“Soy bean is good for the health." We’ve all heard this line before, spoken like a mantra, and with good reason because there is more to soy beans than just being a good source of protein. Soy beans contain isoflavones, gensitein, daidzen, and a generous amount of antioxidants. All these substances contribute the bean’s health-promoting goodness.

There is, however, one compound found soy bean that is generating much interest from the scientific and medical circles. That compound is soy bean lecithin, or if you prefer, phosphatidylcholine (PC). It is a kind of lipid that is found in all cells of all living organisms in the world. It forms a major component of the cell membrane, alongside cholesterol and glyceride.

So if this lecithin substance can be found in every cell, then we already have it right? Why do we need alternate sources such as soy bean lecithin? The answer is simple: because this compound is so vital to our body that we cannot afford to have inadequate supply.

Soy bean lecithin was first discovered in the 1930s when the compound was extracted from sludge, a by product of soybean oil processing. Of course, decades before that, lecithin was already found in egg yolk and most of the commercial lecithin sold in the market that time was egg lecithin.

But then with the emergence of soy bean lecithin, a shift also occurred. Lecithin that is derived from plant, such as soy bean lecithin, is regarded as safer to use than those extracted from animals since animal lecithin is often excreted by the kidney, which contains toxins and other harmful substances. As such, soy bean lecithin came to replace egg lecithin as being the major source of this compound.

Soy bean lecithin is composed of three types of phospholipids: phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylehtanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). The most important is phosphatidylcholine which, when synthesized, becomes choline, an essential nutrient that is desperately needed by the body.

Phosphatidylcholine contributes to the structural integrity of the cell. Being a major component of the cell membrane, it also helps facilitate the movement of fluids in and out of the cell as well as eases cell signaling or communication. It is particularly important in such vital organs as the liver and the brain. Choline helps synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for much of our cognitive functions. Because of this unique function of choline, many scientists believe that supplementing our choline supply by taking soy lecithin may aid in brain related disorders, including dementia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others.

In the liver, the function of phosphatidylcholine is that of an emulsifying agent. It is found in the bile where it keeps the essential fatty acids, stabilizing them and protecting them from the harmful toxins also contained in the bile.

Phosphatidylcholine also helps disperse cholesterol in the blood to keep them from sticking to the walls of the arteries. In so doing, it may have a positive effect on the thickening of the arteries, a condition commonly known as atherosclerosis, and help prevent the symptoms of high blood pressure.