Vegetable lecithins, widely used in the food industry as emulsifying agents, are a mixture of naturally occurring lipids containing more than 50% of phospholipids of vegetable origin. Given the exponential demand for plant products alternative to those of animal origin and for clean-label foods (free of synthetic additives), the market of vegetable lecithin is booming. According to a number of in vitro and preclinical studies, the supplementation with vegetable lecithin may enhance intestinal lipid absorption. In humans, their use as supplements is associated with liporegulating and anti-inflammatory effects in pathological conditions. As such, in the current context of obesity and associated metabolic disorders, the potential application of vegetable lecithins in the prevention of such diseases seems promising. However, their impact as ingredients within the current Western diet on lipid metabolism and gut health remains poorly described in the literature and rather controversial. Researchers are currently starting to explore these effects. Their recent findings yield encouraging results concerning the impact of nutritional doses of lecithin similar to those found in foods on lipid metabolism and the gut microbiota. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Societe francaise de nutrition.