Soy lecithin is a common food additive that’s often used to improve the consistency and quality of packaged foods.
Take salad dressing, for example. As an additive, soy lecithin emulsifies ingredients, such as oil and water, to help blend the salad dressing to a smooth consistency, says Judy Simon, MS, RDN, CD, CHES, FAND, a clinical dietitian nutritionist at the University of Washington.
Adding soy lecithin to packaged foods serves a particular functionality, but it can also be taken as a dietary supplement. We’ll break down what you need to know about the potential benefits of soy lecithin, and address a few concerns about its use in packaged foods.
Lecithin is a naturally occurring fatty molecule that can be found in foods such as “egg yolk, seafood, soybeans, milk, rapeseed, cottonseed, and sunflower oil,” says Dr. Debbie Fetter, PhD, an associate professor of Teaching in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis.
“What food scientists have been able to do, is to isolate and synthesize lecithin so that it can be used in creating various food products,” explains Dr. Diane Stadler, PhD, a nutritionist at Oregon Health & Science University. Lecithin can be “extracted, and it can also be created synthetically, but the soy lecithin is coming directly from soybeans.
As an additive, soy lecithin is an emulsifier that “helps bind ingredients that won’t mix,” says Fetter. Soy lecithin can help improve the overall texture and quality of a product. It can be found in foods such as ice cream, baked goods, chocolate, infant formula and bread, Fetter tells USA TODAY.
Soy lecithin also “plays a positive role in our food, because it helps to preserve it,” Simon notes. The texture prevents spoilage from occurring, helps protect flavors in products, and extends shelf life.
Soy lecithin can also be consumed in the form of a dietary supplement, Simon adds.
Soy, by itself, is high in protein and fiber, and low in fat. It is a great source of isoflavones, which is a protective plant compound that has “been found to be anti-inflammatory and may help protect against certain cancers and heart disease,” Fetter says. Therefore, “because soy lecithin is isolated from soy it may offer several of these potential benefits,” she says.
That being said, the process to extract soy lecithin mainly removes fat. So, in regards to soy lecithin’s protein density, “it would be pretty minimal,” says Simon.
Soy lecithin supplements are a source of choline, which “does help with memory, cognition [and] brain function,” Simon says. There is evidence to support that consuming soy lecithin may improve memory and cognitive function.
Studies have shown that taking soy lecithin supplements may also reduce total blood cholesterol levels, which inherently lowers your risk for cardiovascular diseases, Fetter notes.
Soy lecithin is made from genetically modified soy. Concerns have been raised over the safety of consuming genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food, however “current evidence suggests GMO soy is considered safe,” Fetter says.
There have also been concerns about how soy lecithin is extracted, Simon adds. During the extraction process, chemical solvents (including hexane) are used, she says.
However, “there really isn't a lot of data that assures that there are negative effects” to consuming soy lecithin, Stadler says. As of 2024, soy lecithin is recognized by the FDA as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) food additive.
Soy is considered to be one of the nine major allergens in the United States, per the FDA. “People with an extreme soy allergy or who are highly sensitive to soy should avoid soy lecithin,” Fetter says.
“Those with a more mild soy allergy may be able to tolerate soy lecithin because it’s found in a small amount and most of the allergen is removed during processing,” Fetter says.
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While there are benefits to consuming soy lecithin, the nature of it being used as an additive in packaged foods means that if you are consuming it often, “then chances are that you’re eating more processed items instead of nutrient-dense options,” Fetter says. Processed items tend to contain higher than average levels of sodium, saturated fat and added sugar, she says.
