Citrus pectin application. What is pectin and how is it useful?

Many fruits contain pectin, the benefits and harms of which require detailed study by supporters. healthy eating. Proper introduction of a natural food supplement into the diet can provide many positive effects. Ignoring the specifics of a natural component sometimes plays a cruel joke on people and causes quite serious problems.

IN food industry pectin, labeled E440, is used to add thickness to ingredients and dishes. It was first synthesized about 200 years ago and since then its popularity and demand have only grown.

List of foods rich in pectin

To obtain pectin, apple or citrus pulp is extracted. According to scientists, this substance is found in varying amounts in all fruits, berries, vegetables and even a number of algae. Industrially synthesized, pectin maintains a number of positive properties. To obtain therapeutic and preventive effects, it is better to consume food products with a high content of the substance, and not its powder counterpart.

Citrus fruits are the leaders in pectin content. Their dietary fibers are presented unique substance by 70%. It is worth considering that not only the edible pulp is saturated with the chemical compound, but also the skin of the fruit and its rind. Second place can be given to apples and, which are several times inferior to the leaders.

Other fruits - plums, apricots, currants, strawberries and many others - have even less pectin. Still, regular use These products help replenish the reserves of the substance in the body and give the desired effect. As for vegetables, among them the most food additives are in carrots, beets, peppers, cabbage, etc. It is noteworthy that than younger vegetable, the higher the content of the chemical compound.

Application of pectin in industry

The ability of pectin to form gel-like substances is actively used in the food industry. It is added to jams, preserves, jellies, marshmallows, ketchups and various desserts. Increasingly, the additive can be found in canned foods. The powder version of the composition is introduced into cold raw materials. Liquid extract is added to hot preparations.

Advice: People living in environmentally unfavorable areas must necessarily introduce pectin into their diet. This can be either fruit or a food additive. The main thing is that its daily volume is not lower than 15 g. This will allow you to cleanse the body and maintain the functionality of organs and systems.

Pectin is used in medicine and pharmaceuticals. It doesn't change properties medicines, but brings them to the optimal consistency. Most often, it is necessary in the manufacture of capsule forms of drugs and various gels.

Useful properties of pectin

Pectin is not only about ease of preparation various dishes, but also benefits for the body. The presence of a natural thickener in a person’s diet can cause the following beneficial effects:

Improving the quality of digestion. The astringent and enveloping properties of the product help protect the gastric mucosa from irritating factors, which contributes to its restoration.
Metabolism is stimulated, which leads to the improvement of the functioning of systems and organs, getting rid of excess weight. Consumption of foods rich in pectin is especially justified for diabetes and obesity. A specially developed pectin diet allows you to lose up to 3-4 kg in just a week and improve your body health.
There is an improvement in peripheral blood circulation. This speeds up the supply of useful substances to the organs and their cleansing of everything unnecessary. Excess urea and bile acid are removed from tissues.
The nutritional supplement helps reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. This reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis, heart disease, blood vessels and brain disease.
Pectins increase activity beneficial bacteria in the intestines, which promotes better absorption of vitamins and strengthens the immune system.

Consumption of foods rich in pectin is indicated during pregnancy. This is the most effective and safe way normalize stool and improve general condition. Even if there are no special indications for taking a substance, its entry into the body can have a positive effect on the condition of the skin and mucous membranes.

Harm and danger of pectin

Practice shows that it is quite difficult to exceed the daily norms of pectin consumption in the case of natural products. Even vegetarians and vegans have little fear of this. But if you abuse products in which the substance acts only as a food additive, this is quite possible. This is fraught with the following consequences:

The quality of suction decreases minerals, which leads to the development of deficiency states.
Fermentation processes begin in the intestines, leading to flatulence and poor absorption of proteins and fats.

Consuming the product as a dietary supplement under the age of 6 years can only cause harm, so you should carefully monitor the child’s diet. An allergy to pectin in fruits and vegetables is extremely rare, but no one is immune from intolerance to E440. Unfortunately, today, more and more often, manufacturers use not the usual sources for the extraction of raw materials, but chemicals. Therefore, it is difficult to say what quality of pectin is used in a particular product.

