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What is pectin used for in food? How to make pectin at home. Contraindications and harm

Pectin content was discovered in seaweed. Once in the digestive tract, the product swells, enveloping the walls of the intestines and stomach, protecting it from mechanical and chemical irritants.

Pectin performs the following functions:

• - normalizes metabolism;
• - reduces the content of “bad” cholesterol in the blood;
• - cures gastritis, colitis;
• - stimulates peripheral blood circulation;
• - regulates intestinal motility;
• - relieves pain;
• - removes pesticides, heavy metal salts, radionuclides;
• - reduces the likelihood of diabetes and cancer;
• - adsorbs anabolic steroids, antibiotics, xenobiotics, metabolic products;
• - improves skin condition, turgor.

The list confirms the need to consume products containing pectin daily. They are used in the form of nutraceuticals to feed personnel engaged in work involving salts of heavy metals and other harmful agents, which is enshrined in law.

The share of pectin substances in fruits accounts for 0.5 - 12.4%. In terms of pectin content, the first place is occupied by apples, bananas, peaches, cherries, and oranges. Plum and cherry plum are a generous source of gelling substances. When consuming vegetables and fruits containing pectins, the adsorption of putrefactive, pathogenic microbes and waste products occurs. Beneficial microflora develops in the gastrointestinal tract, stopping fermentation processes. This explains the help in the treatment of colitis and intoxication.

Table No. 1: Pectin content in fruits per 100 grams:

• Apricot 3.9 - 8.6
• Quince 5.3 - 9.6
• Pear 3.5 - 4.2
• Peach 5.0 - 8.9
• Plum 3.6 - 5.3
• Apple 4.4 - 7.5
• Orange 0.6 - 1
• Lemon 0.7 - 1.1
• Mandarin 0.3 - 1.1

Apples and beet fiber are a source of health and high pectin content

The list of beneficial qualities of apples is endless. The main indicator is the content of pectin, an essential substance for health. The percentage of pectin content is especially high in winter varieties of apples - 6.0%, and in beet fiber it can reach 20% - this is a record figure.

Pectin in berries

A person needs to eat 15 grams of a gelling substance per day, while consuming 1.5 kg of berries or fruits. People with greater weight and diabetics increase the portion to 25 g, as well as those who want to lose weight and detoxify their internal organs. Fruit jellies and jams are beneficial if sugar is not contraindicated. They contain a lot of gelling substances.

Table No. 1: Content in berries per 100 grams:

• Grapes 0.8 - 1.4
• Strawberries 3.3 - 7.9
• Raspberry 3.2 - 6.7
• Red currant 5.5 - 12.6
• Blackcurrant 5.9 - 10.6
• Cherry 1.7 - 3.9
• Cherry 4 - 6.7
• Watermelon 4.5 - 7
• Gooseberry 0.2 - 1.4
• Cranberry 0.5 - 1.3
• Cherry plum 0.6 - 1.1

Vegetables, like fruits and berries, have their outsiders and winners. Below we provide a table of average content of this useful substance as a percentage per 100 grams. The record holder for the content of low molecular weight pectin is beet fiber - about 20% per 100 grams, and it is for this reason that we have included it in our KLETONIKA fiber complex (details can be found on the page of this site).

Table No. 1: Content in vegetables per 100 grams:

• Eggplant 5.2 - 8.7
• Carrots 6.0 - 8.0
• Cucumbers 5.9 - 9.4
• Pepper 6.0 - 8.7
• Tomatoes 2.0 - 4.1
• Beetroot 0.7 - 2.0
• Pumpkin 2.6 - 9.8
• Green peas 2.5 - 5
• White cabbage 0.6 - 0.9
• Onions 0.4 - 0.7
• Radish 10.3 - 11.8

Products containing pectin

The largest amount of valuable substances is obtained from beets, apples, and sometimes sunflower baskets. Citrus zest has gelling properties.

In some sweets, pectin is used as a thickener and gelling agent:

• Marshmallow
• Marmalade
• Paste
• Fruit and milk jellies
• Oriental products - Turkish delight, etc.

Such products are contraindicated for people with diabetes. On store shelves there are products labeled with the additive E-440, which stands for pectin. These are ketchups, mayonnaise, ice cream. It is used as a thickener.

The healing qualities of many fruits, for example, apples, pears, plums, peaches, etc., are explained by the presence of a significant amount of pectin in their composition. Therefore, let's take a closer look at what kind of connection this is and why it is so useful.

