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Lecithin was first discovered in 1850 when Maurice Gobley, a French scientist, 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 obtained from egg yolk, until the 1930s when the use of soy products in processed foods arose.
The compound lecithin was initially 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 undergo a “degumming” process. This was done in order to separate its lecithin content. Since then, most of the lecithin sold in the market today are taken from soya.
Soy lecithin is said to contain many benefits that help enhance overall lecithin. The presence of lecithin in every cell of the human body as a main component of the cell membrane has led many scientists to conduct investigations on the role of lecithin in the normal bodily processes.
It was discovered 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 revealed 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 improve our memories.
However, 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 enhanced conditions and the taking of lecithin supplements. Rather, doctors have observed a concerning number of reports of soy lecithin allergens.
Soy Allergy
In line with the increasing use of soy products today, soy lecithin allergens increased and allergic reactions also increased. It was in the early 1980s that Stuart Berger, MD, labeled soy lecithin allergens as one of the top seven allergens – sometimes called as the “sinister seven.” Besides soy lecithin allergens, other allergens that are considered part of the “sinister seven” are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, shellfish, fin fish, and wheat.
Allergies are a result of an oversensitized immune system that once exposed to a certain form of allergen, like soy lecithin allergens, reacts by producing vast amounts of antibodies, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE). This results in reactions which may include runny nose, hives, coughing, sneezing, 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 known delayed allergic reactions to soy lecithin allergens. While the reactions of this type 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) thus, causing conditions to reactions to occur anywhere from 2 hours to days after exposure to soy lecithin allergens.
Tagged with: lecithin benefits • soya beans
Filed under: Lecithin