Saturday, December 22, 2007

LECITHIN; HANDLE RADIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Lecithin was discovered in 1805 by the French scientist Maurice Gobley. Lecithin is a fatlike substance called a phospholipid. It is produced daily by the liver if the diet is adequate. Lecithin is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Lecithin is found in all living cells as a major component of cell membranes, which regulate the nutrients entering and exiting the cell. This makes it ideal in preventing arteriosclerosis and assisting in protecting against cardiovascular disease.

It is composed mostly of B vitamins, phosphoric acid, choline, linoleic acid and inositol.

Outside the body, it is mostly derived from common egg yolk or from naturally taking place phospholipids derived from soybeans. Eggs were the primary source of commercial lecithin.

Lecithin protects cells from oxidation, a naturally occurring process in the body due to the presence of oxygen, and largely comprises the protective sheaths surrounding the brain. Using lecithin can improve brain function and has also been known to promote energy. It is an essential constituent of the human brain and nervous system. Lecithin is also an important component of the endocrine glands and the muscles of the kidneys and heart. It makes up 73 percent of the total liver fat. Lecithin aids in the absorption of thiamine by the liver and is needed to help repair the damage to the liver caused by alcoholism.

Although it is a fatty substance, it is also a fat emulsifier—lecithin enables fats, such as cholesterol, to be dispersed in water and removed from the body. Hence, it also supports the circulatory system by preventing fatty buildup in the arteries and vital organs.

As a phospholipid, lecithin is both phosphorus and fats. As such, it is an excellent source of essential fatty acids, which are a part of each molecule. Lecithin helps protect the cell's essential fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated and extremely vulnerable to oxidation. By consuming lecithin supplements, we can help protect the essential fatty acids in our bodies, keeping them from turning rancid and start harming other healthy cells.

Lecithin helps to prevent arteriosclerosis, protects against cardiovascular disease, improves brain function, helps keep the liver and kidneys healthy, aids in thiamin and vitamin A absorption, and can even help to repair liver damage caused by alcoholism--this nutrient is essential to every living cell in the human body.

Lecithin breaks up fats and cholesterol in the body. It is excellent for a healthy heart. It is a rich source of gamma linoleic acid (GLA) and has the highest phosphatide concentratil available (98% or more). It helps the body utilize vitamins A, D, E, and K and is excellent for memory, concentration, and recall. It cleanses the liver and kidneys and helps the body absorbs nutrients.

Below are some of the many health benefits of Lecithin:

* Improve memory
* Cell communication
* Normalize reproductive health
* And enhance liver and heart health.
* Lower risks of cancer
* Cardiovascular health
* Fat transport and fat metabolism
* Increase physical performance
* Relief of arthritis
* Healthy hair and skin
* Treatment for gallstones
* Improvement in memory, learning and reaction time


In September 2001, lecithin got a boost when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized products containing enough of it to bear labels such as "A good source of choline." Producers of soy lecithin hope to find ways to help the new health claim lift demand for lecithin and increase prices in what has been a soft market. Eggs, milk and soy products are the leading dietary sources of choline, according to recent research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Duke University.

Generally, lecithin is regarded as safe except for people who are highly allergic to soy. However, the late Robert Atkins, MD, advised patients not to take large doses of supplemental lecithin without extra vitamin C to protect them from the nitrosamines formed from choline metabolism. Trimethylamine and dimethylamine, which are metabolized by bacteria in the intestines from choline, are important precurors to N-nitrosodimethylamine, a potent carcinogen in a wide variety of animal species.

Taken and rewritten from several sources.

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