The way people eat today is a far cry from the way people used to eat. Before, we’re usually happy with foods that are rich in fats and oils. We didn’t care about the amount of calories we consume in a day or how high the cholesterol in our blood is going to get if we eat this kind of food or that. However, current trends in diet have changed our general outlook about food. Instead of just taking a liberal attitude about the kind of foods we consume, most of us have become more careful, to the point that some have even turned to vegetarianism and all its health and philosophical connotations.
The thing with vegetarians is that they do not get to consume those nutrients that are normally found only in animal products. Since they do not eat meat, vegetarians often restrict their diet to foods like: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, cheese pizza, eggplant parmesan, vegetable soup, pancakes, oatmeal, grilled cheese, bean tacos and burritos, vegetable lo mein, French toast, French fries, vegetable pot pie, fruit shakes, bread, yogurt, cheese lasagna, peanut butter and jam, fruit salad, corn flakes, lentils, bulgur, and other non-meat products. One such nutrient that vegetarians hold a danger of inadequate intake is lecithin.
What is Lecithin?
A phospholipid sometimes referred to as phosphatidylcholine, lecithin is most often found in foods that are rich in fats and oils, such as organ meat, red meat, whole eggs, whole milk with cream, dairy cream, and liver. However, while these foods are rich in lecithin, vegetarians and some health-conscious consumers often turn away from them. Not only are these foods rich in fats and calories, they are also animal products which vegetarians want to avoid.
Lecithin is an important nutrient that our body needs. It is a major component of our cell membranes and helps keep the liver to function normally, particularly in the metabolism of fat by bile, an enzyme secreted by the liver. A component of lecithin, choline, is also an essential nutrient. “Essential” because our body can only get its supply of choline from the foods that we eat. There have been studies conducted wherein a deficiency in choline led to the occurrence of symptoms commonly associated with liver cirrhosis and cancer.
Alternative Sources of Lecithin
Considering how important lecithin is, vegetarians therefore need to find their own alternative source of this valuable nutrient. The good news is that lecithin is fairly common and is found in most foods that we eat whether it is plant in origin or animal. One good source of lecithin is soy food, consumption of which has increased since its beneficial effects were discovered decades ago. Supplementation is also another alternative path that vegetarians can take. A lot of drug companies are starting to market lecithin granules vegetarian to help people get their adequate supply of this nutrient even without eating a lot of lecithin-rich foods.
Most experts say that out of all supplemental forms of lecithin, lecithin granules vegetarian is the best. Unlike other forms, lecithin granules vegetarian is versatile and can be consumed directly or be added as an ingredient to food recipes.
Lecithin granules vegetarian are 97% pure phospholipids, which are essential to the structural integrity of the cell membrane. Lecithin granules vegetarian are often referred to as oil-free lecithin because all the natural oils have already been removed.
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Lecithin Granules
... have no idea how to react to danger. You wouldn't know for instance that there is a fire somewhere when you smell smoke and hence, won't be able to take any precautions to avoid getting in harm's way. Besides playing a significant role in cell signaling, PI in lecithin granules also generally aids in maintaining the integrity of the cell structure, sharing much of PC's functions. Linoleic Acid (LA) Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid of the omega-6 family that is important to human health. It is found in cooking oils and processed foods as well as LA-containing supplements like lecithin granules. Once LA in lecithin granules enters the body, it is converted to GLA or gamma-linoleic acid, another omega-6 fatty acid that is needed for normal brain function, growth and development, bone...
Lecithin Sources
... If eating these lecithin sources is a concern for most people, then getting alternative sources, such as supplements may be the solution to look for. According to the USDA, particularly its Economic Research Service, the average American consumed 12 fewer pounds of red meat in 1996 than 20 years ago. In addition to that, it was also found that the average American, even with all the varied uses of lecithin, consume only about 3 g/day of the compound. To maintain adequate supply of lecithin in the body, we need to turn to other lecithin sources, over and above the normal diet. Soy Lecithin Granules Vegetarian Foods One of the most popular lecithin sources is soy. In fact, most lecithin sources sold commercially today are derived from soybean oil. In the United States, soy food consumption is increasing annually. This may help to increase the level of lecithin consumption. Soy food is one...
