How To Include Sunflower Lecithin In Your Diet
Including Sunflower Lecithin isnt a difficult task.
- You can use it as an alternative to other lecithins in baking and cooking and can even use it as a supplement in your diet if you dont like the taste in cooked food.
- You can add it to your smoothies and shakes
- You can take pills if you want.
Sunflower Lecithin is also available in powder, tablet, liquid, and granular forms and following are the recommended intakes:
Brain Function And Memory
Sunflower lecithin is rich in choline, which speeds up the creation and release of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a critical neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.
The neurotransmitter acetylcholine carries signals across brain cells, which is necessary for optimal brain function. High choline consumption has been associated with healthier brain tissue.
People who have choline-rich diets were more likely to do well on memory and cognitive tests. Individuals with cognitive decline have been shown to have lower levels of acetylcholine.
Eating choline-rich foods is a fantastic way to boost brain function and memory through diet.
Improving gut health, lowering cholesterol, supporting optimal liver function, and boosting brain health are some of the primary health benefits of sunflower lecithin.
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Final Words: All You Need To Know About Sunflower Lecithin
Sunflower lecithin is extracted from the sunflower seeds. It is a popular dietary supplement. It helps in improving cholesterol levels, functioning of the circulatory and the nervous system!
Soy and Sunflower lecithin are two of the most commonly available on the market.
However, there are three main problems people face with soy:
- People are allergic to it
- Soy is modified genetically
- It is chemically processed
Sunflower Lecithin is also available in powder, tablet, liquid, and granular forms.
500 mg per day is recommended for women and 600 mg per day is recommended for men.
However, some people are allergic to sunflower lecithin, and common reactions include loss of appetite, mild nausea, loose stools, etc.
Here is our detailed head to head comparison between the two
I hope that this blog post answered all of your questions about sunflower lecithin benefits. If you still have any questions, let me know in the comments section, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Eggs Have A Lipid That Lowers Cholesterol Absorption Kansas State University Nutrition Research Finds
- Date:
- Kansas State University
- Summary:
- Nutrition researchers at Kansas State University have published the first evidence that the absorption of cholesterol is reduced by another compound in the egg, a lecithin.
MANHATTAN — Nutrition researchers at Kansas State University have published the first evidence that the absorption of cholesterol is reduced by another compound in the egg, a lecithin.
The research by Sung I. Koo, Yonghzhi Jiang and Sang K. Noh has resulted in the issue of U.S. Patent No. 6,248,728, “Compositions and methods for lowering intestinal absorption and plasma levels of cholesterol.” The patent was issued June 19 to the KSU Foundation.
A peer-reviewed research paper by the three researchers, “Egg phosphatidylcholine decreases the lymphatic absorption of cholesterol in rats,” appears in the September issue of Journal of Nutrition.
Many people believe that dietary cholesterol directly contributes to raising blood cholesterol. Because eggs provide about half the dietary cholesterol in a typical Western diet, the public has been advised to limit its egg consumption.
Under the experimental conditions using an animal model that closely mimics human physiology, Koo and his associates found that a particular egg phospholipid interferes with the absorption of egg cholesterol and markedly lowers its uptake by the intestine. When the phospholipid is saturated, its inhibitory effect is further enhanced.
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Berries Particularly Blueberries Boost Your Good Cholesterol
Quite a few studies have been made on berries and their effect on cholesterol. The results of the studies are different but they are all POSITIVE.
Some studies say that berries lower your LDL cholesterol . Berries contain a compound called pterostilbene which has some of the same cholesterol lowering properties as one of the most effective antioxidants when it comes to lowering cholesterol, preventing heart disease and keeping your artery walls clean and flexible.
Other studies say berries raise your HDL cholesterol .
So I guess we can conclude that no matter what berries are fabulous for your cholesterol levels.
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What Is Soy Lecithin
When seeking to answer the question, What is soy lecithin? our search immediately takes us to mid-19th century France. First isolated by French chemist Theodore Gobley in 1846, lecithin is a generic term to designate a variety of naturally occurring fatty compounds found in animal and plant tissues.
Composed of choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, phospholipids, phosphoric acid and triglycerides, lecithin was originally isolated from egg yolk. Today, it is regularly extracted from cottonseed, marine sources, milk, rapeseed, soybeans and sunflower.
It is usually used as a liquid but can also be purchased as lecithin granules.
We know that oil and water dont mix, right? When the two are placed into a solution and shaken together, the oil droplets initially spread out and appear to evenly disperse, but once the shaking stops, the oil separates from the water again.
This is exactly why lecithin is so important and often used as an additive in processed foods, medicine and supplements.
When lecithin enters the equation, oil is broken down into smaller particles in a process called emulsification, making the oil droplets easier to clean or digest when eaten. Thus, lecithin helps give products a smooth, uniform appearance.
Additionally, its ability to emulsify fats makes it an ideal ingredient for nonstick cooking sprays and soaps.
Soy in Soy Lecithin
- are excellent sources of dietary protein
- contain all of the essential amino acids
- are easier to digest
Ldl Cholesterol The Problem Child
LDL cholesterol is commonly understood as the problem child in the cholesterol family.
