Lecithin, sometimes referred to as phosphatidylcholine (PC), is a type of phospholipid that is used for a variety of purposes. It was first discovered in 1846 after French scientist Maurice Gobley extracted the compound from an egg yolk, but was only given its present name in 1850, coined from lekithos, Greek word for “egg yolk.” For several years after that, organic lecithin sold commercially was derived entirely from eggs.
As a powerful emulsifying agent and an additive that could extend 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 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 basis of the scientific premise that the compound may have positively affect those with high cholesterol levels in the blood stream. But while there is very little evidence to prove that scientific claim, there is however enough proof of organic lecithin’s emulsifying action to go around the commercial food industry. Lecithin can be used to lower the fat content of some foods at the same time enable them to still taste good.
Organic lecithin sold commercially is composed of a naturally occurring mixture of the phosphatides of choline, ethanolamine, and insotil, with smaller amounts of other lipids. This compound is present in every cell of all living organisms, but is especially vital in organs such as the liver and the reproductive tract and muscles containing high concentration of phospholipids.
The function of organic lecithin in the liver bears much attention from the medical field. Its role in keeping the fats in the bile and dispersing cholesterol is one of the many reasons why people believe that organic lecithin may be a potential treatment for high cholesterol. Even now, supplements of this compound is used as a quick fix to weight loss.
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Lecithin Weight Loss
... one of the many contained in the cell membranes of all living organisms, whether plants or animals. The term is often synonymous to phosphatidyl choline (PC), which many in the scientific community use to refer Organic Lecithin 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...
Lecithin Sources
... good lecithin is. And yet as good as lecithin is made out to Organic Lecithin 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...
Using Organic Foods For Better Health
For many people who have been eating conventionally produced foods for years, seeking organic food products may seem meaningless since Organic Lecithin it may appear that their conventionally produced foods are not harming them. Read More: organic foods and health
Organic Farming
... the big food product bullies have taken it over, the same as they did with the rest of Organic Lecithin farming almost a century ago. You can buy food grown with organic farming locally, but you have to go to your local organic food store to do it, and check out the labels. Usually some foods will advertise this fact, and these are the foods that you want. The idea of rebuilding the future is also kind of off the mark. Although organic farming is somewhat better for the environment because it does not put the same toxic pesticides and fertilizers into the soil, this advantage doesn't address the real problem. Commercial agricultural techniques, whether organic farming or conventional farming, wreak havoc on both the topsoil and the ecosystem through their huge fields growing just one strain of one kind...
Lecithin And Weight Loss
... again. Weight gain is often due to poor liver function. With a liver that is in such poor health as to make it unable to perform its functions, there is a very likely chance that the condition will result in weight gain, especially around the abdomen, cellulite, and water retention. The Bile The liver is responsible for secreting bile. A complex fluid, bile (or gall) is a bitter, greenish-yellow alkaline fluid containing water, electrolytes, and a batter of organic molecules which include bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids (lecithin), and bilirubin. It is critical in digestion, particularly in the metabolism and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Many of the body's waste products are also excreted into the bile. The role of lecithin is bile is that of an emulsifier and antioxidant. It helps disperse cholesterol in and breaks it down into essential fatty acids. The phosphate group in lecithin...
What is Lecithin
... 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 is not an essential nutrient, since the Organic Lecithin 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...
Lecithin Benefits
... foods. Lecithin for Health While there is little doubt that lecithin is indeed a powerful emulsifier, there is more to lecithin benefits than that. For decades, people have been touting that treatment for high cholesterol is one of the many lecithin benefits. There is little evidence to support Organic Lecithin this claim, mostly because when the studies conducted were largely unreported. Still, these claims about lecithin benefits on high cholesterol may have something to do with the fact that lecithin, specifically phosphatidylcholine, appears to have the ability to disperse cholesterol in the blood, thus keeping them from sticking to the walls of our arteries. In doing this, lecithin may also help prevent atherosclerosis. Another one of the lecithin benefits is that it displays potential as a remedy for various psychological and neurological diseases, such as Tourette's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression). The claim is based on the significant role...
Lecithin Effects
... 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, Organic Lecithin 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 effects 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...
Facts about Lecithin
... used to enhance the nutritional and physical properties of your everyday recipes. One or two tablespoons of lecithin will give an emulsifying surface of fat over your chili, soups, and gravies, giving them a uniform and appealing look. The fat won't float and people who eat your food will praise you for such your wonderful recipe. Besides food, lecithin also has other uses. Weight loss and diet enthusiasts consume granules and powders of lecithin directly from the container to help them with their weight loss regimen. Plus, countless studies revealed facts about lecithin that showed how the substance can positively affect persons with high cholesterol levels in the blood. Lecithin has been widely used to help people who are prone to heart attacks and strokes, and even degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease,...
Lecithin Side Effects
... atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver, gall stones, psoriasis, eczema, scleroderma, anxiety, tremors, and brain aging. But what is lecithin? And why does it have all these lecithin side effects? Lecithin, the Chemical Lecithin is mainly made up of a compound called phosphatidylcholine, which is one of a group of fat soluble phospholipids within the compound. In chemistry, the word lecithin is even used interchangeably with phosphatidylcholine, though most commercial lecithins (especially those derived from soybean) contain only about 20% of the compound. The chemical substance lecithin is found in all living organisms, specifically comprising the cell membrane and other membranes of organelles inside the cell itself. It is also a major component of the myelin sheath, which is the thin covering that envelopes brain Organic Lecithin neurons and our nerves. The unique...
Structure of Lecithin
... 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: Organic Lecithin 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 been replaced with phosphoric acid. Now, this is different in the case of pure or chemical lecithin or phosphatidylcholine, where the phosphoric...
Lecithin is Powerful
... 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 them away from harmful substances. Lecithin is powerful because of its unique structure. It is both fat loving for the Organic Lecithin fatty...
Soy Lecithin Allergens
Maurice Gobley worked in his lab and eventually succeeded in separating the emulsifier-like fatty compound found Organic Lecithin in egg yolk. Naming the compound after the Greek word for "egg yolk", lekithos, the first commercially available lecithin was mostly derived from egg yolk, until the 1930s when the use of soy products in processed foods arose. The compound lecithin was discovered in the by product of soybean processing. After the soybeans were processed and its oils extracted, the liquid waste that is 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...
Liquid Lecithin
... 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, red meat, organ meat, etc. Soybeans are also good sources of liquid lecithin. In fact, majority of commercial lecithin sold in the market today Organic Lecithin are derived from soybean oil even as the first lecithin was separated from egg yolk in 1850. Every person needs adequate supply of liquid lecithin. While it is true that there are only very rare cases of lecithin...
Health Lecithin
... 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 to make up for the lecithin lost through reduction of egg consumption, organ meats, and red meats, health lecithin supplements are taken. Why is it Good? As a phospholipid, lecithin is both phosphorus and fats (lipids). As such, it is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, which are a part of each molecule. Because phospholipids are both fat loving (lipophilic) and water loving (hydrophilic), lecithin helps protect the cell's essential fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated and extremely vulnerable to oxidation. By taking in health lecithin supplements, especially in the form of granules, we can help protect the essential fatty acids in our bodies, keeping them from turning rancid and start harming other healthy cells. Another health...