Lecithin has many benefits, but perhaps the area where it is most beneficial is its work on the heart. Having a high cholesterol level is risky. The cholesterol will build up in the walls of the arteries and veins making them narrow. This will lead to blood clot and eventually death.
This is where lecithin comes in. If our body has enough lecithin, cholesterol cannot build up and collect in the walls of the arteries and veins. Lecithin helps in breaking up cholesterol into small particles thereby allowing our body to handle them.
Scientific studies have shown that heart diseases can be prevented by taking small doses of lecithin. Just like cholesterol, lecithin is produced in the liver. It passes into the intestine and is absorbed in the blood. It assists the cells to remove fats and cholesterol from the blood, thus reducing the amount in the blood. It has been noticed that cholesterol can only be dangerous if there is not enough lecithin in the body.
Edward R. Hewith in his book, The Years Between 75 and 90 says, "with older people the fats remain high in the blood for from five to seven hours and in some cases as long as 20 hours, thus giving the fats more time to become located in the tissues. If lecithin is given to older people before a fatty meal, it has been found that the fats in the blood return to normal in a short time, in the same way they do in younger people."
In normal health, when a diet high in fat is taken, there is tremendous increase in the production of lecithin. This helps in changing the fat in the blood from large particles to smaller and smaller ones. In case of atherosclerosis, however, the lecithin in the blood remains very low regardless of the quantity of fat entering the blood. The result is that, the fat particles remain too large to be able to pass through the arterial walls. A more serious situation can develop if there is lack of lecithin in cells also.
Lecithin has several other benefits aside from reducing cholesterol level. It helps rebuild cells and organs that need it. It keeps the organs healthy. Sufficient intake of lecithin can also delay the aging process.
So how can you increase your lecithin supply? It is recommended that you stay away from hydrogenated fats like margarines, cooking fats, hydrogenated peanut butter, processed cheese, and any food containing these fats. You can still eat the same amount of fat as you normally do, but minimize your intake of animal fat. If you watch what you eat, and making sure that you have enough supply of lecithin in your body, your heart will be in good shape, thus giving you a healthy and longer life.
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