What is Lecithin?!
Question:
What is Lecithin?
Answers:
Lecithin is mostly a mixture of glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids .However, in biochemistry, lecithin is usually used as a synonym for pure phosphatidylcholine, a phospholipid which is the major component of a phosphatide fraction which may be isolated from either egg yolk (in Greek lekithos—λεκιθος) or soy beans from which it is mechanically or chemically extracted using hexane.
Lecithin is commercially available in high purity as a food supplement and for medical use.
Nervous and circulatory lecithin is produced by the liver if the diet is adequate. It is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Phosphatidylcholine is an important component of the mucus layer in the large intestine. This mucus layer forms the mucosal barrier, protecting the large intestine from attacks from colonic commensal bacteria [1]. Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis have a disturbed mucosal barrier and the mucus layers in their large intestines exhibit lower levels of phosphatidylcholine than that of healthy people.
There are no studies that show soy-derived lecithin has significant effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Commercial lecithin, as used by food manufacturers, is a mixture of phospholipids in oil. The lecithin is obtained by degumming the extracted oil of the seeds. The lecithin is a mixture of various phospholipids, and the composition depends on the origin of the lecithin. A major source of lecithin is soybean oil. Because of the EU-requirement to declare additions of allergens in foods, in addition to regulations regarding Genetically Modified Crops, a gradual shift to other sources of lecithin, e.g., sunflower oil, is taking place.
Egg-derived lecithin may be a concern for those following some specialized diets. Egg lecithin is not a concern for those on low cholesterol diets, but if not purified before being used as a food ingredient, it could significantly raise the overall cholesterol content of the food.