What it is?

Pectin is a natural soluble plant fiber. Present in some fruits and vegetables. It is found in the highest concentrations in the skin, core and seeds.

From a chemical point of view, it is a carbohydrate (polysaccharide), which, when interacting with water, forms a gel-like mass. The figure schematically shows the molecule of this compound.

Quite often people ask, what is the difference between pectin and gelatin?

The fact is that gelatin is not a product of plant origin, but of animal origin. It is obtained from collagen, a protein found in abundance in the skin, tendons and ligaments of animals. This compound contains no carbohydrates. Only amino acids.

How does it affect the body?

Pectin has many beneficial properties. After all, this is natural plant fiber. The main healing qualities are as follows.

1. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus. More recently, in 2014, it was found that pectin reduces the efficiency of absorption of food fats. And this is good if there is an excess amount of fat in foods. Pectin fiber interacts with bile components, the enzyme lipase and some other specific compounds in the gastrointestinal tract. And this worsens the process of breaking down food fats into single fatty acids, and, consequently, their absorption by the body.
2. Reducing cholesterol levels. Pectin also binds dietary cholesterol. Despite the fact that the body does not get the bulk of cholesterol in the blood from food, but synthesizes it on its own, for people who consume excessive amounts of fat, removing excess cholesterol from food is vital.
3. Normalization of bowel movements. This is an amazing connection. It simultaneously treats chronic constipation and diarrhea. It is with the advice of this substance that it is associated, which is prescribed both for the treatment of diarrhea and for the fight against constipation. Soluble pectin fiber increases the volume of stool. And therefore it works like . At the same time, pectin increases the viscosity of stool. And this allows you to reduce the severity of the main symptoms of diarrhea: the frequency of bowel movements and signs of dehydration of the body.
4. Diabetes help. The benefit of pectin for diabetics is that it interferes with the work of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of starch and sugars. This slows down the absorption of carbohydrates from food and prevents a sharp rise in blood glucose levels after a carbohydrate meal.
5. Support beneficial intestinal microflora. This is effective. Therefore, it feeds beneficial intestinal bacteria, thereby strengthening the immune system.

Does it help you lose weight?

Yes. Since it has several properties useful for weight loss:

• slows down the absorption of fats and carbohydrates;
• promotes rapid satiety and reduces appetite;
• improves the functioning of intestinal microflora (overweight people usually have disturbances in the composition of the intestinal flora).

Where is it kept?

Most fruits contain from 5 to 10 percent pectin.

There is a lot of pectin fiber in citrus fruits. However, its main quantity is concentrated in the skin.

In addition to fruits, this type of plant fiber can also be obtained from vegetables. There is quite a lot of it in carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and even potatoes.

Therefore, in order to saturate the body with the pectin it needs so much, it is not at all necessary to purchase any special supplements. Simply eating fruits and vegetables regularly is enough.

How to do it at home?

While you can experience the benefits of pectin by including fruits and vegetables in your diet, supplementing with this compound also has its uses.

Today there are no problems finding them in stores. However, many people find the homemade product better. Luckily, it's not that difficult to get.

Apple Pectin Recipe

Ingredients:

• apples;
• water (approximately 1 liter per 1 kg of fruit);
• lemon juice (1 tablespoon per 1 kg of apples).

Cut the apples into small pieces. Be sure to include the skin and core.

Place them in a saucepan and fill them with water, which should almost cover them. Add lemon juice.

Place on the stove and cook after boiling over low heat for about an hour.

Line a colander with gauze and dump the apples onto it. Let it drain overnight.

In the morning, put the collected juice back on the fire and boil it down by 2 times.

Pour into sterile jars.

Homemade apple pectin is best stored in the freezer or rolled up. Once opened in the refrigerator, it does not keep very long.

How to use?

Used for making preserves, jams, marmalades, marshmallows and other sweet desserts.

With the help of this substance it is possible to significantly reduce the cooking time of the product, as well as reduce the amount of sugar. As a result, sweetness becomes less harmful. How possible is this in principle?

You can see how to use pectin when making jam in the video.

You can also create more exotic desserts, for example, stable cream.

The exact instructions for using pectin purchased in stores are indicated on the powder bags. And it may differ from one manufacturer to another.

The homemade product is used mainly to create jellies and jams.

