Soy lecithin is a mixture of phospholipids, naturally occurring fatty molecules, that is derived during the processing of soy beans.

Lecithin contains essential fatty acids that the body needs but can’t produce for itself. These fatty acids are important for maintaining cellular health, and they also help to support cognitive function, cardiovascular health, and eye health. Fatty acids may also help maintain skin and hair health and typically have anti-inflammatory properties.
The two compounds that make up lecithin are inositol and choline, both of which occur naturally in the cell membranes of living cells. Lecithin helps move fat and cholesterol through the blood so it doesn’t accumulate in arteries and contribute to heart and liver disease. It also helps maintain cellular function by allowing waste products to leave the cell and nutrients to enter it.
Lecithin is a necessary component of every cell in the body. Considered a keystone in the construction of cells, lecithin prevents the hardening of cell membranes. Healthy cells lead to a healthier body, and the membranes are a critical part in monitoring a cell’s intake and output. Protecting cells is integral in maintaining a body’s resistance to many diseases that attack damaged cells. Phospholipids such as lecithin are produced in certain amounts throughout the major organs of the body (such as the heart, liver and kidney) but can be supplemented to further enhance unrealized benefits.

In addition to the cardiovascular benefits of lecithin, there are indications that lecithin helps to restore livers that have been damaged as well as working with neurological functions such as memory to improve the brain’s effectiveness. Since lecithin is essentially composed of fat, it can act as a protective wall or sheath throughout the body to protect and strengthen membranes and prevent detrimental debris from sticking. Internal parts and mechanisms that may be affected negatively by hardening, such as arteries, are kept malleable by lecithin in a natural way through supplementation.