Lecithin and GM
I am anxious to know if Lecithin contains genetically-modified (GM) materials. I asked in my local Holland & Barrett store and was told none of the company’s own label goods contain GM, but when I checked this with the company’s head office, I was blinded by science. I am now taking cholesterol-lowering drugs but would prefer a more natural way. Can you explain about Holland & Barrett’s Lecithin?
Lecithin - or phosphatidylcholine - is involved in the metabolism of fat. It is what is known as an “accessory”, rather than an essential nutrient, which cannot be made in the body but must be eaten in the diet. Accessory nutrients are made but perhaps not in levels high enough for what nutritionists describe as optimum health.
Lecithin is produced in the liver, for example, where it is needed to form bile, and in the heart and the testes. But these three organs can only produce 15% of the optimum intake. Dietary sources to boost levels include eggs, liver, soybeans and peanuts but many people prefer a supplement.
It sounds like you wanted to take it to reduce cholesterol levels - but in fact, clinical trials have failed to prove that lecithin either reduces overall cholesterol or works to increase the production of so-called good cholesterol (High Density Lipoprotein or HDL). It does, though, help make cholesterol more soluble and can therefore help prevent cholesterol gallstones.
It has also proved useful in boosting brainpower. This is because lecithin is used to make choline, an amino acid which forms part of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. When drugs have been given to interfere with the production of acetylcholine, patients have ended up with Alzheimer-type memory loss and mental confusion.
I contacted Holland & Barrett, who agreed that their response to you has been unhelpfully full of jargon but who then furnished me with a written assurance that none of their own label foods or supplements have been genetically modified. They insist on similar written assurances from suppliers and say they will discontinue the sale of any lines which fail to meet these standards. If you do plan to take a supplement, look for one that has a 30% or higher phosphatidycholine content.