Pectin is a complex versatile heteropolysaccharide of great importance to food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Learn more about the thickener & gelling agent – Pectin (E440), from fruit sources; three types; food uses; safety; health benefits and so on. » Pectin is a purified carbohydrate product obtained from the dilute acid extract of the inner portion of the rind of citrus fruits or from apple pomace. It consists chiefly of partially methoxylated polygalacturonic acids. In human digestion, pectin binds to cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract and slows glucose absorption by trapping carbohydrates. Pectin is thus a soluble dietary fiber. In non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice pectin has been shown to increase the incidence of autoimmune type 1 diabetes. [10]
