Have you ever look at the back of a pack of chocolate or cookies or some other food and noticed the words "Soy Lecithin?" If you're anything like me, you probably wondered, "What is that and what is is used for?" "I know it's probably from soy beans, but is it still OK to consume?" "Would this cause problems with people with allergies?" Well, prepare to have those questions answered!
Soy lecithin is extracted from soybean oil and is usually used in foods as an emulsifier (it helps to hold foods together or give them a desired consistency). Additionally, it can be used for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products as well as in paints, textiles, lubricants and waxes.
Unlike many of the mystery ingredients I will explore in this series, soy lecithin is commonly used as a supplement because it has been touted as having health benefits ranging from improving memory and cognitive function to aiding in cardiovascular, liver, and reproductive health and improving in physical and athletic performance.
However, this doesn't mean you should go out and stock up on soy lecithin. Critics of the popular emulsifier say that "soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a "degumming" process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid."1 Additionally, although soy lecithin should not cause allergic reactions in individuals with a soy allergy because it does not contain the actual soy protein, many people still suffer reactions from products containing soy lecithin.
So there you have it! In my humble opinion, as one who is NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, soy lecithin is not one of the most worrisome ingredients in many of our beloved processed foods, unless you have an allergy to soy. If you'd like more information on soy lecithin, try reading this PDF (it's where I got most of my information): http://www.soyconnection.com/soyfoods/pdf/Soy-Lecithin-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
Happy Eating!
-Shalencia
Photo obtained from: http://www.foodadditivesworld.com/articles/lecithin.html
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