Soya lecithin, or soy lecithin, is derived from soybeans. It is the gummy substance that is removed during the soybean oil de-gumming process. Lecithin is edible and digestible, and food product manufacturers use it as an emulsifier. Lecithin is a source of choline, a basic component of cell membranes throughout your body, and is naturally found in foods such as egg yolks, soybeans, fish and peanuts. It is also sold in a supplement form. Always follow your health care provider's advice about taking supplements.
Memory
Lecithin is used to aid memory in patients with dementia, including Alzheimer’s, according to Drugs.com. The choline in lecithin increases the accumulation of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, or Ach, which aids different brain functions, including memory. Study results vary, possibly due to unknown and uncontrollable variables in the test subjects.
Liver
Germany has approved a lecithin-derived medication consisting of phosphatidylcholine, which is used to treat liver diseases such as acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, diabetic fatty liver and toxic liver damage. Drugs.com notes that the protective effect of phosphatidylcholine against alcoholic cirrhosis has been shown in baboons, but adds that substantiating clinical studies in humans have not been reported.
Cholesterol
Drusg.com reports that lecithin was heavily studied in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some studies found that lecithin was effective in lowering cholesterol and perhaps in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Serum lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced in 21 hyperlipidemic patients in a 1978 study published in "Current Therapeutic Research, Clinical & Experimental." The cause of the cholesterol lowering effect was believed to be improved metabolism of dietary cholesterol due to lecithin.
Niacin
Niacin supplements, which are used to treat high cholesterol, can deplete choline. Taking lecithin supplements along with niacin has been proven to restore proper choline levels, according to Vanderbilt University. Check with your doctor before adding a lecithin supplement to your regimen.
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