If you keep yourself in touch with the latest news on health and diet, then you probably heard: lecithin is good for you. But how good? Well, it’s been said that lecithin contains various components that are all beneficial to your health. Each tablespoon (roughly worth 7.5 grams) of lecithin granules contains about 1700 mg of phosphatidylcholine, 2,200 mg of essential fatty acids like linoleic acid and 1000 mg of phosphatidylinositol, all of which contribute to just how good lecithin is.
And yet as good as lecithin is made out to be, a lot of people do not consume adequate amounts of the compound. While a deficiency in lecithin does not seem to have any adverse effects on people, a deficiency in choline, a component of lecithin, however, can lead to serious illnesses such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The reason for the reduced consumption of lecithin may have something to do with the lecithin sources themselves. Before World War II, people were in the habit of eating large amounts of organ meats, red meats, whole eggs, whole milk with cream, dairy cream, and liver, all of which are excellent lecithin sources. But what makes these foods such excellent lecithin sources also make people turn away from them. That’s because these foods are often very rich in fats and calories, which in today’s diet-conscious community may pose several negative health effects.
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 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 of the most versatile of lecithin sources. The soybean can be eaten whole after it has been boiled or roasted. It can also be transformed into a great variety of foods, the more popular of which are tofu, meat alternatives, soy sauce, soy flour, and soybean oil (usually called vegetable oil).
Supplements
Another alternative to getting adequate supply of lecithin is supplementation. Supplements are excellent lecithin sources; one tablespoon of lecithin granules contains as much as a 1, 725 mg/serving. A soft gel capsule of lecithin supplement may contain less at 180 mg/serving. The concentration of lecithin in supplements varies according to its form. According to many sources, one of the best lecithin sources is lecithin granules, which contain a high percentage of phosphatidylcholine, which when synthesized by the body turns into a choline, an essential nutrient.
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Lecithin is Powerful
... why lecithin is powerful is because of the presence of phosphatidylcholine. Lecithin that contains this substance is produced from vegetable, animal and 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...
What is Lecithin
... is to know about what is lecithin, then Lecithin Sources 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...
Liquid Lecithin
... mixture of differently substituted sn-glycerol-3-phosphatidylcholine backbones. Phosphatidylcholine is the major component of a phosphatide fraction. When Lecithin Sources isolated from either egg yolk or soya beans, this form of liquid lecithin is commercially available in high purity and used for a variety of purposes in the food industry as well as other industries. However, for the most part, liquid lecithin is utilized as an emulsifier, and is in fact one of the limited number of emulsifiers commonly regarded as safe to use. Benefits While lecithin is a natural part of the body, it is, however, not an essential nutrient, unlike fatty acids or amino acid. Our bodies already have lecithin and can manufacture more if needed. What is essential however is the synthesized form of liquid lecithin, which is choline. Our bodies derive choline from phosphatidylcholine component in liquid lecithin. To maintain cell membrane integrity and...
Soy Bean Lecithin
... a good source of protein. Soy beans contain isoflavones, gensitein, daidzen, and a generous amount of antioxidants. All these substances contribute the bean's health-promoting goodness. There is, however, one compound found soy bean that is generating much interest from the scientific and medical circles. That compound is soy bean lecithin, or if you prefer, phosphatidylcholine (PC). It is a kind of lipid that is found in all cells of all living organisms in the world. It forms a major component of the cell membrane, alongside cholesterol and glyceride. So if this lecithin substance can be found in every cell, then we already have it right? Why do we need alternate sources such as soy bean lecithin? The answer is simple: because this compound is so vital to our body that we cannot afford to have inadequate supply. Soy bean lecithin was first discovered in the 1930s when the compound was extracted from sludge, a by product of soybean oil processing. Of course, decades before that, lecithin was already found...
Health Lecithin
... these health lecithin benefits are but the tip of the iceberg. As more and more researchers are focusing much of their time and energy on investigating the compound, more and more of the health lecithin benefits may be uncovered. Where Lecithin Comes From Lecithin is found in many of the foods we have for our daily diet. However, if you want foods that are rich in lecithin, then turn no further from those same foods that are high in cholesterol and fats. The most concentrated sources of dietary lecithin are organ meats, red meats, and eggs, which is where lecithin got its name by the way - lekithos, Greek for "egg yolk." But with today's current trend in low-fat, low-calorie diet, many have turned away from lecithin-rich foods. This reduction may likely result in an inadequate dietary intake of lecithin and choline, a component of lecithin. In order...
Lecithin Granules Vegetarian
... 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, Lecithin Sources 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,...
Lecithin Benefits
... not include in our discussion the lecithin benefits that make this type of fat so uniquely 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 Lecithin Sources 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...
Lecithin Effects
... 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...
Facts about Lecithin
... in the cells of all living organisms, you must think and believe that it is an essential nutrient. Certainly, that Lecithin Sources 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. As a phospholipid, the facts about lecithin will indicate that the substance is a major component in cell membranes. Lipids make the cell membrane semi-permeable - that is, it allows some substances in while keeping other substances out. With its main component of choline, lecithin facilitates the movement of fats in and out of cells, as well as ions, wastes, and nutrients. Besides providing protection around the cells, the facts about lecithin will also tell you that its function encompasses even the framework of the cell itself. Along with...
Lecithin Side Effects
... essential 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 information. One example is dementia, which is a mental condition that may due to stroke. It has been observed that...
Structure of Lecithin
... acuity. Consequently, both these important components of the structure of lecithin play a vital role during pregnancy and infancy. Since babies have only limited capacities, they need arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid to synthesize fatty acids from their precursors. Structure of Lecithin: Soy Markedly different from egg yolk lecithin, the structure of lecithin derived from soy actually consists of three types of 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 consist of glycerides, which are the basic components of soy oil. However, instead of one fatty acid radical, this has...
Lecithin Weight Loss
... are rich in lecithin are foods that we often include in our daily diet, such as egg yolk, soybeans, grains, wheat germ, fish, legumes, yeast, and peanuts. However, if these are not enough, lecithin weight loss supplements are also sold in capsule, powder or granular form. Lecithin weight loss supplements are highly filtered. That means they contain less than 35% of phosphatidyl choline while the rest are made of various substances. Majority of these lecithin weight loss supplements are derived from soybeans, although egg yolk lecithin weight loss supplements Lecithin Sources can also be found. But while lecithin weight loss supplements are valued for their phosphatidyl choline content, the real benefit you get from supplementation is the boost in choline levels your body receives. As an essential nutrient, your body cannot manufacture choline and hence you always depend on the foods that you eat and supplements in order to get...
Soy Lecithin Allergens
... 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 enhance our memories. But while there are quite a number of studies that seem to show evidence of the benefits of lecithin, there is little in the way to show a real connection between improved conditions and the taking of lecithin supplements. Instead, what doctors have observed is a concerning number of reports of soy lecithin allergens. Soy...
Benefits of Lecithin
... product contains so many health benefits? What is the theory behind the benefits of lecithin? Lecithin - Its History and Origin 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 Lecithin Sources when the French scientist Maurice Gobley isolated the compound from an egg yolk. Lecithin 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...
Lecithin Supplements
... 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. 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 Recommonded 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. 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...