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 that, but manufacturers of lecithin supplements are also marketing the compound as an aid to weight loss. But is there some basis to all this?
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 an emulsifier, maintaining the fats in bile and easing digestion to help the body better absorb valuable nutrients.
However, when scientists speak of lecithin, they generally mean the compound element phosphatidyl choline or PC. Phosphatidyl choline is s vital component in the formation of cell membranes and cell walls, which play a role in facilitating the movement of fluids in and out of the cell. 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.
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.
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What is Lecithin
... 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 and weight loss enthusiasts. In addition to that, lecithin is also taken in a pill form or mixed into health...
Lecithin Weight Loss
... which many in the scientific community use to refer to lecithin. Lecithin, the Emulsifier One of the many functions of lecithin is emulsifying fats. In the body, lecithin is present in bile, a digestive substance produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder to aid in digestion. It is critical for the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine and serves as a major route for eliminating cholesterol. The presence of lecithin in bile is primarily to keep the fatty acids from mixing with other organic molecules also found in bile, such as bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids, and bilirubin. By acting as an emulsifying agent, lecithin ensures that bile does all its functions smoothly. Lecithin, the Aid to Fat-Burning Another function of lecithin is to help burn fat. When you eat fatty foods, the fat gets deposited in the liver, which will then break it down so the body can use it as a source of energy. If the fats are...
Lecithin Sources
... 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 Lecithin Supplement 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...
Facts about Lecithin
... 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. As a phospholipid, the facts about lecithin will indicate that the Lecithin Supplement 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...
Lecithin and Cholesterol
... a heck of a lot of time in the kitchen, you probably know that the oils we use for cooking are hard to dissolve and typically change from liquid into a solid state under certain conditions such as a drop in temperature. If you want an example, then just place butter in the fridge and see what happens. Now, this tendency of fats to transform according to changes in temperature may pose a problem for us if every single one of our cells contains fats. But fortunately for us, the fats within and outside of our cells are kept under pretty much stable conditions. The compound responsible for this is lecithin. Lecithin is an emulsifier naturally occurring in various foods, including egg yolks, soybeans, sunflower, grape seed, wheat germ, flour, etc. It is technically a phospholipid that is present in every living cell in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Now, as a phospholipid, the compound is closely related with...
Is Lecithin Good for Fatty Liver
... super starches all comes back to haunt today's children and adolescents with all sorts of health problems, even as childhood obesity continues to be a major concern. But despite the seriousness in the impact of these problems, their occurrence takes an inevitable backseat to what cold be the greatest problem ever encountered in the collective declining health of our children. This emerging medical issue is known as Fatty Liver Syndrome. What is Fatty Liver Syndrome? When doctors talk to you about NASH, which stands for Non Alcoholic Steatorrhoeic Hepatosis or Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), don't be put off by these big terms. It is the same thing as fatty liver syndrome, which really just means that your liver is being invaded with exorbitant amounts of fat. While fatty liver or NASH is very common in overweight persons over the age of 30, the syndrome has also Lecithin Supplement been said to occur frequently among children pre-pubescent years and above. As the name itself suggests, a fatty liver contains an excessive amount of fat....
Organic Lecithin
... the shelf life of processed foods, the commercial food industry used the product in baked goods, chocolates, salad dressings, nut butters, candies, protein drinks, instant soups, and prepared foods. Organic lecithin could also be added into recipes to improve flavor and to act generally as an emulsifier. Then, in the 1930s, soybean consumption experienced a boom and that when it was discovered that the sludge that was the by product of soybean processing actually contains about 1.8% hydrophosphatides, which consist of organic lecithin. Through a process called "degumming," organic lecithin was extracted from the sludge and sold as an alternative to egg lecithin. Organic lecithin that comes from plants is generally regarded as safe. That is because animal lecithins are often excreted through the kidneys which may contain toxins and harmful substances, whereas you will never face that...
Lecithin Benefits
... don't know yet, is just another term for "fat." Yes, that's shocked right there, and there's dumbfounded, along with a whispered: "So fat can be good for the body, too?" The answer is an absolute YES! But Lecithin Supplement before we drop our jaws completely at that shocking news, let's discuss what lecithin is, shall we? And while we do that, why 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 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....
Lecithin Effects
... 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. Lecithin Effects as an Emulsifier The food industry is among 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 Lecithin Supplement them from...
Lecithin Side Effects
It also helps in the digestive processes through the action of bile which contains lecithin produced by the liver. There have been studies that show how lecithin could also have positive lecithin side effects on persons with high Lecithin Supplement blood cholesterol level, appearing to lower it down. Lecithin, the Wonder Food Unlike other chemical substances such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, lecithin is actually not an 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...
Structure of Lecithin
... 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 Supplement 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 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...
Lecithin is Powerful
... the US Food and Drug Administration named lecithin as GRAS, Lecithin Supplement 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 acid substitution. Another reason that lecithin is powerful is its role in protecting fatty acids from the damages caused by oxidation. An essential nutrient, fatty acids are highly vulnerable but greatly needed by the body. They are polyunsaturated fats and are a vital pat of each molecule. By keeping these fatty acids from becoming damaged due to oxidation, phosphatidylcholine or lecithin stabilizes them, keeping...
Lecithin
... of choline. As a lipotropic substance, choline functions as an agent in the body's metabolism, giving aid in the digestion of fats. To put it simply, choline helps in burning fat that gets stored in tissues, thereby acting as an agent to support weight loss. The more choline you have in your body, the faster your fat metabolism becomes, and the lower your blood cholesterol level goes. As Lecithin Supplement you probably know, a large number of health problems are due to high levels of blood cholesterol levels, which actually leads to a congestion of blood vessels. The condition therefore results in the likely occurrence of heart attacks and strokes. The intake of lecithin may help you avoid this thing from happening to you. As it supports fat metabolism and has been shown to aid in bringing down cholesterol levels, lecithin can protect you against heart attacks and strokes. In addition, choline in its dietary supplement form is commonly recommended for treating liver, nerve, and a variety of other conditions....
Soy Lecithin Allergens
... is said to contain many benefits that help improve overall lecithin. The presence of lecithin in every cell of the human 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 Lecithin Supplement 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...
Liquid Lecithin
... liquid lecithin. To maintain cell membrane integrity and facilitate the movement of fats in and out of cells, as well as ions, wastes, and nutrients, we need a constant supply of choline. In addition, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine needs choline for its normal 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 Lecithin Supplement in 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...