What is pectin?
Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber found in almost all plants, as it provides structural support to plant cell walls. It acts like a cement in the outer skin of fruits and vegetables, and is present in high concentrations. For instance, orange peel contains 30% pectin; apple peel contains 15%; and onion peel contains 12%. Pectin is also present in the flesh of fruits and vegetables.
Chemically, pectin is a complex polysaccharide composed of monosaccharide and uronic acid units. Anyone who has made jelly or jam knows that pectin has the property of forming a gel. This gel-forming quality is the reason why pectin is beneficial for health, particularly in optimizing gut health, blood sugar control, and cholesterol metabolism.
Are there different types of pectin?
There are mainly two forms of pectin available in the market: apple pectin and modified citrus pectin (MCP). Both are obtained from the flesh of fruits.
Apple pectin
Apple pectin undergoes minimal processing and has better gel-forming properties.
Modified citrus pectin
Modified citrus pectin (MCP), also known as fractionated pectin, contains shorter polysaccharide chains after processing. Compared to the longer chain apple pectin, these shorter chains are more soluble in water, and more easily absorbed and utilized by the human body.
The unique benefit of modified citrus pectin lies in its absorbable compound's ability to bind to lectins on abnormal cells, which are called galectins. This binding prevents these abnormal cells from clumping together, circulating in the bloodstream, and spreading to other bodily tissues.
Due to its absorbable compound, MCP has several other benefits. Notably, they significantly activate white blood cells called cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells, and regulate immune function.
The benefits of pectin for health
Optimizing Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Pectin has shown benefits in optimizing cholesterol metabolism and normal blood pressure, particularly in the case of apple pectin, which can promote heart health through optimizing cholesterol metabolism.
In the liver, cholesterol is a precursor to bile acid. Apple pectin optimizes cholesterol levels in the blood by binding with bile acid in the small intestine. As bile acid is lost through feces, more cholesterol is converted into bile acid, helping to optimize cholesterol levels in the blood.
A detailed analysis of 67 studies involving 2,990 adults shows that pectin lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as "bad" cholesterol, without affecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also known as "good" cholesterol. Overall, as a soluble fiber, apple pectin (5g per day) can reduce total cholesterol by 5% to 16%. Modified citrus pectin has data that falls well below this level due to its relative inability to form a gel.
Reducing cholesterol explains apple pectin's ability to optimize arterial health and maintain normal blood pressure.
Weight Management and Blood Sugar Control
Apple pectin delays gastric emptying, promoting a feeling of fullness. In other words, apple pectin can help you feel full, which may lead to more controlled eating and weight loss.
A study of 74 normal-weight US Army male and female employees, who fasted overnight and then consumed 448ml of orange juice containing or not containing pectin, found that a 5g dose promoted a feeling of fullness. The effect lasted for four hours after consuming orange juice with pectin.
Delaying gastric emptying is also related to optimizing postprandial blood sugar control, which is beneficial for controlling appetite. Pectin has shown some benefits in lowering postprandial blood glucose levels for those with poor blood sugar control, but its effect is minimal for those with good blood sugar control.
Gut Health
Finally, pectin's greatest health benefit is its ability to
optimize the microbiome, the genetic material of the microbes in our gut."
The microorganisms that coexist with our intestinal tract - bacteria, viruses, and fungi - play an indispensable role in our overall health. Apple pectin has been proven to be a "prebiotic," helping to promote the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria while also controlling the growth of harmful bacteria in the digestive tract, such as Clostridium and Bacteroides. This effect makes apple pectin potentially beneficial for gut dysbiosis, a change in the composition of the gut microbiota that is associated with flatulence, bloating, and foul-smelling feces.
In addition to its beneficial effects on the microbial community, as a fiber that forms a gel, apple pectin also promotes intestinal health and regularity. Due to its water-binding capacity, apple pectin promotes the formation of softer, well-formed stools that are easier to pass.
Promoting heavy metal detoxification
Due to its gelling properties and its ability to bind to bile acids, pectin is a useful cleansing aid. Similar to other fiber-forming fibers, pectin can be used to promote the removal of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. In this application, MCP may be the preferred choice, as it has been used in four clinical studies on heavy metal cleansing.
Supplementation with MCP increased the excretion of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in the urine of healthy volunteers, without any side effects or depletion of essential elements. In a small study of five patients, the use of MCP alone or in combination with alginates resulted in an average reduction of 74% in lead or mercury levels, with no side effects. The use of MCP also significantly reduced the blood lead levels of hospitalized children with lead poisoning and increased the lead content in their urine.
Dosage recommendation
The common recommended dosage for pectin is 5g per day.
Side effects and safety concerns
Pectin is very safe and has no significant side effects at
recommended dosages. The main issue when supplementing with any fiber is to
drink enough water. If taking any prescribed medication, avoid pectin if
dietary fiber has any adverse effects on the medication.
