Have you ever spent a couple of minutes reading the labels on your canned food? If you did, you would find lecithin listed as one of the additives on them. Have you tried analysing how such additives can contribute to your health? If not, it is high time you sit on this.
Lecithin is a vital component that can determine the smooth functioning of your liver. Do you know how? Read this blog to find out how lecithin can help with fatty liver and other disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
What is Lecithin?
Lecithin is a generic name for yellowish-brown fats that are vital for your cells. It is most commonly found in foods like egg yolks, organic meat and soybeans. It literally translates to ‘yolk of egg’ from its Greek parent word, lekithos. Lecithin has ample medicinal value and is often used to manufacture medicines. It serves to evenly distribute fats from food intakes and convert them to more visually appealing deposits.
What is fatty liver?
Your liver is responsible for breaking down fats to store them for consumption by different body parts. In the case of fatty livers, huge droplets of fat, usually containing triglycerides, are deposited in the cells of the liver. This condition can persist for longer, often leading to other serious issues.
The major risk of having fatty liver is that this is an asymptomatic condition that may be left undiagnosed for a long time. In advanced cases, livers can swell up to three times their optimal size, leading to pain. However, if diagnosed, fatty liver can be treated and cured. This condition is most commonly seen in people who consume too much alcohol. That is, repeated consumption can hinder the smooth functions of the liver’s digestive enzymes. Subsequently, the body struggles to absorb proteins, vitamins and fats. This can lead to malnutrition and cirrhosis.
How does Lecithin help fight fatty liver?
Lecithin constitutes two-thirds of the fat in the liver. Also, 30% of the dry weight of our brains is constituted by this fat. Lecithin acts as the body’s predominant source of choline which facilitates optimal liver functions.
PC or phosphatidylcholine is lecithin’s equivalent that is concentrated in the liver and protects it from damage. According to Dr. Jae Man Lee’s findings, phosphatidylcholine helps in the formation of cell membranes and activates LRH-1 activity in your cells.
DLPC or dilauryl phosphatidylcholine is proven to be extremely effective in reducing fatty liver conditions and increasing insulin sensitivity. This unusual phospholipid is a component in the dietary supplement lecithin. DLPC helps to boost LRH-1 activity too. It has been validated in the study conducted by Baylor College of Medicine.
Lecithin thus serves to reduce the accumulation of fats in your liver. Additionally, this compound is proven to be helpful in treating memory ailments like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Gallbladder diseases too may be combatted using Lecithin.
Lecithin is seen to be extremely effective in treating hepatic steatosis or fatty liver in patients who are on long-term parenteral nutrition. It is a type of lipid that prevents the accumulation of fats in the liver with the help of choline, which is an important constituent in it. Choline supports the metabolism of the liver and makes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Livers with low levels of phosphatidylcholine cannot produce low-density lipoproteins that are vital to carry the fats from the liver to different parts of the body. In a study published by the Paediatric Research journal in 2007, experiments were shown to be carried out on mice. Liver damage in mice that consumed lecithin was found to be reduced.
Conclusion
You can consume lecithin by adding beef liver, egg yolk, chicken breast, salmon, shrimp and scallops to your diet. Additionally, you can consume lecithin as a supplement from The Longevity Lab’s Apple Cider Vinegar. These capsules guarantee slimming and better functioning of the liver, in addition to fighting metabolic syndromes and improving your cardiovascular wellbeing.
Embrace these supplements as soon as possible to combat the risks of fatty liver.