lecithin

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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Related Topics:

Lecithin Effects

Lecithin Side Effects

 

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