4 Benefits of Sunflower Lecithin

Before I get into the topic of sunflower lecithin specifically, I should talk about what ‘lecithins’ are in particular.

So lecithins are any number of yellow-brownish fatty substances that naturally occur in either animal or plant tissue. 

Lecithins are technically amphiphilic which means they have a characteristic of attracting water and fatty substances.

We use them in daily life to help emulsify products as well as in food products (for instance smoothing food textures. We also use them to homogenize liquid mixtures, and repel sticky materials, too.

So reading through that you probably don’t understand why you’d ever consider adding them into your diet. However, these fatty substances actually have some pretty astonishing effects on the body.

And sunflower lecithin is one of the better ones for us, and here’s why.

1 - They Help Maintain Heart Health:

You’ve heard (or should I say seen), me write about the benefits of fats for heart health. The fact is ‘good fats’ are extremely beneficial for the heart.

And sunflower lecithin is no exception.

There are some pretty powerful studies that indicate that if you want to have healthy cholesterol levels then taking sunflower lecithin is one of the smarter things you can do.

They can help support heart health by keeping your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels balanced with your HDL (healthy cholesterol levels).

There’s evidence that sunflower lecithin helps to use this effect on cholesterol to help keep your bloodstream clear of fatty plaque that may endanger heart health.

2 - Keeps Your Brain In Great Shape:

No one wants to see their mind waste away. And what you likely know is your brain is made up almost entirely of fat.

So, it goes to figure that if you consume healthy fats your brain will benefit.

In addition to that, sunflower lecithin provides exceptional levels of a nutrient known as choline. Choline helps to form the building block of one of the most important neurotransmitters, called acetylcholine.

Acetylcholine is essential for both learning and memory.

There’s an incredible amount of research showing that if you have healthy levels of choline in your diet, you’re going to benefit from superior cognitive function.

There’s good evidence showing that if you’re able to maintain healthy levels of choline intake then you will find that your memory function and cognition will be at the top-of-your class.

3 - It Will Aid Proper Digestion:

Your digestive tract is a gateway to great health. If at some time your digestive system begins to get off track you can suffer serious consequences.

Dr. Axe’s team writes on his website about how sunflower lecithin can help you maintain a “great gut”.

“Sunflower lecithin may be especially beneficial for those with digestive conditions ...this is because about 70 percent of the total phospholipids in the intestinal mucus layer are made up of lecithin, helping form a protective barrier to prevent the invasion of harmful bacteria.”

By getting this fatty substance into your gut on a daily basis, you have a great opportunity to form one of the healthiest guts around - which who doesn’t want that.

4 - It May Improve How Your Skin Looks:

There are 2 elements (or nutrients) that are incredibly important for skin health… collagen (a protein that helps form the matrix that holds skin together), and fat.

Yeah, I know, saying that you want more fat in your skin doesn’t exactly sound right.

But, as I’ll show you, fats like lecithin are actually quite beneficial for your skin and its appearance.

The truth is most skin care products that you see on the shelves, especially the more expensive organic ones, rely on lecithin to help make skin look and feel better.

The way it works is twofold. First, it’s incredibly effective at helping fix irritated and dry skin. Then, you’ll see that its emollient properties help to make skin feel and look soft.

There’s strong evidence that shows when you use sunflower lecithin with other natural skin-soothing ingredients it can help to keep skin healthy, soft and clear.