Novastell’s granular lecithin to help maintain optimal health

Novastell has launched a range of lecithin granules, namely Soycithin G97 IP and Suncithin G96 for use in the development of food and beverage products.

Eric Dumont, scientific & technical manager at Novastell said that as a complex mixture of phospholipids and polar lipids, lecithin can either present as a fluid or solid, depending on its composition.

“This means that there is added flexibility and application choice during the formulation of food and beverage products,” said Dumont.

In fluid form, lecithin contains approximately 40% oil as triglycerides. When the residual oily fraction is removed, deoiled lecithin is obtained in powder form, which turn can be processed into granules.

“To maintain optimal health and meet our nutritional needs we must regularly complement our food supply with phospholipids,” he explained. “Today’s Western diet has resulted in a situation where our lecithin food supply is decreasing. It is estimated that a hundred years ago, we ingested between 5g to 6g of phospholipids daily and today consumers average between 3g to 4g – making supplementation necessary.”

Phospholipids are an essential building block and component of a healthy metabolism. These compounds are active in the gut and work towards digesting fats – but also in the active assimilation of several active and important nutrients.

“Phospholipids are the best physiological carriers for nutrients like choline and inositol, and for minerals such as phosphorous and unsaturated fatty acids,” Dumont pointed out. “Furthermore, the choline in in phosphatidylcholine, which is the major phospholipid in lecithin, is essential for the metabolism of the brain, liver and kidneys.”

And it is the liver and kidneys that particularly need a constant supply of choline for their metabolism, as these organs cannot store it. “The phosphatidylcholine contained in granulated lecithin is the only storage form of choline for the liver and the kidneys,” Dumont added.

Novastell currently offers two different lecithin granules that are derived from vegetal origin. Traditional soy lecithin, Soycithin G97 IP, is a non-GMO ingredient that offers full traceability while Suncithin G96 is prepared from sunflower lecithin. This ingredient is also GMO-free and not considered an allergen – making it ideal for clean label formulations.

When used during food applications, lecithin granules can be used as a dietetic supplement in salads and dairy products as it offers a light vegetal and nutty taste when added.

“For use in foodstuffs, it is recommended that a teaspoon (5g) will supply approximately 3g of the daily phospholipid required by the body. This is the quantity we need to compensate for the imbalance in our present food supply with its decreasing phospholipid content. A daily intake over a three-month period will result in maintaining increased blood cholesterol and triglycerides,” he concluded.

Soycithin G97 IP and Suncithin G96 can both make European authorised health and (labelling) nutritional claims – furthering strengthening its positioning as functional ingredients during food and beverage processing.

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