lecithin

2 7.9

A yellow fatty part of eggs and plants that helps mix oil and water in food

noun
/ˈlɛsɪθɪn/

Specialized

: lecitina

We add a small amount of lecithin to help the flow properties of the chocolate bars.
soy lecithin
choline and lecithin
canola lecithin

The junk foods also contain emulsifiers like polysorbate and carrageenan and lecithins that degrade the mucin layer.

Examples

Do you know of any CO-Q10 supplements that do not contain soy lecithin?

Blog text (33)
The special milk chocolate used in making this bar is made up of artificial flavor, soy lecithin, milk fat, lactose, skimmed milk, chocolate, cocoa butter, and sugar.

Blog text (14)
Do you have any recipes that might work with lecithin?

Blog text (23)
I'm a little bit afraid of beeswax, but I found that lecithin is a good emulsifier too.

Blog text (23)
Thankfully, I never got mastitis, but I did get frequent plugged ducts early on until my midwife told me about lecithin pills.

Blog text (26)
The junk foods also contain emulsifiers like polysorbate and carrageenan and lecithins that degrade the mucin layer.

Rich Roll
"We don't know why the lutein in egg yolks is more bioavailable, but we think it's due to other components in the yolks, such as lecithins."

Academic text (2003)
Fine white chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, vanilla, and lecithin only.
An emulsifier, soy lecithin, keeps together molecules that otherwise wouldn't stick, such as oil and water.

Surface Forms

lecithin singular

lecithins plural

Etymology

Lecithin comes from the Greek word lekithos, which means 'egg yolk', because it was first found in yolks; a helpful memory is that egg yolk is often used to mix oil and water. So, lecithin is a natural 'binding' substance that helps fats mix and stay together, which is why it is used in foods like mayonnaise.