To prepare jelly, take 1 cup to 2 cups of juice. When making jam - 1 glass per 1.5 kg of fruit.

Possible harm

Pectin itself is completely harmless.

But it may reduce the activity of some medications. Therefore, its use is not recommended while taking them. Such medications include:

• tetracycline antibiotics;
• statins;
• digoxin.

We are talking only about the massive inclusion of supplements in the diet. Restrictions do not apply to fresh fruits.

You should also remember that pectin additives are usually used to make desserts that contain sugar. And if there is too much of this sugar, and desserts are consumed in large quantities, then even healing pectin fiber will not be able to neutralize their harm to the body.

Pectin: what is it, what are the benefits and harms - conclusions

It is a variant of soluble plant fiber found in fruits and some vegetables.

The benefits of the product are due to its ability to slow down the absorption of fats and carbohydrates, positively influence the state of intestinal microflora and digestive processes.

There is no such harm. However, pectin may alter the activity of some medications.

Pectins are substances made from galacturonic acid residues found in fruits, vegetables, and root vegetables. Pectin content was discovered in seaweed. Once in the digestive tract, the product swells, enveloping the walls of the intestines and stomach, protecting it from mechanical and chemical irritants.

Pectin performs the following functions:

Normalizes metabolism;

Reduces the content of “bad” cholesterol in the blood; - cures gastritis, colitis; - stimulates peripheral blood circulation; - regulates intestinal motility; - relieves pain; - removes pesticides, heavy metal salts, radionuclides; - reduces the likelihood of diabetes and cancer; - adsorbs anabolic steroids, antibiotics, xenobiotics, metabolic products; - improves skin condition, turgor.

The list confirms the need to consume products containing pectin daily. They are used in the form of nutraceuticals to feed personnel engaged in work involving salts of heavy metals and other harmful agents, which is enshrined in law.

Fruits, vegetables, berries contain pectin

The share of pectin substances in fruits accounts for 0.5 - 12.4%. In terms of pectin content, the first place is occupied by apples, bananas, peaches, cherries, and oranges. Plum and cherry plum are a generous source of gelling substances. When consuming vegetables and fruits containing pectins, the adsorption of putrefactive, pathogenic microbes and waste products occurs. Beneficial microflora develops in the gastrointestinal tract, stopping fermentation processes. This explains the help in the treatment of colitis and intoxication.

Pectin has a positive effect on the body and to compensate for its deficiency, it is enough to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Consuming 25 grams of pectin daily allows you to lose weight and cleanse your body of toxins. In case of severe pectin deficiency, you can use special supplements. Beets, apples, peaches, oranges and cabbage contain large amounts of pectin, so Chastnosti.com advises including them in your diet.

Have you ever wondered how a manufacturer manages to make marmalade? Have you ever wondered how some housewives manage to make thick jam? It's not all about culinary skill. It is enough to know one simple secret. Fruits and berries contain pectins. These substances are natural thickeners. Some fruits have more pectin content, others have less. It is enough to know which products to combine to obtain the desired consistency.

If you cook strawberries with the addition of red currant juice, you get real jam. You can go another way. Add special powder to the product. Pectin extracted from plants is available for purchase at your local supermarket. By the way, on the shelves of the same store you can find a huge number of food products that contain pectin. This includes marmalade, jelly products, dairy products, ketchup, and many others. Are these supplements good for the body? Can pectins cause harm to humans? These issues require detailed consideration.

Pectin is a structural element of plant tissue. It is present in almost all higher plants. Fruits, vegetables, berries and even some algae contain pectin in greater or lesser quantities. This substance plays an important role:

• retains moisture in plant cells, helps to endure periods of drought;
• regulates chemical processes occurring at the cellular level;
• keeps the product fresh during storage.

In plant tissues, polysaccharides are formed from galacturonic acid residues. In fact, these are pectins that have adhesive properties.

People have long found use for pectins. Back in the first half of the twentieth century, the production of purified polysaccharide was established. It was Henri Braconneau who first drew attention to this substance. A chemist from France discovered it in fruit juice two hundred years ago. Since then, pectin has been characterized as a separate substance. And its properties have been studied repeatedly.

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If your diet is low in vegetables and fruits, then the lack of pectin can be compensated with the help of dietary supplements sold on iHerb. Pectin is an excellent enterosorbent that removes heavy metals, radionuclides, microbes and viruses from the body.

