Dietary Uses for Pectin

A soluble dietary fiber, pectin offers an array of health benefits, and can be found naturally in fruits such as apples and blackberries, and vegetables such as carrots. It can also be taken as a dietary supplement. From lowering your cholesterol to balancing insulin levels to acting as a thickening substance in jams, jellies and cakes, pectin possesses a wide range of uses.

Thickening Agent

• The chemicals and physical nature of pectin allows it to be used as a gelling agent when it is extracted from the peels of citrus fruits. Add pectin to thicken jams, jellies or yogurts. It can even be found in industrially produced ketchup. Packages of pectin meant for gelling and thickening can be found at grocery stores, often shelved with canning supplies.

Diabetes

• Pectin can be used to inhibit a surge of blood glucose levels and improve your body's insulin resistance if you are diabetic. This fiber makes you feel full, prompting you to eat less. It also lowers your glucose uptake rates after eating foods with glycaemic carbohydrates such white flour or white sugar. But when pectin is added to sugar, such as when it is used to thicken jam, it becomes harmful to a diabetic person.

Cholesterol

• High cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease and stroke. You can take pectin---either as a dietary supplement or by eating fruits and vegetables rich in pectin---to reduce your serum cholesterol, which is caused by eating foods high in saturated fats, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which can be caused by obesity or pregnancy.

Other Uses

• The pectin produced by panax ginseng aids the body in the healing of wounds. Pectin is often found in medicines that treat heartburn, constipation and diarrhea. In children, it can shorten periods of diarrhea and vomiting while minimizing the body's need for replenishment fluids. Pectin can also help treat infections and sores in the mouth and throat, and inhibit heavy metal poisoning. This dietary fiber may even reduce the effects of radiation exposure and help stop the growth of prostate cancer.