What is Lecithin
... 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 Lecithin Granules Vegetarian is not an essential nutrient,...
Facts about Lecithin
... weight loss. While all that can be true, have you gotten the facts about lecithin down? What exactly is lecithin? And what can it do for us? A Phospholipid One of the first facts about lecithin that you ought to know is that it is a phospholipid, one of the many found in all living organisms, including humans. But more than that, lecithin is actually a complex mixture of phospholipids, glycolipids, triglycerides, sterols, and small quantities of fatty acids, carbohydrates, and sphingolipids. Its primary phospholipid components include phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatic acid (PA). Now, since lecithin is present in the cells of all living organisms, you must think and believe that it is an essential nutrient. Certainly, that is what the adverts have been telling us. However, the facts about lecithin will tell you that the substance actually comes from the diet and is only synthesized in the body. Therefore, it is not an essential nutrient, although it may have some beneficial effects....
Health Lecithin
... bodies, keeping them from turning rancid and start harming other healthy cells. Another health lecithin benefit is its role as one of the special chemicals that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. Not only is lecithin permeability necessary for the metabolic processes that are occurring in all cells but also, it provides for the constant regeneration of the phospholipid-rich membranes of the brain. The component of lecithin, choline, is vital for Lecithin Granules Vegetarian the biosynthesis of the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine. When acetylcholine malfunctions, it could lead to a variety of symptoms, including: Huntington's chorea, Friedreich's ataxia, Tardive dyskinesia (Dystone's syndrome), Alzheimer's disease, and Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome. Interestingly enough, when treating these diseases, it has been found that dietary health lecithin is more effective than choline alone, that de-oiled lecithin is more...
Organic Lecithin
... are often excreted through the kidneys which may contain toxins and harmful substances, whereas you will never face that kind of danger with organic lecithins from plants. As a result, majority of the organic lecithin sold commercially in the market consist of soybean lecithin. Besides being used in foods that we generally consume, organic lecithin has also expanded its function to include animal feeds, cosmetics, paints, and metal tape. The compound is even available as a supplement in capsules, pills, or granules. Effects and Benefits There are several functional effects associated with lecithin. First, it is an emulsifier, capable of keeping oils from separating and keeping fat molecules dispersed in food products. This ability of organic lecithin to keep essential oils and disperse fats is the Lecithin Granules Vegetarian basis of the scientific premise that the compound may have positively affect those with high cholesterol levels in the...
Lecithin Benefits
... good for the body? 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...
Lecithin Effects
... the first industries that discovered the wonderful lecithin effects of this natural emulsifier. Since its discovery, it has been used in foods such as chocolate, cheese, margarine, and salad dressings. Acting as an emulsifier, the lecithin effects help mix fats with water and keep them from separating. When you place the chocolate bar in the freezer, the low temperature causes the lecithin effects on the Lecithin Granules Vegetarian fat to fall apart. That's why the fat rises to the surface, giving the chocolate that whitish tinge. 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...
Lecithin Side Effects
... nutrient. Well, yes, it does do wonders for the body, but a deficiency in lecithin won't make life bad for you. Besides, it is not like you are going to run out of lecithin anytime soon. You can always get your supply of lecithin from the foods that you eat, like eggs (yolks), soybeans, sunflower, grape seed, wheat germ, to name a few. Lecithin has been the subject of various extensive research studies, particularly concerning its role in degenerative diseases. Because of its being a major component in the structure of myelin sheath and nerve cells, scientists believe that lecithin side effects include a possible cure for conditions involving cognition or those that affect the mental processes used to acquire, maintain, retrieve, and utilize...
