Pectin is a type of soluble fiber found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as apple, beetroot and citrus fruits, and that brings benefits like improving the intestinal flora and increasing the fecal cake, functioning as a natural laxative.
Pectins have a high ability to form a viscous gel, characteristic of fruit jellies, but are also often added in bakery products, yogurts, juices and jams to improve texture and creaminess of foods.
So the main benefits of pectins for health are:
- Increase the fecal cake and moisturize it, facilitating intestinal transit;
- Increase the feeling of satiety by delaying gastric emptying;
- Function as food for beneficial bowel bacteria ;
- Reduce cholesterol by increasing the excretion of fats in feces;
- Help control blood sugar, which is blood sugar.
By improving intestinal transit and giving satiety, pectin also aids in weight loss diets, helping to stave off hunger and reduce the absorption of fats in the gut.
Foods rich in Pectin
The fruits richest in pectin are apple, orange, tangerine, lemon, gooseberry, blackberry and peach, while the richest vegetables are carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, beets and peas.
Besides these, some industrialized products also have pectin in their composition to improve their texture, such as yogurts, jellies, fruit cakes and pastries, pasta, candies and sugary confections, yogurts, candies and catchups.
How to Make Pectin at Home
Homemade pectin can be used to produce more creamy fruit jellies, and the easiest way is to produce pectin from the apple as shown below:
Put 10 whole green apples and washed, with peel and seeds, and put to cook in 1.25 liters of water. After cooking, the apples and liquid should be placed on a sieve covered with gauze, so that the cooked apples can pass slowly through the gauze. This filtration should be done all night.
The next day, the gelatinous liquid that passed through the sieve is apple pectin, which can be frozen for future uses. in portions. The proportion used should be 150 mL of pectin for every two pounds of fruit. See other high fiber foods.
Where to buy
Pectins can be found in liquid or powder form in nutrition stores and pharmacies and can be used for recipes such as cakes, cookies, homemade yogurts and jellies.