Contrary to its poor reputation, LDL cholesterol isnt bad in itself and under good conditions works as a strong antioxidant putting up constant fights against the harmful free radicals.
BUT if LDL cholesterol oxidizes, it turns into plaque which may clot up your arteries. This is where a high level of HDL comes in really handy as HDL cholesterol help prevent the oxidization of LDL cholesterol (more here.
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Helps Heal Wounds More Quickly
Since sunflower lecithin is high in linoleic acid among other essential fatty acids, it helps speed the release of cytokines up. These cytokines are inflammatory transmitters which are present in the wounded parts of the body.
Applying sunflower lecithin directly to minor cuts, scabs, or bruises will help it heal more quickly and help with the pain as well.
Heart Health And Cholesterol
Lecithin is especially good for the health of your heart. It can help both prevent and reverse damage from coronary disease.
Lecithin is essentially a fat emulsifier which the body can use to rid the excess fats from your bloodstream.
These excess fats include cholesterol and triglycerides meaning that it will help you to reduce and control your cholesterol levels.
This task is accomplished largely because of the linoleic acid contained in high concentrations in sunflower lecithin. Only olive oil can boast similar levels of linoleic acid while soy lecithin has very little of it.
Sunflower lecithin supplementation improves blood circulation which can help prevent blood clots and other complaints.
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Is Free Of Female Hormones
This is something that women with hormonal issues, such as PCOS will benefit from. While soy lecithin contains phytoestrogens, sunflower lecithin is free of it.
Phytoestrogens dont have aversive effects for just women.
This can cause people of both sexes to produce estrogen excessively. Which leads to metabolic problems such as breast growth, weight gain, early menopause, and sexual dysfunction.
Excessive intake of phytoestrogens is a major cause for autoimmune disorder of the thyroid and adrenal glands.
How To Avoid It
People with severe allergies to soy products or those who are sensitive to soy lecithin should avoid foods made with the ingredient. For those who dont experience side effects from eating the emulsifier but want to avoid consuming GMO foods, opt for choosing only organic foods with soy lecithin on the label.
Some products are made with other types of emulsifiers that can be considered safer ingredients. Sunflower lecithin is a good alternative, and egg yolks can have a similar effect in food products.
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This Terminal Metabolite Tmao Is A Known Atherogenic Substance
That means it is involved in atherosclerotic plaque formation.
None of the metabolites appeared in the blood after the gut flora was wiped out with an antibiotic. Could it be that the gut flora in people with cardiovascular disease is different in some way from that of healthy people? We dont know, but we do know that the physiological state of a person can determine the gut flora. For instance, the gut flora of obese people is markedly different from that of the non-obese.
Based on this study alone, we still cant tell if these lecithin metabolites are causative factors, or whether they are just markers of the disease. This is because correlative studies can show only correlations, not cause and effect.
Does Lecithin Lower Blood Pressure
People taking lecithin may experience blood pressure problems. Mental confusion can indicate a sudden drop in blood pressure from an overdose of lecithin. Lecithin side effects may include vomiting. Lecithin is often used as a supplement to assist in weight loss. Taking too much lecithin can cause a drop in blood pressure and accompanying dizziness.
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Fibers Are Some Of The Strongest Cholesterol Weapons In Your Arsenal
The longer it takes for your food to pass through your intestines, the more cholesterol your body absorbs. And fibers put a faster engine on your food so that it passes through your intestines quicker.
One of the best racer car fibers is called pectin. And pectin is particularly rich in apples but is also present in many other types of fruits and vegetables.
Fibers bind with the cholesterol in your food so that your body and blood goes free of the cholesterol, and the cholesterol goes down the toilet instead literally!
Also, fibers bind with your gall acids, preventing them from turning into cholesterol in your liver.
If you find it difficult getting enough fibers even though you eat a healthy coarse diet, you can find fibers as natural supplements in health shops.
Yogurt The Darling Of The Dairy Family
Whereas fat dairy products are really bad for your cholesterol, yogurt is supposedly really good.
Although researches agree that the effect of yogurt is positive, they dont quite agree on how.
Some say that it lowers your total cholesterol by decreasing LDL production .
Others say that yogurt only affects HDL cholesterol and does not affect LDL cholesterol.
So researches might disagree on how yogurt affects cholesterol BUT whatever the truth is, the conclusion is positive.
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Physical Exercise The More You Push It The Better
Measuring how physical exercise influences cholesterol is a tricky matter.
One of the good things that happen with exercise is that you lose weight. If you are overweight the LDL concentration in your blood is most likely higher than is the case with people with normal weight.
Exercise also activates the enzymes that transport LDL away from the blood and down to your liver .
Apparently the harder your exercise, the better the effect will be on your cholesterol levels. However, research does show that even moderate exercise also has some effect.
Acts As An Antioxidant
Antioxidants play a key role in keeping us healthy, and Sunflower lecithin contains one of the most powerful antioxidants named phosphatidylcholine.
