| Lecithin or phosphatidycholine (PC) is a | | | | of lecithin sold commercially. |
| phospholipid, first discovered in the 1800s by a | | | | Aside from food, organic lecithin has a multitude |
| French scientist called Maurice Gobley. He | | | | of other uses and has been added to paints, |
| extracted the compound from an egg yolk and in | | | | metal tape, animal feeds and cosmetics. In |
| 1850 the compound was named lecithin from the | | | | addition to that, it is sometimes used as a |
| word lekithos, which is the Greek term for egg | | | | supplement in things such as capsules, granules or |
| yolk. | | | | pills. |
| This lecithin was first used commercially as an | | | | There are a number of effects that are related |
| emulsifying agent for a number of years. It could | | | | to lecithin. For one, it keeps fat dispersed in food. |
| extend the life of many processed foods so the | | | | It prevents the oils from separating. In fact, one |
| food industry began to add it to all kinds of food | | | | theory is, that it in this way it may help keep the |
| products including baked goods, nut butters, | | | | cholesterol levels in a body low in the same way. |
| candies, chocolates, protein drinks, prepared foods | | | | This is still a theory though. Lecithin allows the fat |
| and instant soups. The lecithin would also be added | | | | content in foods to be reduced while maintaining |
| to recipes for flavor and also to be an emulsifying | | | | the taste. |
| agent. | | | | Organic lecithin is comprised of ethanolamine, |
| In the 1930's when there was a boom in | | | | insotil, phosphatides of choline and other lipids. All |
| soyabean consumption, the byproduct of the | | | | living organisms have these substances which are |
| soyabean processing was discovered to include | | | | necessary in the human for the muscles, liver and |
| 1.8 percent of hydrophosphatides. If this sludge | | | | the reproductive tract. |
| was put through a process called "degumming" | | | | Lecithins must be studied further by the medical |
| organic lecithin could be extracted and it would be | | | | research community. It may be a potential |
| an alternative to the lecithin from eggs. With this | | | | treatment for high cholesterol. It keeps the fat in |
| new development, lecithin really gained in | | | | the bile and disperses cholesterol. Right now |
| popularity. | | | | lecithin has been added to a number of dietary |
| In fact the organic lecithin from the soybean | | | | supplements for weight loss. |
| turned out to be a safer product. The animal's | | | | Organic lecithin holds great promise in the weight |
| lecithin goes through the kidneys and may come | | | | loss and cholesterol control fields of medicine. In |
| in contact with all sorts of toxins. The soyabean | | | | addition it is very important to modern day food |
| lecithin hasn't got that kind of potential pitfall so | | | | processing. |
| presently soybean lecithin makes up the main part | | | | |