lecithin, wow

So naturally MH talks about lecithin a lot, so I spent some time searching a lot about it... and here are my results.

Brain is 4-6% lecithin in fresh substance +
30% dry brain weight is lecithin +
17 percent of the nervous system +
spinal cord contains 6-10% lecithin +
and nearly two-thirds of the fat in the liver +

The most concentrated natural and unrefined sources of lecithin are soybeans (1.48 to 3.08% lecithin), peanuts (1.11%), calf liver (0.85%), wheat (0.61%), oatmeal (0.65%), and eggs (0.39%).
Among refined substances, especially concentrated sources of lecithin include dehydrated (powdered) egg yolk (14-20%), natural egg yolk (7-10%), wheat germ 2.82%, soy oil (1.8% but 2.65% including the 30-35% entrained soy oil??), and butterfat (1.4%).

Sources =
soybeans, sunflower seeds, cabbage, cauliflower, garbanzo beans, wheat germ, split peas, seeds, nuts, barley, peanuts, corn, hemp seeds, spinach, avocado, brewer's yeast, lupin beans, butterfat, eggs.

choline (part of lecithin) = grape juice

A deficiency of this transmitter in the human brain will cause a person to display symptoms ranging from muddled thinking to nervousness, anxiety, and hyperkinetic patterns (usually in children), narcolepsy (brief attacks of sleep during waking hours), depression, sluggish behavior and slowed reflexes.

A study suggests a memory-enhancing effect for choline. Rats fed extra choline produced offspring that performed much better in memory and learning skills than those whose mothers were on a normal diet. Conversely, offspring of the rats deprived of choline did poorly on
memory tests.

# Lecithin is a type of liquid found in the protective sheaths surrounding the brain and nervous system. Lecithin helps in the breakdown of fats and enhances liver activity and enzyme production.
# Choline is produced from lecithin. It is needed for nerve impulses from the brain throughout the nervous system and for liver and gall bladder function. Its derivative acetylcholine, lacking in Alzheimer patients, is crucial for short-term memory.
# Inositol promotes hair growth, reduces cholesterol levels, prevents artery hardening, and is calming to the nervous system.

Hooray for lecithin.
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