Lecithin: Benefits, Side-Effects, Uses, Dosage | Holland & Barrett (2025)

Find out all about lecithin, including what it does, how much you might need, where to find it and who might need to supplement their diet

Written by Cheryl Freedman on December 11, 2018 Reviewed by Fiona Hunter on January 3, 2019

Lecithinis a fatty substance found in in the cells of your body, plant and animal tissues. It’s made up of fatty acids, and in particular one type of fat molecule called phospholipids – an essential element of cell membranes.¹ Lecithin – which is named after the Greek word for egg yolk, lekithos – was first isolated from egg yolk in the 1850s.² Nowadays, it’s used commercially as an emulsifier in packaged foods and occurs naturally in certain foods, including:³

Lecithin is used to:^4,5

Once in the body, lecithin breaks down into choline,⁶ a vitamin-like nutrient that is important for a healthy liver. Choline also helps break down fat into energy that our bodies can use.⁷

Lecithin is also found in breast milk. Some women use it to reduce the viscosity of breast milk, which helps prevent blocked milk ducts that make it difficult to breast-feed easily. However, there are no studies proving it can work for this purpose.⁸

The following groups should not take soy lecithin:

Soya bean lecithin supplements are natural substances and generally regarded as safe to take. However, they can cause side-effects including:¹⁵