Lecithin Effects

Ever seen lecithin effects in action? Try putting an energy bar or a piece of chocolate inside the freezer. Wait a few minutes before taking it out. You will notice that the whole bar is covered in white. That’s lecithin effects in action right there!

Often used as a food additive, lecithin was first derived from egg yolk in 1950 during its discovery by French scientist Maurice Gobley. In fact, that is how it got its name – lethikos, the Greek word for “egg yolk.” But by the end of the 1930s, it was soon discovered that lecithin may also be extracted from crude soybean oil after it has undergone a process called hexane extraction.

Since its discovery in 1850 by French scientist Maurice Gobley, the effect of lecithin has wowed millions of people. The compound is a powerful emulsifier used for a variety of purposes in many industries including commercial food processing, textile, paint, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the effect of lecithin seems to transcend even the commercial side of things to include health as scientists discovered the important role that the compound plays in the cells of every living organism on this planet.

Lecithin Emulsifier

Lecithin was first derived from egg yolk. And for years after that until the 1930s, most commercial lecithin came from egg yolk hence, its name “lecithin” which itself was derived from lekithos, Greek for “egg yolk.” But then, lecithin was discovered as a by product in the degumming process of soybean oil. And since then, majority of the lecithin we find sold in the market today is soy lecithin.

The effect of lecithin is numerous, including antioxidant, lubricant, anti-dusting agent, mixing and blending agent, and wetting and separating agent. But while all these functional properties make lecithin extremely useful, the main purpose of lecithin is still a great emulsifier. What is more, it is also one of the safest. In 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration named lecithin as one of the few emulsifiers currently available in the market as generally safe for consumption.

For edible applications, the effect of lecithin is astounding. It is normally added to such food products as shortenings, margarines, baked goods, chocolate, confectionery coatings, peanut butter, powder mixes, and dietary food. It emulsifiers products that are high in fats and oils, as well as promotes stabilization, antioxidation, crystallization, and spattering control.

Animals may also benefit from the effect of lecithin. The compound is often added to animal feed, mainly for the same purpose of stabilizing products and providing antioxidant properties.

Besides being found in egg yolks and soybeans, lecithin is also present in all living cells of the body. Lecithin is actually a complex mixture of phospholipids, the most important of which is phosphatidylcholine, which is the number one source of choline. With its emulsifying lecithin effects, the substance is said to help keep fatty substances in bile produced by the liver. Bile is a kind of juice that your body secretes to ease digestion and help your body absorb valuable nutrients, as such, lecithin plays a role in the normal digestive processes of your body.

Steven Zeisel, M.D., PhD., professor and chair of the department of nutrition at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, says that the lecithin effects of this great emulsifier helps maintain the structural integrity of cells. Lecithin is one of the major components that make up the cell membrane or outer covering of our cells.

“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,” he further adds.

Lecithin Effects and Choline

The word lecithin actually has several different meanings. The generic term refers to lecithin, the compound of lipid and phosphate acid mixtures used in the commercial food industry. However, in chemistry, biochemistry, and other similar sciences, the term takes on a whole different meaning. Often, lecithin is used synonymously with choline, kelecin, lecithol, soy lecithin, vegilecithin, vitrellin, and phosphatidylcholine. Strictly speaking though, choline is actually just a component of lecithin – a major one, that is.

Out of the many chemicals found in lecithin, the most important and the most studied is choline. For years, the lecithin effect of choline has been the subject of countless studies and extensive research, all investigating the purported benefits of lecithin. To name a few, lecithin effects have been investigated on the following conditions: dementia, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, substance abuse, brain infection, injury to the brain, and spinal cord injury.

Lecithin Health

Lecithin is one of the major components of the cell membrane, that thin semi-permeable layer that envelope the surfaces of cells. It is mainly comprised of phospholipids, among which are phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylethanol (PE). Most biochemists use phosphatidylcholine synonymously with lecithin and consider this component to be most significant, not only because it can be synthesized to form one essential nutrient called choline but also because of the role it plays in stabilizing fat in the bile.

As one of the major precursors of the effect of lecithin, phosphatidylcholine contributes to the structural integrity of the cell membrane as well as its repair. Its function includes: information flow that occurs within cells from DNA to RNA to proteins; the formation of cellular energy and intracellular communication or signal transduction.

Phosphatidyinositol, on the other hand, as studies have shown, may stimulate reverse cholesterol transport by enhancing the flux of cholesterol into HDL and by promoting the transport of HDL-cholesterol to the liver and bile. This is partly the compound responsible for the effect of lecithin in reducing high cholesterol levels in the blood stream as well helping in the normal functioning of the liver.

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