Pectin is a component of apples and other fruit, and many people use the extracted pectin to make jams and jellies. Apple pectin is a good source of dietary fiber and may offer some benefits in preventing cholesterol buildup in your blood vessels. Due to the potential health benefits, some people believe apple pectin may improve eye floaters and cataracts. Apple pectin may have nutritional benefits, but the product does not have any benefit in treating these conditions.
Floaters
In the back section of your eye you have vitreous humor, a gel-like substance that helps hold the shape of your eye and protect inner structures from damage. As you age the vitreous may break down, and this could form clumps that you may see if they pass through your vision. Floaters may also appear if the vitreous shrinks and tears a hole in the retina, the tissue that covers the back, inside section of your eye. This tear may bleed and the blood droplets may cause floaters, but even if you do not have bleeding from this tear, a small piece of retinal tissue may cause a floater. Apple pectin cannot reverse the breakdown or shrinking of the vitreous.
Cataracts
Each of your eyes contains a lens that is made of water and proteins. This lens is one of the structures of your visual pathway, allowing light to pass through and land on the tissue lining that coats the inner, back section of your eye. The lens ages with you, and this may cause the proteins to break down and turn the lens cloudy -- an eye condition commonly known as a cataract. This process often takes many years to reach a point where the cataract damages your vision, but cataracts can ultimately result in significant vision loss if left untreated. Apple pectin will not have any effect on reversing cataracts.
Benefits
Apple pectin will not treat or reverse cataract formation or the appearance of floaters, but the dietary fiber in the pectin may play a few roles in your general health. The fiber found in apple pectin may aid in weight loss, and a healthy weight may help reduce your risk for cataracts. As well, apple pectin contains antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, and these nutrients may help reduce your risk for eye conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Antioxidants may also help slow the breakdown of the cells in your vitreous, reducing your risk for floaters.
Considerations
Talk with your doctor before starting a nutrition regimen that includes apple pectin since a high intake of this dietary product may not offer the best protection. Your doctor may recommend other dietary choices to ensure that you have a variety of foods in your diet, and this may help further reduce your risk for these eye conditions. If you and your doctor determine apple pectin use is appropriate for you, your doctor will tell you how much apple pectin to use each day.
References
- University of Illinois Extension: Apples and More: Apple Nutrition
- Colorado State University Extension: Dietary Fiber: J. Anderson, et al.: December 2010
- University of Illinois at Chicago: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences: Floaters
- MayoClinic.com: Cataracts
- American Optometric Association: Diet and Nutrition
- All About Vision: Vitamin A and Beta Carotene: Eye Benefits; Gary Heiting, OD; October 2010
