Lecithin or phosphatidycholine (PC) is a phospholipid, first discovered in the
1800s by a French scientist called Maurice Gobley. He extracted the compound
from an egg yolk and in 1850 the compound was named lecithin from the word
lekithos, which is the Greek term for egg yolk.This lecithin was first used
commercially as an emulsifying agent for a number of years. It could extend the
life of many processed foods so the food industry began to add it to all kinds
of food products including baked goods, nut butters, candies, chocolates,
protein drinks, prepared foods and instant soups. The lecithin would also be
added to recipes for flavor and also to be an emulsifying agent.In the 1930?s
when there was a boom in soyabean consumption, the byproduct of the soyabean
processing was discovered to include 1.8 percent of hydrophosphatides. If this
sludge was put through a process called ?degumming? organic lecithin could be
extracted and it would be an alternative to the lecithin from eggs. With this
new development, lecithin really gained in popularity.In fact the organic
lecithin from the soybean turned out to be a safer product. The animal?s
lecithin goes through the kidneys and may come in contact with all sorts of
toxins. The soyabean lecithin hasn?t got that kind of potential pitfall so
presently soybean lecithin makes up the main part of lecithin sold
commercially.Aside from food, organic lecithin has a multitude of other uses and
has been added to paints, metal tape, animal feeds and cosmetics. In addition to
that, it is sometimes used as a supplement in things such as capsules, granules
or pills.There are a number of effects that are related to lecithin. For one, it
keeps fat dispersed in food. It prevents the oils from separating. In fact, one
theory is, that it in this way it may help keep the cholesterol levels in a body
low in the same way. This is still a theory though. Lecithin allows the fat
content in foods to be reduced while maintaining the taste.Organic lecithin is
comprised of ethanolamine, insotil, phosphatides of choline and other lipids.
All living organisms have these substances which are necessary in the human for
the muscles, liver and the reproductive tract.Lecithins must be studied further
by the medical research community. It may be a potential treatment for high
cholesterol. It keeps the fat in the bile and disperses cholesterol. Right now
lecithin has been added to a number of dietary supplements for weight
loss.Organic lecithin holds great promise in the weight loss and cholesterol
control fields of medicine. In addition it is very important to modern day food
processing.About the Author: Sarah Thomas is an established freelance writer.
You can find more of her writing at lecithinguide.com and green-tea-guide.com.
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