Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that can be found naturally in fruits and vegetables, such as apples, beets and citrus fruits. This type of fiber dissolves easily in water, forming a viscous mixture in the stomach that has several benefits, such as hydrating feces, facilitating their elimination, and improving intestinal flora, acting as a natural laxative.
The viscous gel formed by pectins has a consistency similar to that of fruit jellies and, therefore, can also be used as ingredients in the production of other products, such as yogurts, juices, breads and sweets with the aim of improving the texture and making are creamier.
What is it for
Pectin has several health benefits and, therefore, can be useful in different situations, such as:
- Increase fecal cake and hydrate you, facilitating intestinal transit and can be beneficial to combat both constipation and diarrhea;
- Increase the feeling of satietyas it delays gastric emptying, reducing appetite and promoting weight loss;
- Function as food for beneficial bacteria from the intestine, as it acts as a prebiotic;
- Reduce cholesterol and triglyceridesby increasing the excretion of fats in the feces, as its fibers reduce its absorption in the intestine;;
- Help control blood sugaras its fibers reduce the absorption of glucose at the intestinal level.
Additionally, as it helps improve intestinal health, some studies indicate that it could have benefits in combating inflammatory bowel diseases, including colon cancer.
Foods rich in pectin
The fruits richest in pectin are apples, oranges, tangerines, lemons, currants, blackberries and peaches, while the richest vegetables are carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, beets and peas.
In addition to these, some industrialized products also have pectin in their composition to improve their texture, such as yogurts, jellies, cakes and fruit pies, pasta, candies and sugary confections, yogurts, candies and tomato sauces.
How to make pectin at home
Homemade pectin can be used to produce creamier fruit jellies, and the easiest way is to make pectin from apples, as shown below:
Place 10 whole, washed green apples, with skin and seeds, and cook in 1.25 liters of water. After cooking, the apples and liquid should be placed on a sieve covered with cheesecloth so that the cooked apples can slowly pass through the cheesecloth. This filtering must be done throughout the night.
The next day, the gelatinous liquid that passed through the sieve is apple pectin, which can be frozen for future uses. in portions. The proportion used should be 150 mL of pectin for every two kilos of fruit.
Where to buy
Pectins can be found in liquid or powder form in nutrition stores and pharmacies, and can be used in recipes such as cakes, cookies, homemade yogurts and jellies.
Possible side effects
Pectin consumption is quite safe, however, when consumed in excess, it can lead to increased gas production and bloating in some people.
Bibliography
- XU Lin et al. Efficacy of pectin in the treatment of diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Advances in Nutrition. 4. 6; 267-271, 2013
- CLARE Adam et al. Effects of Dietary Fibre (Pectin) and/or Increased Protein (Casein or Pea) on Satiety, Body Weight, Adiposity and Caecal Fermentation in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats. Plos one. 11. 5; 1-16, 2016
- ALMEIDA Elizângela et al. Synthesis and characterization of pectin derivative with antitumor property against Caco-2 colon cancer cells. Carbohydrate Polymers – Journal. 115. 139-145, 2015
- CHUNG Wing et al. Prebiotic potential of pectin and pectic oligosaccharides to promote anti-inflammatory commensal bacteria in the human colon. Microbiology Ecology. 93. 11; 1-9, 2017
- SYMPSON H et al. Review article: dietary fibre-microbiota interactions. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 42. 2; 158-179, 2015
- REDONDO Luis. The therapeutic fiber. 2nd. São Paulo: Byk Química, 63-67.
- PINTO John. Nutraceuticals and functional foods. 1st. Portugal: LIDEL, 2014. 50-51.
