Apples contain a variety of health benefits that can help you avoid the doctor. They provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidant compounds and a dietary fiber called pectin. This soluble fiber is important for digestive health and helps to cleanse the body of excess cholesterol. Pectin is also found in other ripe fruit such as peaches, plums, oranges and pectin. Follow these tips on how to add pectin to your diet and why this natural fiber is beneficial for you.
Fiber
All plant-based foods contain dietary fiber, which plays an essential role in your health. There are two types of dietary fiber, insoluble and soluble. Most foods contain a combination of both. Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber. Other examples of soluble fiber include psyllium husk, dried beans, peas and the soft areas of fruit.
Benefits
Pectin and other soluble fiber combines with water to form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that this helps to slow digestion and balance blood sugar levels. This may help to control Type 2 or adult-onset diabetes. It also traps excess cholesterol in foods, preventing it from being absorbed by the blood. Soluble fiber is a common ingredient in laxatives.
Apple Pectin
The amount of pectin in apples and other fruits depend on the ripeness of the fruit. Unripe apples contain a precursor compound to pectin called protopectin, ripe fruits contain pectin, and in overripe fruit, pectin turns into pectic acid. Apple pectin is found in any food that contains apples, such as applesauce, apple desserts and dried apples. Pectin is also used by the food industry as a gelling agent to thicken jams and jellies.
Liver Effects
According to commentary published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1999, apple pectin has notable cholesterol-lowering abilities, even in comparison to other dietary fibers such as oat bran. Pectin provides soluble fiber that forms a gel-like substance in the intestines, trapping dietary cholesterol and expelling it in the bowel movements. This also significantly lowers fat accumulation and filtering in the liver and helps to prevent high cholesterol levels that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Earlier research published in the "Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry" reported that pectin from apples and oranges can help decrease cholesterol levels in the blood; however, this study was conducted on animals alone.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Pectin
- Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry; Effects of Orange and Apple Pectin on Cholesterol Concentration in Serum, Liver and Faeces; Gonzalez M. et al, 1998 Jun;54(2):99-104.
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Meta-Analysis of the Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Dietary Fiber; Truswell A., Vol. 70, No. 5, 942-943, November 1999
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