Where to find lecithin in food
Very present in our diet, lecithin is found in many foods in its natural form, but also as a food additive.
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Necessary for the body, it plays a key role in building our body’s cell membranes which, without lecithin, would be totally rigid.
find out what foods contain more lecithin either phosphatidylcholine.
Description
Lecithin, or lecithins (as there are several forms), are lipids found naturally in many foods, including oilseeds, egg yolks, soybeans, and meat products.
Its scientific name is phosphatidylcholine, a form of phospholipid made up of choline, phosphate, and two fatty acids. Lecithin is produced by the liver and is found in large amounts in bile, in many tissues, and in the brain.
Used by the food industry, lecithin is extracted to act as an emulsifierthat is, it can bind water and fat that normally cannot be mixed.
Its dose in the industry does not exceed 1% and therefore has no contraindication in moderate consumption.
Its functions
Role in cell construction: Lecithin is a lipid that enters into the construction of the cell membrane. It acts as a protective sheath and provides fluidity to our cells.
Reduces cholesterol in the blood: Especially for patients with hypercholesterolemia, some studies show that lecithin intake tends to reduce LDL1 cholesterol. Today, the results are more mixed.
breaks down fats: thanks to its natural emulsifying power, lecithin is a precious help to break down the structure of fatty acids and better assimilate them into our body.
Industrial use
Lecithin is also a widespread additivemainly used as emulsifier in the food industry, under the name of E322.
It is found in particular in chocolate-based products or spreads, but also in many other processed products. Thanks to the emulsifying properties of lecithin, a smooth and melting texture.
Thus, since the 1990s, lecithin has been extracted primarily from soybeans.
What are the nutritional recommendations?
There is no official recommendation for the consumption of lecithin.
However, lecithins is the main source, whose recommended intake ranges from 425 and 550 mg per dayaccording to sex.
Foods rich in lecithin
There are no exact figures for lecithins, but some books provide some data-
Meat: cow liver, bird liver
Oilseeds: walnut, hazelnut, peanut
Soy: Soy, tofu
Eggs: yellow
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