Pectin in products of plant origin:

1. Citrus fruits: oranges, nectarines, lemons, grapefruits.
2. Fruits: apples, pears, apricots, plums, peaches, melons.
3. Root vegetables: beets, carrots, potatoes.
4. Vegetables: pumpkin, cabbage, eggplant, cucumbers, onions.
5. Berries: gooseberries, red and black currants, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon.

Citrus peels contain the most pectin. There is a lot of this substance in apples. On an industrial scale, purified polysaccharide is obtained from citrus or apple pomace. Sometimes sugar beet pulp is used as a raw material. Sunflower baskets can also be a source of prey.

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Do you have a tendency to constipation, does your digestive system work poorly, or does your gastrointestinal tract have constant problems? Try this pectin from the world famous manufacturer Solgar.

There is a table that shows the pectin content in grams. Housewives are primarily interested in the question of which products contain pectin. Possession of such knowledge means the ability to prepare delicious jelly, jams, confitures, preserves, and jellies. But this substance is used not only at home.

Pectin is used in the following areas:

1. food industry;
2. pharmaceuticals;
3. cosmetology.

What properties make pectin so popular? Polysaccharide in its pure form is used as:

• gelling agent;
• thickener;
• clarifier;
• stabilizer;
• filtrate;
• encapsulating agent.

In the food industry, this is an approved additive E440. It is found in many desserts and more. The following products cannot be manufactured without it:

• ice cream;
• yogurt;
• marmalade;
• marshmallows;
• paste;
• juice drinks;
• candy filling;
• jelly;
• jam;
• mayonnaise;
• ketchup;
• spread;

How beneficial is consuming pectin? Maybe you should avoid it so as not to harm your own body? Firstly, it is extremely difficult to organize your diet in such a way as to exclude this substance from your diet. A person needs plant food. But almost every plant contains pectin. Secondly, there is nothing wrong with moderate intake of this polysaccharide into the body. On the contrary, it brings great benefits. And undesirable effects can only occur with abuse.

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Modified pectin is better absorbed into the bloodstream of the human body than regular pectin, thereby providing more benefits.

Everyone knows that eating fresh vegetables and fruits is good. They contain many useful substances, including pectins.

The benefits of pectins are undeniable. They have beneficial effects on the body:

1. help improve metabolism;
2. improve the functioning of the digestive system;
3. slow down the aging process;
4. preserve the natural turgor of the skin;
5. reduce cholesterol levels in the blood;
6. normalize blood circulation;
7. remove harmful elements;
8. have an anti-inflammatory effect;
9. reduce the risk of cancer cells;
10. support liver function.

The beneficial effect is ensured by the components included in pectin. It contains the greatest amount of dietary fiber. There are also mono- and disaccharides. Ash, organic acids and PP vitamins are present. And also a number of elements necessary for humans, such as iron, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium.

It is recommended for people with ulcers to eat foods rich in pectin. These substances have enveloping properties. Therefore, they promote the healing of wounds in the stomach. In addition, they will help stop the inflammatory process. However, it is worth considering that many fruits contain acid, which can be harmful in this situation.

Another undoubted benefit for the body is the removal of toxins and pesticides, heavy metal elements. But their accumulation cannot be avoided in the current environment. This is especially true for residents of megacities. People living in polluted areas inhale carcinogenic substances along with the air. Natural cleansing of vital systems contributes to the overall health and rejuvenation of the body.

People whose work involves harmful substances need pectin to a greater extent. The use of natural enterosorbents for workers in the chemical industry is an opportunity to avoid toxicity and maintain health.

You can replenish the pectin deficiency that has arisen in the body with the help of nutrition. This does not mean that if you start eating marmalade in unlimited quantities, you will saturate your body with the necessary substance. You need to eat plant foods, which are a natural source of polysaccharide.

In some cases, the use of special nutritional supplements is indicated. The duration of the course, as well as the dosage, must be agreed with a specialist.

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Pectin gives foods and dishes a jelly-like consistency and improves the texture of drinks. It prevents particles from separating inside drinks and juices. In baked goods, pectin is used instead of fat.

Nutritionists advise using pectin to lose weight and improve health.

Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide in the form of a light powder used to make jellies, jams, baked goods, drinks and juices. It is found in the cell wall of fruits and vegetables and gives them structure.

