin we find sold in the market come from soybeans.
Benefits of Lecithin
Lecithin is regarded in the scientific community as a synonym for phosphatidyl choline (PC), which is said to be the main compound responsible for all the benefits of lecithin, specifically its medicinal effects.
When we consume phosphatidyl choline, the compound is broken down into the nutrient choline, which many consider as an essential nutrient. “Essential” because our bodies cannot manufacture their own supply of choline and instead we have to depend on the foods that we eat to maintain the right levels.
Lecithin is an essential component in the cell membrane. In fact, it defines its structure. As such, one of the benefits of lecithin is to maintain the integrity of cell membranes, helping facilitate the movement of fluids inside and outside the cell.
As a component of bile, lecithin keeps fats emulsified. You have noticed how fats work under certain conditions. When exposed to low temperature, they tend to turn white and go into a semi-solid state. And when exposed to high temperature, they turn completely liquid. Imagine what would happen to the body if our fats, or lipids, are subject to the slightest change in temperature. That is why one of the benefits of lecithin is its emulsifying action, keeping fats properly balanced and maintained.
Lecithin is also a component of the myelin sheath, the thin covering that layers our brain cells and spinal chord to protect it from damage. Not only that but some studies have shown that one of the benefits of lecithin is to facilitate cell signaling, that is the process by which cells communicate with each other to improve bodily functions.
Lecithin - The Good Fat
Depending on who you’re talking with, lecithin can have two different meanings. Commercially, the term refers to a complex mixture of neutral and polar lipids that is popularly used as an emulsifier and/or lubricant. In biochemistry, it refers to phosphatidylcholine (PC), a phospholipid compound comprised of glycerol, two fatty acids (linoleic acid and inositol), a phosphate group and choline (a type of B vitamin).
Lecithin is typically found in the cell membrane or cell walls of every single living cell of an organism, whether plant or animal in origin. As you may already know, the cell membranes or cell walls are a semi-permeable layer that is responsible for regulating the passage of nutrients into and out of cells. Lecithin forms one of the major components of this membrane. In addition, lecithin is also a major component in the protective sheaths that surround the brain, muscles, and nerve cells.
Although lecithin is essentially a lipid, it is also partially soluble in water due to its phosphate group. This unique structure of the compound contributes to one of its lecithin benefits, which is to act as an emulsifying agent, making it a convenient ingredient to use in many processed foods.
Lecithin Health
While there is little doubt that lecithin is indeed a powerful emulsifier, there is more to lecithin benefits than that. For decades, people have been touting that treatment for high cholesterol is one of the many lecithin benefits.
There is little evidence to support this claim, mostly because when the studies conducted were largely unreported. Still, these claims about lecithin benefits on high cholesterol may have something to do with the fact that lecithin, specifically phosphatidylcholine, appears to have the ability to disperse cholesterol in the blood, thus keeping them from sticking to the walls of our arteries. In doing this, lecithin may also help prevent atherosclerosis.
Another one of the lecithin benefits is that it displays potential as a remedy for various psychological and neurological diseases, such as Tourette’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression). The claim is based on the significant role that lecithin plays in nerve cell signaling as well as in synthesizing important neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, without which many of our cognitive functions could be impaired.
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Lecithin Supplements
In recent years, lecithin has received much attention on its being a possible treatment for a variety of illnesses, including high cholesterol, heart problems, Alzheimer’s disease, and memory loss. Not only are those, but manufacturers of lecithin supplements also marketing the compound as an aid to weight loss. But is there some basis to all this?
Lecithin has two definitions depending on whom you ask. First, it refers to commercial lecithin, such as lecithin supplements, that come either from soybeans or egg yolk. Second, lecithin is a term used synonymously with phosphatidyl choline (PC), a phospholipid that is found in the cells of all living organisms, plant and animals alike.
First, we examine what the compound lecithin is. Generally speaking, lecithin refers to a complex mixture of phosphate acids naturally found in foods that we eat, including soybeans, egg yolk, wheat germ, grape seed, and virtually every plant and animal. The compound acts as a Lecithin Emulsifier, maintaining the fats in bile and easing digestion to help the body better absorb valuable nutrients.
As a phospholipid, lecithin or phosphatidyl choline composes one of the 10 main types of lipids in cell membranes, including cholesterol, glycolipids, spingomyelin, phosphatidylethnolamine, phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl glycerol, diphosphatidyl glycerol (cardiolipin), and phosphatidic acid. Phospholipids have hydrophobic tails, which means they continually push away from the watery areas surrounding the cell and maintaining the fatty cholesterol, which gives rigidity to the cell membrane. This function of lecithin is often termed as its “emulsifying action,” and one of the main uses of commercial lecithin is actually as an emulsifying agent used to keep butter, margarine, chocolate bars, etc.
However, it should be noted that phosphatidyl choline itself is not an essential nutrient. Our bodies already have it and can produce more of it should the need arise. Choline, on the other hand, can only be derived from the foods we eat. A deficiency in this compound could lead to various debilitating diseases, not least of which is cirrhosis of the liver. The good thing about it is that phosphatidyl choline is normally synthesized by the body to form choline, so taking in lots of lecithin supplements containing a high percentage of the compound could help boost your supply of choline and overcome a potential deficiency.