Principles of the pectin diet

The introduction of a special diet into your usual regimen allows you not only to get rid of fat deposits that have accumulated over the years, but also to significantly improve your general condition. True, to obtain such results, you need to strictly follow the rules of the program and not make arbitrary changes to it:

On the first day for breakfast you need to eat 3 grated apples with a couple of chopped walnuts and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. For lunch you should prepare a salad from boiled egg, grated apple and a large amount of chopped herbs. Dinner will consist of 5 apples in any form (raw, baked, grated).
On the second day, breakfast will be presented with a mixture of the pulp of 3 grated apples and 100 g boiled rice without any additives. For lunch, a dish is prepared from the same ingredients, but this time the apples will have to be boiled. To enhance the taste of the dish you can use lemon zest. For dinner you will have to limit yourself to 100 g of boiled rice.
On the third day, for breakfast, the usual grated apples are mixed with 100 g of low-fat cottage cheese. For lunch, take 3 apples, grate them and combine with 2 teaspoons of honey and 2 walnuts. Additionally, you need to eat 100 g of cottage cheese, but not together, but separately.
The fourth day begins with breakfast, consisting of 3 grated carrots and the pulp of one apple. For lunch, exactly the same salad is eaten, but this time it is seasoned lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of honey. Dinner will consist of 4 baked apples.
On the fifth day, a salad is prepared for breakfast from fresh carrots and beets, we take the ingredients in any volume. Lunch will consist of 3 tablespoons of oatmeal infused in boiling water, small boiled beets and 2 boiled eggs.
On day 6, the menu of day 1 is repeated, and on day 7, the menu of day 2 is repeated.

While following this regimen, you need to drink at least 6 glasses clean water per day. Coffee and alcohol are prohibited. Tea is acceptable, but not very strong and without sweeteners. Returning to your usual diet should be smooth so that weight loss does not stop.

Mechanical processing of ingredients does not in any way affect the level of pectin content. Purees, smoothies, juices with pulp, vegetable stew and even fruit drinks are rich in useful compounds. Even in jam prepared from the components listed above, the substance content is such that one can count on bright positive effects.

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 bakery products 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:

Fruit or vegetable pulp is placed in a container with 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.
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.
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 the diet - berries, fruits and vegetables.

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

Reduces cholesterol levels

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

Protects against metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, high triglyceride levels and 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

Before taking medications, food additives and herbs, consult your doctor. Pectin can reduce their effect and remove heavy metals from the body.

Pectin is harmful in concentrated form and 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 currant.

Berries with low content pectin:

apricot;
blueberry;
cherry;
plum;
raspberry;
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.

Pectin is a substance that is actively used in modern world. The benefits and harms of pectin are known to almost everyone, but not everyone. It is used both in cooking and in medicine.

What is pectin

Pectin is a plant product that has binding properties. In other words, it is a pure polysaccharide that is obtained by extracting apple pulp.

Attention! Since pectin is a thickener, it is listed as a food additive under the number E440.

There are 2 types of this product: powder and liquid extract.

Where is pectin found?

Substance in large quantities found in berries and fruits. For example, currants, rose hips, apples, citrus fruits.

Citrus zest has excellent gelling properties. Sweets also contain this element, namely: marshmallows, marshmallows and others.

Chemical composition of pectin

The energy value of the substance is 52 kcal. Amount of BJU per 100 g of product:

proteins – 3.5;
fats – 0 g;
carbohydrates – 9.3.

The substance consists of the following elements: ash, mono- and disaccharides, water, organic acids and dietary fiber.

Among the vitamins, the product contains nicotinic acid (vitamin PP).

There are much more minerals: iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium. Of the above, potassium and sodium predominate.

Benefits of pectin for the body

The benefits for the body are as follows:

improves metabolism, takes an active part in metabolism, normalizes redox reactions;
reduces the amount of cholesterol in the blood;
controls the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
restores intestinal microflora;
eliminates toxins, salts and other harmful substances.

Laboratory studies have established that the substance is capable of activating hematopoietic processes. A significant intake of the required substances into the human body can strengthen the immune system.

It was found that with regular meals with pectin, patients diabetes mellitus the rate of glucose formation decreases. This property is due to the fact that the viscosity of food masses increases in the gastrointestinal tract.

A decrease in the amount of cholesterol in the circulatory system is directly related to decreased lipid absorption. It is the property of binding to stomach acids that makes this possible. Pectin also has benefits for joints, especially in old age.

The presence of polysaccharides gives pectin antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Due to this, the intestinal microflora is normalized.

Daily intake of pectin

Acceptable daily intake of pectin for healthy person is 4-10 g. If a person lives in an area with increased radiation, or his work is associated with increased harmfulness, then consumption should increase to 15 g per day.

To replenish the daily amount of polysaccharides, it is enough for a person to consume 500 g of fruits and berries per day.

Attention! Despite everything beneficial properties product, it is not recommended to eat it in large quantities; allergic reactions may develop.

How to take pectin for weight loss

Today, many girls use the beneficial properties of the substance to lose weight. There is a special diet consisting of 7 days based on pectin. It is considered the most advantageous in comparison with other types of diets. The thing is that the substance is able to act on fats that have been accumulated over the years.

