Sunflower Lecithin is Anti-inflammatory and Helps to Regulate Lipids in the Body
Sunflower lecithin is not sunflower oil. Lecithins from plants such as sunflowers are mainly phospholipids (PL), which are a core part of our cell membranes. Dietary lecithin has been known to have beneficial effects on metabolism since the 1900s. Research demonstrates that lecithin supplementation is beneficial for blood plasma and liver lipoprotein and cholesterol regulation, particularly in those with hyperlipidemia (i). Phospholipids including plant lecithins have been used in the treatment of viral hepatitis and alcohol-induced liver damage (ii). Research is ongoing in exploring the full potential of lecithins in alleviating metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MASLD – a pathology largely caused by sugar overconsumption), treating metabolic syndrome, and obesity (iii, iv). Lecithins have been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory properties (iv). NOMOSU chose to avoid soy lecithin because soy is an allergen for many.
Smooth, Uniform Texture
The most traditional emulsifier is egg yolk – it helps to combine fat with non-fat ingredients in baking. Lecithin is often used in chocolates as a great emulsifier (helps to create a smooth, consistent texture). To create a smooth and delicate texture in chocolates, NOMOSU uses sunflower lecithin, which does not have the allergenic issues of soy, and has the beneficial effects of phospholipids. Some chocolatiers market themselves by having few ingredients and exclude lecithin. As explained above, sunflower lecithin has numerous health benefits and is even taken as a supplement for digestive health. Do you feel that having a chocolate bar with ‘few ingredients’ is relevant from a health perspective, when one of the main ingredients (usually half the weight of the bar) is sugar? At NOMOSU, we care about what the ingredients are, more than how many there are, because we care about empowering your health and wellbeing, based on evidence.
References
(i) Kullenberg, D. et al. (2012), ‘Health effects of dietary phospholipids’, Lipids Health Dis 11, 3
(ii) Gundermann, K. et al. (2011), ’ Activity of essential phospholipids (EPL) from soybean in liver diseases’, Pharmacological Reports, 63, pp. 643-659
(iii) Mastellone, I. et al. (2000), ‘Dietary soybean phosphatidylcholines lower lipidemia: mechanisms at the levels of intestine, endothelial cell, and hepato-biliary axis’, J. Nutr. Biochem., 11, pp. 461-466
(iv) Robert, C. et al. (2020), ‘Vegetable lecithins: A review of their compositional diversity, impact on lipid metabolism and potential in cardiometabolic disease prevention’, Biochimie, 169, pp. 121-132