Professor and chair of the department of nutrition at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill Steven Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D. says that lecithin also helps to maintain the structural integrity of cells.
He explains, “Without lecithin, nothing would survive, because you wouldn’t be able to separate the various compartments within cells, nor would you be able to separate cells from each other.”
When phosphatidyl choline enters the body, it turns into choline, an essential nutrient. The claims revolving around lecithin supplement can all be traced back to this element – choline. As an essential nutrient, choline cannot be manufactured inside the body. In order to get our supply of it, we must turn to our daily diet and supplements such as lecithin supplement.
Choline is very important because it is one of only two nutrients needed by the liver to promote the breakdown of fats. The other nutrient is methionine, an essential amino acid.
Fat-Emulsifier
Choline is a lipotropic agent. As such, it promotes or encourages the export of fat from the liver. If you want to keep your liver healthy and capable of burning the exported fat for additional energy then taking in lecithin supplements may help to keep up your daily supply of choline.
Lecithin supplements prevent fats and bile to become trapped in the liver, which could happen if you do not have enough supply of lipotropics, such as choline in your body. This in turn could cause severe problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and blocking of fat metabolism, which could lead to atherosclerosis and high blood cholesterol.
Both choline and lecithin supplements are available in the market. However, if you want the most effective way to elevate your choline levels, the intake of lecithin supplements is often recommended. Anyway, your body will just synthesize the phosphatidyl choline into choline for use. Another reason that choline supplementation is sometimes discouraged is that taking large amounts of choline supplements has been known to produce a fish-like smell in the user.
Choline in lecithin supplements functions as a methyl donor. It is required for proper liver function as it assists in detoxification reactions that normally occur in the liver.
The Best Source of Choline
The best source of choline is still a healthy and well-balanced diet that includes lecithin-rich foods. However, one cannot expect everyone to get enough supply of choline. To answer for whatever is lacking in your choline levels, lecithin supplements are there for that purpose.
Lecithin supplements are one of the few emulsifiers approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as GRAS or Generally Recommended as Safe for consumer use. There are no Recommended Dietary Allowances for lecithin supplements; however some scientists do recommend an Adequate Intake for choline. For men, 550 mg is often recommended as adequate for daily use while for women, 425 mg is needed.
Taking lecithin supplements with meals is the best way for your body to absorb the nutrients. Consider sprinkling lecithin supplements in granular form unto your food.
Soy Lecithin
Where did lecithin get its name? Was it named after some brilliant scientist who discovered it while working night and day in a lab? Actually, the real story is a little blander than that. Lecithin actually comes from lekithos, which is the Greek word for “egg yolk.”
Now, why of all things would anyone name it after something so commonplace as an egg yolk? The reason is pretty straightforward: Because that is where French scientist Maurice Gobley first found lecithin. The year was 1805 and the scientist had just extracted a fat-like substance the yolk of an egg, which he quickly discovered contained properties very similar to those of an emulsifier.
Since then, the primary source for commercial lecithin had always been eggs. That was, until the 1930s came when it was found that soy lecithin could also be recovered from the waste product of soybean processing.
Today only very few people distinguish between soy lecithin and egg lecithin. The word has been used as a generic term referring to a whole class of fat and water soluble compounds called phospholipids.
Where Soy Lecithin Comes From
As mentioned earlier, soy lecithin is a by product of soybean processing. At first, the soybeans are tempered by keeping them at a consistent temperature and moisture level for approximately seven to 10 days. This has a hydrating effect on the soybeans, loosening it from its hull.
Then, the soybeans are cleaned and cracked into small pieces. The cracked beans are separated from the hulls and are heated and pressed into flakes.
Next, the flakes undergo a distillation process where the soybean oil is extracted, after which crude soy oil is made to undergo a “degumming” procedure. The sludge that is produced as a result is where soy lecithin comes from. Of course, the sludge would have to undergo another process first, to extract the lecithin.
The waste product usually contains solvents and pesticides that could be harmful if not purified through a process called the hexane extraction. This process actually yields less soy lecithin than the older ethanol benzol process. However, the process also produces a more marketable lecithin with better color, reduced odor and less bitter flavor.
Soy Lecithin: Why they are good?
The food industry uses soy lecithin for a variety of purposes. As an emulsifier, the substance helps promote solidity in margarine and give consistent texture to dressings and other creamy products. It is also used in chocolates and coatings and to counteract spattering during frying. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tagged lecithin as one of the few emulsifiers that is safe for use by consumers.
But while soy lecithin is more popular for its emulsifying properties, it has more to offer. Its unique lipid molecular structure makes it useful for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. In addition, it is also utilized for a variety of industrial purposes, including paints, textiles, lubricants, and waxes.
is also considered as having beneficial effects to our health. The substance actually contains three types of phospholipids: phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphotidylinositol (PI). Phosphatidylcholine contains the element choline, which is essential to every living cell in the body and is one of the main components of cell membranes. It seems majority of the health claims about soy lecithin may have something to do with the fact that it is an excellent source of choline.