Soy lecithin is a common food additive often used to improve the consistency and quality of packaged foods.
Take salad dressing, for example: As an additive, soy lecithin emulsifies ingredients like oil and water, helping salad dressings mix smoothly. Judy SimonClinical Dietitian, MS, RDN, CD, CHES, FAND, from the University of Washington.
Soy lecithin can be added to packaged foods to fulfill certain functions as well as be taken as a dietary supplement. Here, we’ll detail what you need to know about the potential benefits of soy lecithin and address some of the concerns about its use in packaged foods.
What is Soy Lecithin?
Lecithin is a naturally occurring fat molecule found in foods such as “egg yolks, seafood, soybeans, milk, canola, cottonseed, and sunflower oil,” says Debbie Fetter, PhD, an associate professor of education in the Department of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis.
“What food scientists have been able to do is isolate lecithin, synthesize it and make it usable in the manufacture of a variety of foods,” he explains. Dr. Diane Stadler“Lecithin can be extracted or synthetic, but soy lecithin comes directly from the soybean,” said Dr.
As an additive, soy lecithin is an emulsifier that “binds ingredients that don’t mix together,” Fetter says. Soy lecithin helps improve a product’s overall texture and quality. It’s found in foods like ice cream, baked goods, chocolate, infant formula and bread, Fetter told USA TODAY.
Soy lecithin “has a positive impact on food because it also helps preserve food,” Simon points out: its texture prevents spoilage, preserves the flavor of products, and extends their shelf life.
Soy lecithin can also be taken in the form of a dietary supplement, Simon added.
Is soy lecithin good for you?
Soybeans themselves are high in protein and fiber and low in fat. They’re a good source of isoflavones, which are protective plant compounds that “have anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to help prevent certain cancers and heart disease,” Fetter says. So, “soy lecithin, because it’s isolated from soybeans, may be able to provide some of these potential benefits,” she says.
That said, the process of extracting soy lecithin primarily removes the fat, so when it comes to soy lecithin’s protein density, “it’s very low,” says Simon.
Soy lecithin supplements are a source of choline, which has been shown to improve memory, cognition, [and] “It enhances brain function,” Simon said. Improves memory and cognitive function.
Research suggests Taking soy lecithin supplements may also lower total blood cholesterol levels, essentially lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease, Fetter points out.
Is soy lecithin safe?
Soy lecithin is made from genetically modified soybeans. Although there are growing concerns about the safety of consuming genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food, “the current evidence suggests that GMO soybeans are considered safe,” Fetter says.
There are also concerns about how soy lecithin is extracted, Simon adds. The extraction process: Chemical Solvents “Contains hexane,” she said.
But “there really isn’t a lot of data to support that there are any adverse effects” from consuming soy lecithin, Stadler says. As of 2024, soy lecithin is recognized by the FDA as a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substance. Food Additives.
Who should avoid soy lecithin?
According to the FDA, soy is one of the nine leading allergens in the U.S. “People with severe soy allergies or who are highly sensitive to soy should avoid soy lecithin,” Fetter says.
“Soy lecithin is present in small amounts and most of the allergens are removed during processing, so it may be tolerable for people with milder soy allergies,” Fetter says.
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Although there are benefits to consuming soy lecithin, its use as an additive in processed foods means that consuming it frequently “makes you more likely to eat processed foods rather than more nutritious foods,” Fetter says. Processed foods tend to be higher than average in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars, he says.
