What you need to know about Lecithin!

An ingredient that usually shows up in many products from cooking spray to candy bars to protein bars is lecithin. Lecithin is an interesting ingredient for many reasons. Yes, the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue but the ingredient makes a significant impact in how your product is presented to you. Why is that?

Lecithin is used in the food space as an emulsifier and is GRAS or generally recognized as safe by the FDA. It is a food additive that allows your candy bars or protein bars to not separate out from the chocolate, for example. It is also used in cooking sprays to allow food items to release easily, nobody want to scrape every pan right, even if you have a nonstick pan! Lecithin sources include soy, egg, red meats, and various plants so check the source if you are allergic or practice a certain religion.

Lecithin in the supplement space is being used for its choline benefits as it is composed of phosphatidylcholines. Remember, choline is something you get from eggs and most of us don’t eat enough in a day to get the memory health benefits of choline so that’s why you find lecithin in the supplement aisle.

Now that you know what lecithin does, next time you see it on the label, you won’t be as surprised!