This product has the property of removing waste and toxins from the human body.

The seven-day diet is that a girl should eat fruit in the required quantity all week. The diet for every day is almost the same:

breakfast: fresh salad from grated apples and chopped walnuts, from dressing - lemon juice;
lunch: boiled salad chicken egg, apple and greens;
dinner: 5 apples of various varieties.

This diet involves the use of apple pectin, which also benefits the body.

How is pectin used in medicine and cosmetology?

The product is widely used in cosmetology and medicine. And due to the properties of this substance, it is used to make drugs.

Medicines based on this substance are aimed at:

treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
prevention of diabetes and obesity;
normalization of metabolism;
cleansing cells of toxins.

In cosmetology, a substance obtained from sunflower heads is used.

The use of pectin in cooking

Cooks use pectin and its properties as a thickener, clarifying agent and gelling agent.

Based on this substance, products such as:

candy fillings;
marmalade;
paste;
jam and jelly;
marshmallows

Also used at home. Due to the properties of this polysaccharide, significantly less time is spent on preparing jam and preserves than when using sugar.

How to make pectin at home

Despite the fact that pectin is found in large quantities in the zest of citrus fruits, it is the most popular and most popular at home. in a simple way is the preparation of a substance from apples.

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

apples – 1 kg;
clean water – 120 ml.

Cooking method:

Wash the apples, dry them and cut them into 7 pieces;
put the slices in a saucepan, add water and bring to a boil, but do not boil, simmer over low heat for half an hour;
should now be removed from the heat;
You should put a nylon sieve on another pan and put the cooled apples in it, the juice will drain from them, which will contain the required substance;
after all the juice has drained, place the pan in the oven, preheated to 100 degrees, hold the pan until all the liquid has evaporated.

The resulting brown powder is pectin. Apple pectin has the same benefits and harms as the original product.

Harm of pectin and contraindications

The product has mass useful characteristics, however, it can also cause harm to the body, but this is only possible with excessive consumption. This will affect the absorption of minerals. Because of this, fermentation occurs in the intestines and flatulence.

What can you replace pectin with?

If your nearest store doesn’t have pectin, you can replace it with the following products:

apple peel;
other fruits with high substance content;
cornstarch;
gelatin;
lemon juice;
agar-agar.

How to select and store pectin

To choose high-quality pectin, you should carefully study the composition. Products obtained synthetically are not of high quality.

It should be stored exclusively in a dry place away from sunlight. The shelf life is 12 months, and open jar- no more than six months.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of pectin are known to many; the product is actively used not only in cooking, but also in medicine and cosmetology. It is in great demand for weight loss. In general, the substance is harmless, but before purchasing it is worth familiarizing yourself with its composition.

Did you find this article useful?

Have you ever wondered how a manufacturer manages to make marmalade? Have you ever wondered how some housewives manage to cook thick jam? It's not a matter of culinary skills. 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 huge amount food products, which 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.

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.

Where is the most pectin?

Pectin in products of plant origin:

Citrus fruits: oranges, nectarines, lemons, grapefruits.
Fruits: apples, pears, apricots, plums, peaches, melons.
Root vegetables: beets, carrots, potatoes.
Vegetables: pumpkin, cabbage, eggplant, cucumbers, onions.
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.

You tend to be constipated and have trouble working digestive system, gives constant crashes gastrointestinal tract? Try this pectin from the world famous manufacturer Solgar.

Where is pectin used?

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

Pectin is used in the following areas:

food industry;
pharmaceuticals;
cosmetology.

What properties make pectin so popular? Polysaccharide in pure form 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.

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

Benefits for the human body

Everyone knows what to eat fresh vegetables and fruits are good. They contain many useful substances, including pectins.

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

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

The beneficial effect is ensured by the components included in pectin. Largest quantity in it dietary fiber. There are also mono- and disaccharides. Ash, organic acids and PP vitamins are present. And a number of these needed by a person elements 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.

One more undoubted benefit for the body – removal of toxins and pesticides, elements of heavy metals. But their accumulation in the current ecology cannot be avoided. 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. Must be consumed plant foods, which is 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.

Pectin content was found 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.

Per share pectin substances fruits account 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

Scroll useful qualities There are endless apples. The main indicator is the content of pectin, an essential substance for health. The percentage of pectin content is especially high in winter varieties apples - 6.0%, and beet fiber 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, diabetics increase the portion to 25 g, as well as those who want to lose weight or detoxify 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 indicators for 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

Largest quantity valuable substance 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.