High Source of Fiber
Pectin fiber is more than just a regulator — it’s a benefit-rich fiber that’s water-soluble and helps lower cholesterol and increases digestive health. As a soluble fiber, pectin works by binding to fatty substances in the digestive tract, including cholesterol and toxins, and promotes their elimination. This means that pectin benefits the body’s detoxifying capabilities, helps regulate the body’s use of sugars and cholesterol, and improves gut and digestive health.
Lowers Cholesterol
Pectin is a water-soluble fiber that can bind cholesterol in the gut, thereby preventing its absorption into the bloodstream. Research suggests that the proper dose for high cholesterol is 15 grams of pectin per day. Pectin can be consumed directly from high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables and seeds; plus, these healthy foods are known to lower cholesterol because of their overall fiber content.
A 1998 study published in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry suggests that pectin ingestion results in a decrease of cholesterol levels in liver and serum as well as an increase in waste matter. The study involved normal rats that were fed a diet containing 2.5 percent or 5 percent apple or orange pectin, or no pectin, which was the control group, for three weeks.
Controls Diarrhea
Pectin increases viscosity and volume of stool; therefore, it’s commonly used for natural relief of constipation and diarrhea. A 2001 study conducted at the Centre for Health and Population Research in Bangladesh evaluated the beneficial intestinal effects of dietary fibers from green banana or pectin in children with persistent diarrhea.
In the study, 62 boys, age 5–12 months, were randomly given a rice-based diet containing either cooked green banana, pectin or the rice diet alone. After seven days, stool weight and consistency, frequency of vomiting and purging, and duration of illness were measured. By day three post-treatment, significantly more children recovered from diarrhea receiving pectin or bananas than controls, and by day four, these proportions continued to increase.