Lecithin

Other Names: Egg Lecithin, Lécithine, Lécithine d’œuf, Lécithine de Graine de Soya, Lécithine de Soya, Lecitina, Ovolecithin, Ovolécithine, Phospholipide de Soja, Phospholipide de Soya, Phospholipides de Soya, Soy Lecithin, Soy Phospholipid, Soy Phospholipids, Soya Lecithin, Soybean Lecithin, Vegilecithin, Vitellin, Vitelline.
Lecithin is a special kind of fat called a phospholipid, which contains the nutrient choline. Many foods contain lecithin, but the best sources are egg yolks, liver, peanuts, wheat germ, cauliflower, milk, and soybeans. Lecithin that contains phosphatidyl choline is produced mainly from vegetable sources, although it may also be found in animal and microbial sources. Majority of commercial lecithins sold 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. See also :

• Choline
• Alpha-GPC

Food Sources

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 shakes.

Special Precautions of Lecithin

Even if lecithin supplements were beneficial, those sold today contain widely variable amounts. You would have to consume enormous amounts of lecithin to get the health benefits, if any. High doses can cause nausea, bloating, and diarrhea.You don't need supplements of lecithin or choline. A balanced diet will supply enough choline.

The benefits of Lecithin are

The substance is synthesized by the body from food. This means that it is not an essential 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. What makes lecithin interesting is its choline. Our bodies use choline to maintain cell membranes, transmit nerve impulses, process cholesterol, and perform other tasks. The body makes choline, but it's now known that people have to consume some of it to stay healthy—that is, it's an "essential" nutrient.
The following are some of the many health claims that lecithin is said to have:

• Cardiovascular health
• Liver and cell function
• Fat transport and fat metabolism
• Reproduction and child development
• Treatment for gallstones
• Improvement in memory, learning and reaction time
• Healthy hair and skin
• Cell communication
• Physical performance and muscle endurance
• Relief of arthritis
• It's also added to foods such as ice cream, chocolate, and margarine to help provide texture.

Main Combinations

• Amnesia : Bacopa + Ginkgo Biloba + Soy lecithin + Krill Oil (or Salmon Oil or Linseed Oil)
• Memory disorders : Ginkgo Biloba + Bacopa + Soy Lecithin

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