Pectin

Pectin or pectinaceous substance is a sticking together substance, the polysaccharide formed of the remains of galacturonic acid and which is present at the majority of the higher plants – fruit, vegetables, root crops and some species of seaweed. Being a structural element of fabrics, pectins promote turgor maintenance, increase resistance of plants to a drought and long storage.

Pectin as substance, was emitted 200 years ago from fruit juice by the French chemist Henri Braconno. The first factories on mass production of pectin were constructed in the thirties the XX centuries.

Pectin use

Pectin is widely used in food and pharmaceutical industry. In medicine pectin is used for production of physiologically active agents having properties, useful to human health. Besides, structure-forming properties of pectin allow to apply it as the substance encapsulating drugs.

Pectinaceous substances commercially turn out from a citrus and apple residue, baskets of sunflower and a press of sugar beet. In the food industry pectin is registered as additive under the name E440 and jelly, fruit jelly, a zephyr, ice cream, juice drinks is used as a thickener for production of stuffings for candies.

Distinguish two forms of pectin received in the industrial way: liquid and powdery. Priority of mixing of products in the course of their preparation depends on a form of substance: liquid pectin is added to the hot, just welded weight, powdery mixes up with cold juice or fruit. By means of the packaged pectin it is possible to prepare jelly and fruit jelly from berries and fruit.

Useful properties of pectin

Specialists pectin is called natural "hospital attendant" of our organism as this substance has ability to bring poisons and harmful substances out of fabrics: pesticides, ions of heavy metals, radioelements, without breaking at the same time natural bacteriological balance of an organism.

The advantage of pectin is caused by influence of substance on an organism metabolism: it stabilizes oxidation-reduction processes, improves peripheric circulation, an intestines peristaltics, and also reduces cholesterol level in blood.

Pectin is practically not acquired by the alimentary system of an organism, being, in fact, soluble cellulose. Passing together with other products on intestines, pectin soaks up in itself harmful substances and cholesterol which together with it are removed from an organism. Also pectin has property to connect ions of heavy and radioactive metals thanks to what joins in a diet of the people contacting to heavy metals or being in the contaminated habitat.

The advantage of pectin consists also in its ability to improve intestinal microflora, to have the moderate antiinflammatory and enveloping effect on a mucous membrane of a stomach at cankers, to create optimal conditions for a microbiocenosis - process of reproduction of microbes, useful to an organism.

All above-mentioned properties of pectin allow to recommend this substance as making a daily food allowance of each person.

The standard daily rate of consumption of pectin significantly reducing cholesterol indicators in blood makes 15 grams, however, pectinaceous additives should prefer consumption of usual fruit and berries.

Pectin in products

Sources of pectin are apples, bananas, oranges, grapefruits, nectarines, pears, peaches, dates, bilberry, plums, a fig. In melons, pineapples, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, green peas of pectin it is less.

Content of pectin in products:

• Citrus crusts - 30%;
• Apples - 1,5%;
• Carrots - 1,4%;
• Oranges - 1-3,5%;
• Apricots - 1%;
• Cherries - 0,4%.

Sweets should not be considered as a pectin source, to receive the amount of substance similar to the content of pectin in products, it is necessary to eat about 7 packagings of fruit jelly.

Pectin for weight loss

The clearing properties of pectin allow to apply it as a diet component to weight loss. The person eating the recommended pectin dose in day what about 500 g of fruit and vegetables correspond daily to needs less products to get rid of feeling of hunger. The advantage of pectin is based on its ability to connect "bad" carbohydrates, without allowing them to be soaked up completely from a GIT.

Pectin for weight loss in case of availability of "stagnant" fat is very effective: when weight was gained for many years. Natural cellulose delicately clears an organism of cholesterol, slags and toxins, allowing not only to cope with fatty deposits, but also to revitalize an organism. Nutritionists are sure: the use of 25 g of apple pectin will allow to get rid of 300 grams of excess weight a day.

Example of a pectinaceous diet which will allow to get rid of 3-4 kg in 1 week:

• 1 day. For breakfast three grated apples walnuts salad seasoned with lemon juice are eaten. For lunch - one boiled egg and one apple salad mixed with greens of onions and parsley. For dinner - five apples;
• 2 day. A breakfast - salad from three apples plus 100 grams of boiled rice. A lunch - Three boiled apples with lemon juice, 100 grams of boiled rice without salt. A dinner - 100 grams of boiled rice without salt;
• 3 day. A breakfast - salad from three polished apples, 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese without sugar. A lunch - three apples two walnuts salad filled with two spoons of honey. A dinner - 100 grams of cottage cheese;
• 4 day. One apple and three carrots salad. A lunch - one apple, three carrots salad with addition of juice of a lemon and 1 teaspoon of honey. A dinner - four baked apples;
• 5 day. 1 polished beet and 1 carrots salad. A lunch - 3 tablespoons of porridge, two boiled eggs, one boiled beet. A dinner - the carrots mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey;
• 6 day. Repeats the menu of the first day of a diet;
• 7 day. Repeats the menu of the second day of a diet.

Use of pectin for weight loss excludes alcohol intake, coffee and tobacco smoking. The pectinaceous diet has to be followed by pure plentiful drink, green tea or grass broths without sugar.

The apple diet is shown to the people having diseases of digestive tract, liver and gall bladder. Despite advantage of pectin for gastrointestinal diseases of varying severity, at chronic diseases (gastritises, coloenterites, stomach ulcer) all day norm of apples is recommended to be cooked or baked in the wind furnace.

Contraindications

The unlimited use of pectin as dietary supplements (to receive overdose of substance from natural sources quite difficult) can lead to decrease in absorption of mineral substances (magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron), comprehensibility of fats and proteins, a meteorism and fermentation in a large intestine.