Apple Pectin (Malus Domestica) (Fruit)

Apple Pectin (Malus domestica) (fruit)

Apple pectin is the name given to a complex set of polysaccharides found in the cell walls of apples. It is a source of dietary fiber that is used as a thickening and gelling agent in many jams, candies, and jellies. Many fruits and other plant sources contain pectin, but apple pectin is ubiquitous due to the fruit containing high levels of the compound. Aside from the skin and pulp of fresh apples, apple pectin is also available as a dietary supplement in the form of capsules.

Benefits of Apple Pectin

As with the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away,’ clinical trials do in fact show evidence that apple pectin has many benefits on the human body. Among its diverse health benefits, the following are worth mentioning:

Improves Fat Breakdown

A 2014 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that apple pectin was able to reduce the extent of lipid digestion, which is the process of fat breakdown.[1] In this way, the fat-digesting enzyme, called pancreatic lipase can easily do its job, thus reducing fat build-up in the body.

Improves Cholesterol Levels

A study conducted at the University of Florida College of Medicine found that patients who were at high risk for coronary heart disease who consumed a grapefruit pectin-supplemented diet, without change in lifestyle, decreased their plasma cholesterol by 7.6% and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 10.8%.[2]

Treats Diarrhea

A 2001 study conducted at the Centre for Health and Population Research in Bangladesh found that patients with diarrhea who consumed 4 g/kg pectin experienced a significant reduction in the amounts of stool, oral rehydration solution (ORS), intravenous fluid, frequency of vomiting and duration of diarrhea.[3]

Treats Diabetes

One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that patients with type 2 diabetes who consumed a diet supplemented with 20 g apple pectin/day for 4 weeks had improved gastric-emptying rate and glucose tolerance.[4] Researchers also found that the patients had better blood sugar levels following the treatment.

Helps Lose Weight

Pectin can help you lose weight by making you feel full for longer periods of time, thereby reducing your food intake. A 2014 study conducted at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found that participants who consumed dairy based liquid test products containing pectin had reduced appetite, increased energy levels and lower insulin responses.[5] In another study, US army employees who drank orange juice containing pectin reported feeling more satisfied and full for longer periods of time.[6]

Prevents Cancer

UK researchers found that particular components of pectin suppressed the growth and reproduction of cancer cells in the test tube.[7] According to the researchers, certain sugars in pectin bind to galectin-3 (a protein that helps tumor grow and multiply), thereby reversing the spread of cancer cells.

Treats Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

A 2013 study assessing the efficacy of pectin on IBS found that patients who received 24 g pectin powder per day experienced a significant relief in IBS symptoms. Researchers also found that the patients had reduced systemic inflammation, which is indicative of improved recovery from IBS.[8]

Treats Constipation

When researchers administered pectin supplements for 4 weeks in patients with constipation, they observed a significant alleviation of clinical symptoms.[9] Researchers found that pectin treats and prevents constipation by accelerating colon transit time (measures how long it takes for food to travel through the digestive tract).

References:

1. Espinal-Ruiz M, Parada-Alfonso F, Restrepo-Sánchez LP, Narváez-Cuenca CE, McClements DJ. Interaction of a dietary fiber (pectin) with gastrointestinal components (bile salts, calcium, and lipase): a calorimetry, electrophoresis, and turbidity study. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 2014; 62(52):12620-30.
2. Cerda JJ, Robbins FL, Burgin CW, Baumgartner TG, Rice RW. The effects of grapefruit pectin on patients at risk for coronary heart disease without altering diet or lifestyle. Clinical cardiology. 1988; 11(9):589-94. Rabbani GH, Teka T, Zaman B, Majid N, Khatun M, Fuchs GJ. Clinical studies in persistent diarrhea: dietary management with green banana or pectin in Bangladeshi children. Gastroenterology. 2001; 121(3):554-60.
3. Rabbani GH, Teka T, Zaman B, Majid N, Khatun M, Fuchs GJ. Clinical studies in persistent diarrhea: dietary management with green banana or pectin in Bangladeshi children. Gastroenterology. 2001; 121(3):554-60.
4. Schwartz SE, Levine RA, Weinstock RS, Petokas S, Mills CA, Thomas FD. Sustained pectin ingestion: effect on gastric emptying and glucose tolerance in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 1988; 48(6):1413-7.
5. Wanders AJ, Feskens EJ, Jonathan MC, Schols HA, de Graaf C, Mars M. Pectin is not pectin: a randomized trial on the effect of different physicochemical properties of dietary fiber on appetite and energy intake. Physiology & behavior. 2014; 128:212-9.
6. Tiwary CM, Ward JA, Jackson BA. Effect of pectin on satiety in healthy US Army adults. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1997; 16(5):423-8.
7. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011. Activation of human T-helper/inducer cell, T-cytotoxic cell, B-cell, and natural killer (NK)-cells and induction of natural killer cell activity against K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells with modified citrus pectin.
8. Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi. 2015. Efficacy of pectin in the treatment of diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
9. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2014. Clinical benefits after soluble dietary fiber supplementation: a randomized clinical trial in adults with slow-transit constipation.