Lecithin is a yellow-brown fat derived from animal and plants sources, including egg yolks. Known benefits of egg yolk lecithin include being an antioxidant and assisting the body in digestion. It also is good for people who have a soy allergy, because soy is a common substance used in lecithin supplements. Egg yolk lecithin also is used by some vegetarians who won’t eat meat as a source of lecithin. The right egg yolk lecithin supplement will have the proper amount of lecithin, will not have any dangerous ingredients and comes either as a pill or in powder form.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there is no daily need for lecithin, but there is a reference for choline, which is the main ingredient in lecithin. The bottom of the list includes infants up to 6 months old who need 125 mg of lecithin, while adults 19 and older need 425 mg if female and 550 mg if male. Taking an egg yolk lecithin supplement that addresses this need and provides an appropriate amount of lecithin is key. Read the bottle or package to determine the amount of lecithin per pill or per serving.
Checking the packaging for other ingredients also is necessary. If allergies are a problem, searching the egg yolk lecithin packaging for any mention of the offending ingredient will be essential for staving off dangerous side effects from using the supplement. Even if allergies are not a problem, getting a purer supplement is generally better, unless the additional ingredients are vitamins or minerals that provide more nutrition.
Egg yolk lecithin commonly comes either as a pill or a powder. Pills are better for convenience purposes and are much easier to measure and take when compared to powder. The pills are easy to swallow, meaning they typically have little or no taste, but are difficult to use with other ingredients.
Powdered egg yolk lecithin is better if the user desires to mix the lecithin with other ingredients. Lecithin, an emulsifier and binder, can be used in dishes and smoothies for better texture and taste. Powder is harder to measure, though, and is difficult to take without other ingredients.
Raw eggs also can be used instead of supplements. One whole large egg includes 112 mg of choline, along with a range of other healthy macronutrients. To get the proper amount of lecithin, most people will need to eat four whole eggs in the course of a day.