Phospholipids – power from nature

Like vitamins, phospholipids are essential nutrients. They are obtained from oil plants (e.g. soy, rape, sunflowers). Phospholipids are among the most important substances in the human and animal organism, where they have a multiple function: as a source of energy, as physiological agents in metabolism and as emulsifiers for fats.

In their physiological function they act as a transport medium and thus control processes in the membranes of the body´s cells. They promote enzyme activity and protect the liver and cardiovascular system against detrimental changes. Being surfactants, they help to emulsify and disperse fats ant thus make them more digestible.

Lecithin helps the bile salts to emulsify fats. Large fat globules are broken down into smaller emulsified droplets. These emulsified droplets give the lipase a larger surface area to work on, so it can split the triglycerides in the droplets more easily. This enzymatic process breaks the triglycerides down into monoglycerides and fatty acids. Monoglycerides, fatty acids, lecithin and bile acids are released from the emulsified droplets. They form mixed micelles that are transported to the intestinal wall and absorbed.


Offprint:
Phospholipids - essential active substances to assist metabolism

Lecithin and phospholipid specialities

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