China is known to be the home of herbal medicines. Almost all of those alternative medicines that are recognized today originated from China. It is not surprising then that they are also the major growers of soybean, one of the sources of lecithin. With over 5,000 years of soybean cultivation, China is widely considered as the home of the oil crop, with lecithin production as one of their top industries. 

Chinese lecithin is a phospholipid that is derived chiefly from soybean. It is comprised mainly of neutral and polar lipids, glycerol, a phosphate group, and Choline. Although lecithin may also be extracted from egg yolk, the majority of the commercial lecithin available on the market today comes from soybean.  

Chinese lecithin varies in color from light tan to dark reddish brown. In terms of consistency, it also varies from fluid to a plastic solid. During soybean processing, a thick gummy material is usually produced as a by product of the crude soybean oil. This gummy material is where you can find Chinese lecithin.  

So how is Chinese lecithin produced? Chinese lecithin is one of the most important derivatives of soybean processing. Through a process called “degumming,” the sludge (the gummy material) is separated from the crude soy oil by the use of a centrifuge. The crude soy oil contains an average of 1.8% hydratable compounds, primarily lecithin phosphatides.  

The result of this process is a Chinese lecithin and water emulsion containing 25-50% water, which may be bleached typically with hydrogen peroxide, in order to reduce its color from brown or beige, to light yellow. Some manufacturers add fluidizing additives such as soy oil, fatty acids, or calcium chloride to the product, in order to reduce the viscosity to that of honey, and prevent it, on cooling, from becoming a highly plastic solid. Lastly, the Chinese lecithin product is film or batch dried to reduce the moisture to as little as 1%. 

Chinese lecithin has many uses, especially in food processing. Since its discovery in the 1930s, it is present in every processed food supply. It is used as an emulsifier in margarine, peanut butter, chocolate candies, ice cream, coffee creamers, and infant formulas. Chinese lecithin has also the ability to prevent products from spoilage, thus increasing its shelf life.  

Chinese lecithin is also handy around the industry kitchens where it is utilized in improving mixing and speed crystallization. As one of the few emulsifiers on the market considered by the US Food and Drug Administration as Generally Regarded As Safe for use, Chinese lecithin is also used to prevent “weeping”, stop spattering, lumping, and sticking during cooking. 

Aside from the commercial food industry, other industries also benefit from Chinese lecithin. For example, it is used in cosmetics as a product that could soften the skin and help other ingredients penetrate the skin barrier.

For its health benefits, Chinese lecithin is said to help alcoholics reduce the effects of intoxication and withdrawal, serving as a “nerve tonic”. This was discovered by Dr. A. A. Horvath, a leading purveyor of Chinese lecithin since the 1920s. There was also an article entitled “A Comfortable and Spontaneous Cure for the Opium Habit by Means of Lecithin” which was written by Chinese researchers. 

Chinese lecithin has been used for many years as a treatment for a variety of illnesses. It has been said to remedy conditions such as atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, liver cirrhosis, gall stones, psoriasis, eczema, scleroderma, anxiety, tremors, and brain aging. With this variety of uses of Chinese lecithin, there is no reason to prolong using this product. So if you are looking for a kitchen help product, or a health aid, you can always turn to Chinese lecithin.