Structure of Lecithin
... phospholipids: phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). Since soy lecithin is obtained in the process of degumming crude soy oil, it contains minimal amounts of hydratable compounds (1.8%), comprised primarily of phosphatides. After going through the synthesizing process, the resulting structure of lecithin is 30-35% crude soy oil and 65-70% phosphatides. Oil can then also be removed completely with the addition of acetone. In the structure of lecithin derived from soy, the phosphatides Lecithin Granules Vegetarian consist of glycerides, which are the basic components of soy oil. However, instead of one fatty acid radical, this has been replaced with phosphoric acid. Now, this is different in the case of pure or chemical lecithin or phosphatidylcholine, where the phosphoric acid is further esterified with choline. But commercially, the structure of lecithin is mostly fatty acids, with roughly the same proportion as that of soy oil, which is 50-57% linoleic acid and 5% linolenic. There are different types of lecithin derived from soy: unrefined or natural (including bleach varieties), refined, and chemically modified. All of these have different...
Lecithin Weight Loss
... then break it down so the body can use it as a source of energy. If the fats are not properly broken down, they will accumulate and can become rancid producing free radicals that damage liver cells. Lecithin in liver cells helps facilitate proper functioning of the liver, particularly in fat metabolism. In addition, lecithin helps keep fats in liquid form. Lecithin Granules Vegetarian That way, they do not cling to the veins and arteries and clog the passages - a symptom of the condition called atherosclerosis. By dispersing fat in the water instead of letting them stick to the walls of the arteries, lecithin aids the cardiovascular functions of the body. Lecithin Weight Loss Supplementation The ability of lecithin to facilitate fat burning makes it a valuable compound in...
Lecithin is Powerful
... a mixture of these phospholipids in oil, 20% to 90% of which is phosphatidylcholine. One of the many reasons why lecithin is powerful is because of the presence of phosphatidylcholine. Lecithin that contains this substance is produced from vegetable, animal and Lecithin Granules Vegetarian microbial sources, but mainly from vegetable sources, the most important sources of which are soybean, sunflower, and grape seed. In 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration named lecithin as GRAS, or Generally Regarded as Safe, making it one of the few emulsifiers currently sold in the market as such. This is because compared with its synthetic alternatives, lecithin can be totally biodegraded and metabolized. In addition, lecithin is powerful since it is already an integral part of biological membranes, making it virtually non-toxic. Other emulsifiers can only be excreted via the kidneys so they may contain impurities. Phosphatidylcholine is a mixture of differently substituted sn-glycerol-3-phosphatidylcholine backbones. Chemically, its structure is utterly variable and dependent on fatty...
Soy Lecithin Allergens
... left is made to under go a "degumming" process in order to separate its lecithin content. Since then, most of the lecithin sold in the market today are derived from soya. Soy lecithin is said to contain many benefits that help improve overall lecithin. The presence of lecithin in every cell of the human Lecithin Granules Vegetarian body as a major component of the cell membrane has led many scientists to conduct investigations on the role of lecithin in the normal bodily processes. It was found that a component of lecithin, phosphatidylcholine and its synthesized form, choline, are vital to liver health in that they help keep fats in the bile and protect liver cells from the ravages of oxidation. Other studies also showed that choline may play a significant role in the synthesis of an important neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. This led others to believe that lecithin may help improve the cognitive functions of the brain, even going so far as to help...
Liquid Lecithin
... functions. Due to liquid lecithin's choline make up, the compound has been touted as a memory enhancer by improving cognitive function. Another benefit of liquid lecithin is to increase the rate at which fat is burned to produce energy for the body. Lecithin is contained in Lecithin Granules Vegetarian the bile, which is a kind of substance produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder necessary for digestion. As an emulsifier, the function of liquid lecithin is to separate the fatty acids in the bile and protect them from the ravages of oxidation. The compound also helps keep the liver cells healthy so they can continue doing their function of filtering and cleansing the blood of all toxins and harmful molecules. Sources Liquid lecithin can be found in nearly all kinds of food. But the richest sources of liquid lecithin are those that are high in fat and cholesterol, such as eggs,...
Benefits of Lecithin
... 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...