We all know that soy beans are good for the health. How many times have we been told to consume more soybeans to get an adequate supply of protein? This is no wonder at all, because Soybeans are rich in essential nutrients needed to promote a healthy body. The nutrients contained in this substance include isoflavones, gensitein, daidzen and antioxidants. 

Recently, there is one compound that was found in soybeans. It is Soybean Lecithin. This discovery attracted the attention of the people in the scientific and medical fields.  Soybean Lecithin, or Phosphatidylcholine (PC), is a major component of a cell membrane, the same as cholesterol and glyceride. It is commonly found in all living organisms. 

You must then wonder why we need to look for alternative sources of lecithin, when it can be found in every cell. The answer is because lecithin is so important that we cannot afford to have an inadequate supply of this. Our body needs sufficient lecithin to function well. 

Soy bean lecithin was first discovered in the 1930s when the compound was extracted from sludge, a by product of soybean oil processing. Of course, decades before that, lecithin was already found in egg yolk, and most of the commercial lecithin sold in the market at that time was egg lecithin. 

But then with the emergence of soy bean lecithin, a shift also occurred. Lecithin that is derived from plants, such as soy bean lecithin, are regarded as safer to use than those extracted from animals, since animal lecithin is often excreted by the kidney, which contains toxins and other harmful substances. As such, soy bean lecithin came to replace egg lecithin as being the major source of this compound. 

Soy bean lecithin is composed of three types of phospholipids: phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylehtanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). The most important is phosphatidylcholine which, when synthesized, becomes choline, an essential nutrient that is desperately needed by the body. 

Phosphatidylcholine contributes to the structural integrity of the cell. Being a major component of the cell membrane, it also helps facilitate the movement of fluids in and out of the cell, as well as eases cell signaling or communication. It is particularly important in such vital organs as the liver and the brain. 

Choline, on the other hand, helps synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for much of our cognitive functions. Because of this unique function of choline, many scientists believe that supplementing our choline supply by taking soy lecithin may aid in brain related disorders, including dementia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others. 

In the liver, the function of phosphatidylcholine is that of an emulsifying agent. It is found in the bile, where it keeps the essential fatty acids, stabilizing them and protecting them from the harmful toxins also contained in the bile.

Phosphatidylcholine also helps disperse cholesterol in the blood to keep them from sticking to the walls of the arteries. In so doing, it may have a positive effect on the thickening of the arteries, a condition commonly known as atherosclerosis, and help prevent the symptoms of high blood pressure. 

With this discovery of soy bean lecithin, soybean has become an important food. Soybean lecithin puts soybeans in the line with other essential foods. So if you want a lecithin supplement, don’t look any further. Soybeans are so abundant on the market that you will not have a difficult time supplying your lecithin needs.