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.

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