To stay healthy, it is sometimes necessary to incorporate supplements into our regular diet and exercise plan. It is important to be aware of the different types of supplements available to help with different health challenges. Soy lecithin is a very powerful compound that can be used to treat or improve many different health issues. Let’s look at several of the amazing health benefits soy lecithin provides.
What Is Soy Lecithin?
Soy lecithin is a fatty substance that can be found in plant and animal tissues. This substance is extracted from plant and animal tissue to be used as a food additive. In most cases, it is used as an emulsifier. Because water and oil do not mix well, emulsifiers are often needed to assist in mixing the two into certain products. The addition of lecithin to foods, medicines, and other products, helps the compounds in the product mix well together so that they do not separate.
Soy lecithin is not only used as a food additive, though. It can also be taken as a supplement to help with different health challenges. Let’s look at a few of the health benefits of taking soy lecithin.
Lower Cholesterol
One of the most popular uses for this supplement is helping with cholesterol levels. When cholesterol levels are too high, it can start to cause a variety of health issues. Most notably, it can cause cardiac issues. Soy lecithin has had wonderful results with lower bad cholesterol levels. This is an all-natural alternative to cholesterol medicine. If you are taking medication for cholesterol, consult with your doctor before making any changes.
Good Source of Choline
Choline is an important compound needed for many different parts of the body to function properly. This macronutrient plays a role in liver function, muscle function, metabolism, and brain development. Soy lecithin has been proven to be a good, healthy source of choline.
Improves Immune Function
Another important health benefit may be an improvement in immune function. In order to live a healthy life, your immune system must be able to function normally. The immune system can be assisted by eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, and reducing stress. Scientists have discovered that when rats were given soy lecithin, their white blood cell counts were increased. This means that the immune system of the rats started working better to fight off diseases and bacteria.
Helps Process Stress
Soy lecithin contains many different types of compounds. One of these compounds is phosphatidylserine. This compound helps to calm the body’s response to stress. This has been seen to calm the stress response in the body as well as in the mind.
Could Improve Cognitive Function
Soy lecithin has been widely tested on Alzheimer’s patients to evaluate if the supplement can help with cognitive function. Many of these tests showed that patients did see a marked improvement in their day-to-day functionality.
Helps With Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the density of the bones. Those who suffer from this disease lose density and experience a weakening of the entire skeletal system. Finding natural ways to combat this is important, especially for elderly people. Scientific studies have been conducted that show those taking daily soy lecithin or other soy products, have a marked decrease in the bone loss rate.
Helps Menopause Symptoms
Menopause can be a physically challenging time for women. Not only are their bodies going through a multitude of changes, but they are also mentally challenged by changing emotions, and a shift in their roles at this time of life. Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Hot flashes
- And more
Finding all-natural relief for these symptoms is crucial to long term health and well-being.
Soy and soy products like lecithin, have been used for centuries to help soothe these symptoms. Most notably, soy lecithin helped with the symptom of fatigue.
Cancer Prevention
An additional benefit of lecithin could be cancer prevention. Scientists and doctors have spent decades searching for ways to combat cancer and improve cancer treatments. Among the compounds that have been studied is soy lecithin. Some studies show that women who consume soy or soy products may have a reduced chance of breast cancer.
A Few Things to Remember
Although soy lecithin is an amazing supplement with many great health benefits, there are also a few things that you should consider before adding it to your routine.
Allergies- The most important thing you should consider is any existing allergies. Soy lecithin and soy are considered two different substances. Just because you have a soy allergy does not necessarily mean you will have a soy lecithin allergy or vice versa. However, if you do have a soy allergy, you should talk to your doctor before adding any new product to your routine, especially if it is derived from soy.
Medications- If you are currently taking medications, you should also consider whether or not soy lecithin will interact with these medications. You should definitely talk to your doctor if you are already taking medications.
Not a substitute for treatment- If you are currently being treated for any of the conditions mentioned in this article, please note that soy lecithin is not a substitute for treatment through your doctor. Although supplements can be used to assist or help with health conditions, you should always consult with your doctor concerning treatment.