Having an abundance of antioxidants in your system helps in preventing cellular damage due to oxidative stress. This damage can cause a number of illnesses including cancer and heart diseases. Oxidative stress also causes premature aging externally as well as internally.
So, having about 500 mg of Sunflower lecithin benefits your body and will help retain the youthful, radiant glow.
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Lecithin To Lower Cholesterol
Certain compounds found in lecithin like choline, accumulate and carry all the bad cholesterol, called LDL cholesterol. It works similar to HDL cholesterol, that is the good cholesterol which also helps in transporting LDL in the blood. Lecithin actually works as a solvent that prevents the cholesterol from sticking and accumulating on the artery walls and keeps it dissolved in the blood stream. It has also been found that lecithin triggers the function of esterases, which are enzymes that help in breaking down fats or metabolizing fats, thus helping in more consumption of fats, that helps in lowering cholesterol.
Some studies observed that lecithin could lower the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. It was also found to be a vital element in the processing of fats in the liver to the bile, from there it gets excreted from the body. Apart from lowering cholesterol, lecithin compounds were found to be very effective in treating Alzheimers disease, and it was also found that lecithin works with vitamin B and folic acid in the body, to tackle cardiovascular disease. It was observed that the use of lecithin granules to lower cholesterol was effective in most of the cases.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Lecithin
One of the most well known benefits of lecithin is its role in supporting cardiovascular health. Lecithin helps the body break down and dispose of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol it can also help process fats through the bloodstream, and in so doing can prevent clogged arteries.
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What Are The Benefits Of Taking Lecithin
Lecithin breaks down to choline when taken, and it helps in several important processes, such as the ones noted below.
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Improving heart health
Soy Lecithin can boost cardiovascular health, particularly when there is a risk of heart disease or high blood pressure.
It takes the body a long time to breathe down soy products because soy is not easy to digest. This makes some people feel full after taking it.
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Improving digestion
Lecithin is proven to improve digestion in individuals with ulcerative colitis. The qualities of Lecithin emulsifying help in stimulating the mucus in the intestine, protecting the soft lining of the digestive system and making digestion easier.
People without ulceration colitis may still use Lecithin if they suffer irritable bowel syndrome or any disease that affects the digestive process.
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It helps with breastfeeding mothers
Some professional recommends Lecithin as a remedy for preventing continually plugged ducts. To experience this, Breastfeeding Foundation in Canada suggests a 1,200 milligrams dose 4 times a day.
The Foundation assumes that Lecithin reduces the viscosity of the breast milk so that it will not clot milk ducts in the breast.
However, it is not for plugged ducts treatment. Ducts are usually treated with massage, warm compresses application, extra pumping , draining the breast properly, and more suggestions from a lactation consultant.
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Moisturizes and soothes the skin
Correlations Among Dietary Lipids
Daily intake of cholesterol correlated with daily intake of lecithin . Because there was wide variation in the age of the subjects and both males and females were included in this study, we expected wide variation in food intake. The correlation between daily intakes of lecithin and cholesterol may reflect only the quantitative difference in food intake . Therefore, the intakes of lecithin and cholesterol per kg of food were also compared . Intakes of lecithin and cholesterol correlated strongly when the data were adjusted for food intake .
Correlations between daily cholesterol and SFA intakes in all subjects, without and with adjustment of food intake to 1 kg/d.
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Keeps The Liver Healthy
Phospholipids in sunflower lecithin keep the liver healthy. Overeating fat in your diet will cause it to build-up in your liver causing a condition called fatty liver disease.
This usually turns into type 2 diabetes or cirrhosis. The lecithin can break through this fatty layer and allow your liver to process the fat.
Intake Of Lecithin And Cholesterol
The 2002 National Nutrition Survey of Japan reported cholesterol intakes of 315.2383.3 mg in schoolchildren , 314.4341.0 mg in women , and 368377 mg in men , all markedly higher than the values we obtained . This disparity may be explained by differences between measured values and calculated values, because there are both quantitative and qualitative changes in cholesterol and fatty acids in some foods during cooking .
The National Nutrition Survey also reported a decrease in cholesterol intake in Japan, from 363 mg/d in 1989 to 338 mg/d in 2002 . Although meat intake in Japan did not decrease over this period, intakes of both eggs and fish decreased continuously , and may account for the decrease in cholesterol intake. In the United States, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey also reported a decrease in cholesterol intake, from 318 mg/d in 1978 to 265 mg/d in 2000 . This was attributed to decreases in consumption of eggs and of meat.
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The Easiest & Most Delicious Way To Enjoy This Superfood Daily
Sunflower lecithin comes with some promising benefits, but it can be difficult to find in supplement products, especially since soy lecithin is often the first less expensive choice for supplement companies.
Good news we use sunflower lecithin in our Daily Dose Greens powder. Why? Because we believe in offering the highest-quality ingredients, we can get our hands on and want you to notice and actually FEEL a difference!
So, when you whisk up your cup of Daily Dose Greens, youll not only sip on cold-pressed nutritional goodness, but youll get the added benefit of sunflower lecithin too.
Grab your jar of greens here and start enjoying the benefits this superfood has to offer.