The Process Of Obtaining Sunflower LecithinMedical miracles seem to be performed on a daily basis now; in fact the merging or medical miracles and mechanical miracles are becoming more and more common. Our advancements in the mechanical and processing fields have allowed us to better prepare and synthesize our medications that lead to many of the medical miracles performed today. While it may not be a miracle the revolution regarding dietary supplements such as lecithin is a miracle. What was once thought of as witch-craft or bogus science is now being recognized as a respectable and valuable medical field. However the production of these dietary supplements has taken a slightly different route than those of medications and the regulation put on things such as sunflower lecithin is much more lax than those attached to prescription or even over the counter medicines. The first step to obtaining sunflower lecithin is to secure a source of sunflowers. Because they are seasonal and only the seeds are used to extract the sunflower lecithin, many are needed. To meet such a demand farms are usually bought out and during the off-season sunflowers are shipped in from around the world to meet demands for sunflower lecithin. Once the sunflowers are grown they need to be harvested and dried. During the drying process the stalk are removed and often times recycled as compost. From there the sunflowers are stripped of their seeds, which are the vital ingredients in sunflower lecithin. After the seeds are stripped from the heads and the heads are discarded with the stocks, the seeds are washed. After the seeds are finished being processed they will be sent to a lab to have the sunflower lecithin extracted. As soon as the lab receives the sunflower seeds they grind them up and suspend them in a solution of chemicals. These chemicals react with the lecithin and help separate it. From this point the sunflower lecithin is extracted from the solution and moves on for further processing. Depending on if it will be a powder or tablet it will be dried and compressed into a pill or left loose. If it is to be put into pill form the concentration will be decided at this time. If the sunflower lecithin is left loose then it will be combined with various other ingredients. Flavoring and fillers may be added at this point. Once it is completed it will be bottled and shipped out to stores across the country. During the whole process from harvesting to shipping there is very little regulation. This is because unlike medication, the FDA does not oversee it and it is not meant to treat serious illness. These supplements for the most part are completely benign and have no real side effects. Because they are mostly harmless they don't need to be regulated which causes quite a bit of competition in the supplement market. This is what drives prices down and causes so many different brands to constantly appear and disappear. Whether it's sunflower lecithin or any other supplement, the process in which it is obtained is usually quite similar. One example of sunflower lecithin is that offered by Crystalline Solutions. Their sunflower lecithin is derived purely from high quality sunflowers. Every bottle has passed the strict standards of laboratories to ensure effectiveness and quality. Crystalline Solutions sunflower lecithin is available in different quantities. They have 355ml in a glass bottle, 1kg in a polyethylene bottle, 10 and 20 kg in a polyethylene pail with a spout for pouring, and 100 and 200 kgs in drums, which are suitable for distributors. |