A natural source of pectin is cake, which remains after the production of juices and sugar:

• citrus peel;
• solid residues of apples and sugar beets.

To prepare pectin:

1. Fruit or vegetable pulp is placed in a tank of hot water mixed with mineral acid. All this is left for several hours to extract the pectin. To remove solid residue, the water is filtered and concentrated.
2. The resulting solution is combined with ethanol or isopropanol to separate pectin from water. It is washed in alcohol to remove impurities, dried and crushed.
3. Pectin is tested for gelling properties and mixed with other ingredients.

Composition of pectin

Nutritional value 50 gr. pectin:

• calories – 162;
• protein – 0.2 g;
• carbohydrates – 45.2;
• net carbohydrates – 40.9 g;

Macro- and microelements:

• calcium – 4 mg;
• iron – 1.35 mg;
• phosphorus – 1 mg;
• potassium – 4 mg;

• sodium – 100 mg;
• zinc – 0.23 mg.

The daily norm of pectin is 15-35 g. Pharmacist D. Hickey advises including natural sources of it in your diet - berries, fruits and vegetables.

Pectin contains complex carbohydrates that cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances. This is a natural sorbent that has a positive effect on health.

Reduces cholesterol levels

Pectin is a source of soluble fiber. Dietitians at the University of Michigan recommend eating foods rich in soluble fiber every day. They reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.

Protects against metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels and the accumulation of visceral fat mass. In 2005, American scientists conducted experiments on rats. They were given pectin with their food. The results showed the disappearance of one or more risk factors for metabolic syndrome.

Improves bowel function

Taking medications

Consult your physician before taking medications, supplements, or herbs. Pectin can reduce their effect and remove heavy metals from the body.

Pectin is harmful in concentrated form and in large quantities, as it blocks the body’s absorption of minerals and vitamins from the intestines

To make jelly and jam without store-bought pectin, take berries high in pectin:

• black currant;
• cranberry;
• gooseberry;
• Red Ribes.

Berries with low pectin content:

• apricot;
• blueberry;
• cherry;
• plum;
• raspberries;
• strawberry.

Pectin in products

Pectin-rich foods reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Its content in plant products:

• table beets – 1.1;

• eggplants – 0.4;
• onions – 0.4;
• pumpkin – 0.3;
• white cabbage – 0.6;
• carrots – 0.6;
• watermelon – 0.5.

Calories, kcal:

Proteins, g:

Carbohydrates, g:

As a substance, pectin was discovered more than 200 years ago. Due to the mass of positive properties, pectin has found wide use in the pharmaceutical industry. And for household use, this substance is specially produced industrially.

Pectin is a natural polysaccharide that has undergone a purification process and is essentially a complex carbohydrate. Pectin is an organic compound, a granular substance of light sand color, tasteless and odorless. The main purpose of pectin is gelation, encapsulation; in food products it acts as a thickener and stabilizer. Pectin is found in citrus fruits and some vegetables:,.

Calorie content of pectin

The calorie content of pectin is 336 kcal per 100 grams of product.

Pectin is an indigestible dietary fiber that can form a gel-forming mass that collects toxic substances from the intestinal walls and removes them from the body naturally. Consumption of products containing pectin normalizes metabolism by normalizing intestinal motility. The uniqueness of natural pectin lies in its ability to maintain the bacteriological balance of the human body. Pectin is registered as a food additive.

Harm of pectin

Considering the active effect of pectin on intestinal motility, products containing pectin should be consumed with caution by people with “weak” intestines.

Pectin can be purchased in the form of powder/granulate for use at home when preparing jams, preserves from fresh berries and fruits (calorizator). In the food industry, pectin is added to marmalade, marshmallows, fruit jelly, candy filling, dairy products, mayonnaise, and many juice drinks.

Apple pectins are especially highly valued by confectionery manufacturers around the world. And for the dairy and canning industries (production of fruit juices), mainly citrus pectins are used.

For the general consumer, pectin is produced in industrial conditions in 2 forms - liquid and powder. In recipes, these two forms are not interchangeable (calorizer). The rules for mixing products depend on the form of pectin used: powder pectin is mixed with fresh cold fruit or juice, and liquid pectin is added to a cooked hot product. Packaged powder pectin has a wider scope of application.

You can learn more about pectin from the video clip “Pectin - a substance of the 21st century” on the TV show “About the Most Important Thing.”

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