Pectin is a type of soluble fiber found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as apples, beets and citrus fruits, and which brings benefits such as improving the intestinal flora and increasing the fecal cake, functioning as a natural laxative.
Pectins have a high capacity to form a viscous gel, characteristic of fruit jellies, but it is also usually added in bakery products, yoghurts, juices and sweets to improve the texture and creaminess of food.
Thus, the main health benefits of pectins are:
- Increase the fecal cake and hydrate it, facilitating intestinal transit; Increase the feeling of satiety, by delaying gastric emptying; Function as food for beneficial bacteria in the intestine; Reduce cholesterol by increasing the excretion of fats in the stool; Helping to control glycemia, which is blood sugar.
By improving intestinal transit and giving more satiety, pectin also helps in weight loss diets, helping to stave off hunger and reduce the absorption of fats in the intestine.
Foods rich in Pectin
The richest fruits in pectin are apple, orange, mandarin, lemon, currant, blackberry and peach, while the richest vegetables are carrot, tomato, potato, beet and pea.
In addition to these, some industrialized products also have pectin in their composition to improve their texture, such as yogurts, jellies, fruit cakes and pies, pastas, candies and sugary confectionery, 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 apples, as shown below:
Place 10 whole, washed green apples, with peel and seeds, and cook in 1.25 liters of water. After cooking, the apples and the liquid should be placed on a sieve covered with gauze, so that the cooked apples can slowly pass through the gauze. This filtering must be done throughout the night.
The next day, the gelatinous liquid that passed through the sieve is the apple pectin, which can be frozen for future use. in portions. The proportion used should be 150 mL of pectin for every two kilograms of fruit. See other Fiber rich foods.
Where to buy
Pectins can be found in liquid or powder form at nutrition stores and pharmacies, and can be used for recipes such as cakes, cookies, homemade yogurts and jams.
