Lecithin: what foods are found in large quantities, useful properties and features

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Lecithin is a mixture of various compounds, mainly phospholipids. It performs many important functions in the body: improves memory and concentration, lowers cholesterol, protects the liver. It is found in foods and supplements and is also used in the food industry. Let's take a look at what foods contain lecithin and what its he alth benefits are.

What is lecithin?

Lecithin is not a single substance, but a mixture of compounds, mostly of a fatty nature. The most important of these are phospholipids. They are represented graphically as a head and tail.

The "tail" is the fatty acids and the "head" is the glycerol, the phosphorus group and the attached compound, which is the most important in the whole phospholipid because it is largely responsible for its he alth functions. It can be, among others, choline (phosphatidylcholine), inositol (phosphatidylinositol) orserine (phosphatidylserine). In addition to phospholipids, lecithin also contains triglycerides, carbohydrates, glycolipids and water.

It was first isolated in 1846 by Theodore Nicholas Gobley from egg yolk. The name comes from the Greek word lekithos, which means egg yolk. Since then, it has been studied what products contain lecithin, its healing properties and uses have been described.

What is it for?

This substance has many functions:

• it's the building block of every cell in the body, it's part of cell membranes,
• is an element that builds brain tissue and myelin sheaths of cells of the nervous system,
• stimulates the nervous system, supports the processes of concentration and attention,
• participates in metabolic processes,
• is a protective barrier for the walls of the stomach,
• protects the liver,
• improves absorption of fat soluble vitamins;
• participates in cholesterol metabolism and improves blood circulation efficiency,
• accelerates tissue regeneration after exercise,
• slows down aging.

Memory and concentration

Lecithin is perhaps most associated with supporting mental performance and learning processes. Recommended for people working mentally, preparing for exams, and the elderly, whose memory deteriorates with age of the nervous system.

Studies show that people who take supplements with this substance feel an improvement in their thinking abilities and ability to remember information. However, it is necessarytheir systematic adoption - from a month to 3-4 months.

From a few doses taken from time to time, the brain will not function more efficiently. Lecithin is used to improve the he alth and quality of life of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia.

Cardiovascular Benefits

This compound is involved in the metabolism of fats and cholesterol. Due to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in it, it binds cholesterol, facilitates its transport and accelerates the elimination of excess from the body.

It also has an emulsifying effect - it breaks down fats and cholesterol from food into small molecules, which limits their attachment to platelets and blood vessel walls. All this prevents the formation of atherosclerotic deposits and coronary blood clots, which lead to cardiovascular diseases that are dangerous to he alth.

Lecithin is known to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Some sources point to its ability to increase HDL cholesterol levels, a fraction of which has a positive effect on he alth.

Supports the liver

Supplements with it have a positive effect on detoxification and liver regeneration. This limits the adverse effects of alcohol, drugs, and other substances that burden this organ.

It accelerates its regeneration, as it has a stabilizing effect on the membranes of liver cells. The positive effect of lecithin on steatosis, fibrosis andcirrhosis of the liver in alcoholics.

It inhibits the accumulation of fats in the liver, thereby helping to restore its normal functions. Responsible for dissolving cholesterol in bile, thereby preventing the formation of gallstones.

Help for Mental Illness

Lecithin, like choline, improves the condition of people with manic-depressive disorders. Its reception reduces the frequency of delusional states and hallucinations. Using drugs with it for mental disorders can be an effective part of treatment.

Supports male sexual performance

Many do not know what the benefits of lecithin for men are. The seminal fluid contains a large amount of this substance, and phosphatidylinositol in it is necessary in the process of sperm production. In 100 g of semen - 53 mg of inositol. Therefore, lecithin is believed to be very important for male sexual activity and fertility, and inositol deficiency is associated with infertility.

Food Applications

This compound has found application in the food industry, as it reduces the cost, improves quality and increases the shelf life of finished products. What foods contain lecithin? It is added to bread, cakes, confectionery, chocolate, margarine, mayonnaise, instant foods and even pasta. In the list of ingredients, it is marked with the symbol E322. OH improves the consistency of the dough, prolongs the freshness of the bread; prevents food from sticking to the surface of the dishes andgluing; facilitates the formation of water-fat emulsions and allows mixing of immiscible ingredients.

The lecithin used in the production of chocolate makes it smoother and velvety. It improves the organoleptic properties of many food products. It does not apply to harmful food additives, but has only a positive effect on he alth.

Lecithin: where to look for it?

this will not be a problem. Lecithin is quite common in food products. If you want to improve memory and concentration, you should take care of proper nutrition. Consider which foods contain a large amount of lecithin.

Good sources of it:

• egg yolk,
• liver,
• soy,
• beans,
• wheat germ,
• sunflower seeds,
• unrefined rapeseed oil (most of the lecithin is removed during the refining process),
• nuts,
• baker's yeast,
• fish,
• dairy products,
• green vegetables,
• avocado,
• olives.

Its largest amount is found in egg yolks (1 yolk contains about 2 grams of lecithin).

You should also consider which foods contain lecithin as a dietary supplement. We get it, for example, with bread and chocolate. Daily consumption of 300 g of bread covers the daily requirement for this substance. This is probably not the smartest delivery method.of this compound into the body, but it shows that it is not difficult to supplement it in the diet.

Daily requirement

Requirements for lecithin are not specified in nutritional standards, but most often in publications you can find that the body needs 2-2.5 g of this substance per day for proper functioning.

Some sources indicate a value of 6 g. Keep in mind that you do not need to take supplements with it every day, but only when the mental load increases or the concentration decreases. If you know what foods contain lecithin, you can easily cover the body's needs for this substance with a properly balanced diet.

Lecithin supplements

Pharmaceutical shelves bend under the weight of lecithin additives. You can find them in the form of liquid soluble tablets or capsules. The form of the product itself is not as important as the content of the active substance in it.

When buying a supplement, you need to be very careful and inquisitive, because in pharmacies you can find products that contain 50 mg of lecithin in a dose, as well as 1200 mg. You should definitely choose the latter.

Dietary supplements must be used correctly. To do this, it is important to understand what are the benefits and harms of lecithin. Manufacturers of high-dose supplements with it recommend taking one tablet throughout the day, preferably with meals. In case of increased demand, you can take two tablets per day. The preparation with the largest single dose provides just over 6 g of lecithin, and it is best not to exceed the recommended amounts withoutconsultation with a doctor.

Soy, sunflower or rapeseed - which one to choose?

Both soy, and sunflower and rapeseed lecithin in liquid form demonstrate a similar composition of phospholipids - its main component used for the production of dietary supplements. So there is no significant difference between them in this respect.

About 30% of the composition of lecithin is oils, in which the proportions of fatty acids depend on the plant from which it was obtained. Sunflower and soybean oils are a source of omega-6 fatty acids, the dietary intake of which is too high in relation to omega-3 acids.

However, rapeseed lecithin has more omega-3 acids in a better proportion to omega-6. From this it is concluded that rapeseed is more beneficial for he alth than soy and sunflower, which have similar properties.

Side effects

Lecithin in foods is considered safe, does not interact with drugs, and generally does not cause side effects.

Supplementing too much with it can lead to low blood pressure, heart problems and anxiety. Some people may experience nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, or a feeling of fullness if the recommended doses are taken several times over. Lecithin preparations often contain vitamin E, which is not recommended for blood thinning.

If you are taking this type of medication, it is better to choose a drug without vitamin E. Liquid supplements may contain alcohol,so if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or driving a car, please pay attention.

Now you know which products contain more lecithin and how to properly take dietary supplements with it.