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Prior to the 1930s, commercial lecithin sold in the market came mostly from egg yolk. Truth is, that is how it got its name. In 1850, when French scientist Maurice Gobley first separated the compound from an egg yolk, he decided to name it after its derivation – lekithos, meaning “egg yolk.”
Decades later, however, the same compound was also found in the by-product of soybean processing. While soy lecithin does not have nearly as much phospholipids as egg yolk has, its 1.48 to 3.08 percentage of phospholipids is significantly higher than that of the 0.5 percent typically found in vegetable oils.
But what are the real benefits of soy lecithin? What makes lecithin so good for the body? The answer may lie in its entire composition.
Soy lecithin is comprised of three types of phospholipids, which are a class of water and fat soluble compounds. The phospholipids found in soy lecithin are: phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phospathidylethanolamine (PE). The benefits of soy lecithin can be tracked down to the presence of phosphatidylcholine and its synthesized form, choline.
Phosphatidylcholine, a Powerful Emulsifier
One of the major functions of soy lecithin is to act as an emulsifier inside or outside the body. Outside, it is used commercially to keep chocolates, butter, candy coatings, margarine, and a whole lot more. It is even used in the pharmaceutical industry as well as various other industries that produce materials such as textile, paint, to name a few.
On the other hand, if talking about the benefits of soy lecithin inside the body, then we have to consider the role that phosphatidylcholine plays in the living cell. As a phospholipid, phosphatidylcholine is a primary component of the cell membrane, along with cholesterol and triglyceride. It helps keep the cells and its different organelles apart from each other and facilitates many of its basic functions, including cellular signaling. Additionally, it contributes to the cell’s structural integrity and helps keep harmful microbes from entering the healthy living cell.
Phosphatidylcholine plays an important role in the liver functions as well as the brain. In fact, one of the benefits of soy lecithin is to keep the fatty acids in the bile, thereby aiding the liver to burn fat better. It is also present in the myelin sheath that covers every single nerve cell found in the body, keeping them strong and healthy. Because of this, many scientists believe that enhancing brain power may be one of the benefits of soy lecithin.
Choline
Choline, on the other hand, is the synthesized form of phosphatidylcholine. It is an important nutrient, recognized by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1998. This means that our body cannot manufacture its own supply of the compound and must therefore rely on foods to keep its supply level adequate. A lot of studies have been conducted on the benefits of soy lecithin, particularly on phosphatidylcholine, which when synthesized by the body turns into choline. It is said that some of the benefits of soy lecithin may include: positively affecting cardiovascular health, liver function, brain development, improving memory throughout life, and reproductive development.
Tagged with: lecithin benefits • lecithin overview
Filed under: Lecithin