Lecithin was first discovered in 1850 when French scientist Maurice Gobley worked in his lab and eventually succeeded in separating the emulsifier-like fatty compound found 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 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 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 Allergy
In line with the increasing use of soy products today, soy lecithin allergens also arose and allergic reactions arose. It was in the early 1980s that Stuart Berger, MD, labeled soy lecithin allergens as one of the top seven allergens - sometimes known as the “sinister seven.” Besides soy lecithin allergens, other allergens that are considered part of the “sinister seven” are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, shellfish, fin fish, and wheat.
Allergies are a result of an oversensitized immune system that once exposed to a certain type of allergen, such as soy lecithin allergens, reacts by producing vast amounts of antibodies, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE). This results in reactions which may include coughing, sneezing, runny hose, hives, diarrhea, facial swelling, shortness of breath, a swollen tongue, difficulty swallowing, lowered blood pressure, excessive perspiration, fainting, anaphylactic shock, or even death.
There are also delayed allergic reactions to soy lecithin allergens. While the reactions of this kind are less dramatic, they are even more common. Instead of producing the antibody immunoglobulin E, the immune system produces immunoglobulins A, G, or M (IgA, IgG, or IgM) instead, causing conditions to reactions to occur anywhere from two hours to days after exposure to soy lecithin allergens.
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Lecithin Sources
... 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 Soy Lecithin Allergens 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...
What is Lecithin
... 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 Soy Lecithin Allergens take lecithin? When you know all there is...
Lecithin Benefits
... the lecithin benefits that make this type of fat so uniquely good for the body? Lecithin, the Good Soy Lecithin Allergens 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...
Lecithin Effects
... 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 them from separating. When you place the chocolate bar in the freezer, the low temperature causes the lecithin effects on the 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...
Facts about Lecithin
... lecithin as a supplement that helps promote 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...
Lecithin Side Effects
... covering that envelopes brain neurons and our nerves. The unique structure of lecithin plays a role in the protection of our body from the destructive effects of oxidation. 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 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 Soy Lecithin Allergens 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...
Structure of Lecithin
... ensures high membrane fluidity. It is important for body weight development. On the other hand, docosahexaenoic acid is required for normal development of the brain, nervous system, and visual 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 Soy Lecithin Allergens (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...
Lecithin Weight Loss
... legumes, yeast, and peanuts. However, if these are not enough, lecithin weight loss supplements are also sold in capsule, powder Soy Lecithin Allergens 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 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 your supply. However, there have been reports that people who take large amounts of choline supplements end up emitting a fish like smell, discouraging others from taking the supplement all together. Instead, they take lecithin weight loss supplements, which...
Lecithin is Powerful
... 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 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...
Liquid Lecithin
... 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 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...
Health Lecithin
... word "lecithin" could mean two things. On the one hand, it refers to a whole class of natural fat and Soy Lecithin Allergens water soluble compounds, more commonly known as phospholipids, sold commercially as powerful emulsifiers. On the other hand, scientists often use the term as a synonym for phosphatidylcholine (PC), a phospholipid component found in every living cell of the body, whether that body is plant or animal in origin. Scientists say that the health lecithin functions encompass everything that pertains to life, e.g., breathing, metabolism, energy production and transport, and nerve function. Many studies have shown the health lecithin benefits include the following: * Improve memory * Normalize reproductive health * Lower risks of cancer * Increase physical performance * And enhance liver and heart health. However, these health lecithin benefits are but the tip of the iceberg. As more and more researchers are focusing much of their time...
Benefits of Lecithin
... it all off, it adds sprinkle to your salads, favorite drinks, nut butter, spreads or sauces. Yet, for all the wonderful benefits of lecithin, would you believe that it is actually nothing more than a byproduct of soybean processing? Byproduct, meaning it is little more than waste. So how come this purportedly "waste" product contains so many health benefits? What is the theory behind the benefits of lecithin? Lecithin Soy Lecithin Allergens - 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 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...
Lecithin Supplements
... 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, when talking about lecithin supplements, what people generally refer to is phosphatidyl choline, or more specifically its purified form, which is choline, a B-vitamin and an essential nutrient. There is much health benefit attributed to both phosphatidyl choline and choline found in lecithin supplements. The compound has been associated Soy Lecithin Allergens with treatments for a variety of diseases from lowering high blood cholesterol, to reducing heart attacks and stroke, atherosclerosis, dispelling symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver and gall stones, and improving memory loss. Lecithin supplements are even currently marketed as aids to weight loss. However, it should...
Soy Bean Lecithin
... 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 in egg yolk and most of the commercial lecithin sold in the market that time was egg lecithin. But then with the emergence of soy bean lecithin, a shift also occurred. Lecithin that is derived from plant, such as soy bean lecithin, is regarded as safer to use than those extracted from animals since animal lecithin is often excreted by the...
Soy Lecithin
... people distinguish between soy lecithin and egg lecithin. The word has been used as a generic term referring to a whole class of fat and water soluble compounds called phospholipids. Where Soy Lecithin Comes From As mentioned earlier, soy lecithin is a by product of soybean processing. At first, the soybeans are tempered by keeping them at a consistent temperature and moisture level for approximately seven to 10 days. This has a hydrating effect on the soybeans, loosening it from its hull. Then, the soybeans are cleaned and cracked into small pieces. The cracked beans are separated from the hulls and are heated and pressed into flakes. Next, the flakes undergo a distillation process where the soybean oil is extracted, after which crude soy oil is made to undergo a "degumming" procedure. The sludge that is produced as a...