Apple Pectin Herb Information, Blood sugar regulation, cholesterol. Fiber source.

Apple Pectin Herb

Apple Pectin is said to have beneficial effects on the digestive tract and the ability to maintain intestinal balance. It binds with cholesterol and fats before they are absorbed in the body and swiftly eliminates them from the intestinal tract, which may help to reduce the risk of coronary problems. This binding action is also believed to slow absorption of dietary sugar after meals,which also may be helpful in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Apple Pectin is believed to remove unwanted toxins from the colon and effectively promotes colonic health by cleansing the intestinal tract.

Apple Pectin Benefits and Information

As a dietary fiber, apple pectin is helpful in maintaining good digestive health. Fruits rich in apple pectin include the peach, apple, currant, and plum. Protopectin, present in unripe fruits, is converted to pectin as the fruit ripens. Pectin forms a colloidal solution in water and gels on cooling. When fruits are cooked with the correct amount of sugar, and when the acidity is optimum and the amount of pectin present is sufficient, jams and jellies can be made. In overripe fruits, the pectin becomes pectic acid, which does not form jelly with sugar solutions.

An indigestible, soluble fiber, apple pectin is a general intestinal regulator that is used in many medicinal preparations, especially as an anti-diarrhea agent. Our ancestors believed the old proverb an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Today, nutritional scientists research for evidences that verify how apples are good for our health. Apples are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber, which is effective in lowering cholesterol levels.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that apple pectin also acts as an antioxidant against the damaging portion of cholesterol in the blood stream. Many researchers suggest that people who eat fatty foods should, if possible, wash down this food with apple juice rather than the usual drink. Researchers have found that raw apples are the richest of fruits in pectin, with the jonagold variety of apple leading other varieties.


History Apple Pectin Herb

We know that apples have been consumed by man since 6500 B.C., and were prescribed for virtually every ailment as a "heal-all" through the ages. Remember the adage, "An apple a day....."?

Our ancestors knew the "secret" of the Apple and its life giving properties. Apple is particularly rich

in Pectin, the name applied to any one of a group of white, amorphous complex carbohydrates with

a high molecular weight. These water-soluble fibers are found in plant tissue, most commonly ripe fruits such as citrus fruits (particularly the peels), crabapples, plums, currants and apples, and researchers have found that raw Apples are the richest fruit sources in Pectin, with the "Jonagold" leading other varieties. The characteristic structure of Pectin is a linear chain of α-(1-4)-linked

D-galacturonic acid that forms the pectin-backbone, a homogalacturonan. The fiber has a gel-forming effect when mixed with water (which makes it an effective binding agent when cleansing the intestines and colon). Protopectin, which is present in unripe fruits, is converted to Pectin as the fruit ripens. Pectin forms a colloidal solution in water and gels on cooling, and when fruits are cooked with the correct amount of sugar, and when the acidity is optimum and the amount of Pectin present is sufficient, fruit jams and jellies will result. On the other hand, when fruits are over-ripe, the Pectin becomes pectic acid, which does not form jelly with sugar solutions. Modern researchers suggest that a high-fat/low-fiber diet may be one of the leading causes of death; and, thus, people are encouraged to include Apple Pectin in any form (raw fruit or powder or juice) to help protect them from the ailments that may be caused by such a lifestyle. Rich in important vitamins, tannins and an especially high Pectin content, the Apple is especially beneficial to maintaining good health.