and its beneficial effects on health ProPectin and its beneficial effects on health

Definition of Pectin Pectin, a component of the cell walls of plants is a form of soluble fiber, a galacturonic acid polymer. Pectin forms a gel-like consistency, making it an additive in the production of jams and jellies. Fruits contain particularly high levels of pectin in their skins, which are used for most commercial pectin production. Scientific research has revealed a great number of health benefits and medical uses of pectin

A food additive ProPectin is not a drug. It is a dietary supplement There are no guarantees that its effects shown in the presentation will occur. It is not a cure for the various medical problems described in the presentation.

Absence of side effects Pectins in regular quantities has no negative side effects like those of many medical drugs With statins they can include muscle pain, liver damage, kidney failure, digestive problems, rash or flushing, increased blood sugar or type 2 diabetes, memory loss and confusion. (Mayo Clinic staff report) Glycose-reducing drugs like TZD’s have side effects including increased risks for weight gain, heart failure, and osteoporosis.

Heavy metal reduction The consumption of pectin has shown to be an effective and risk-free method to reduce the risks of radiation damage to the body from exposure to heavy metal poisoning. It bonds with radiation elements like Cesium 137 and 134 in a process called chelation, thereby allowing the body to eliminate it through natural processes. In large-scale studies in the Chernobyl area pectin has been found to substantially reduce the Cesium 137 level with up to 63 %. (Belrad Institute of Radiation Safety)

Cholesterol reduction Apple pectin lowers cholesterol levels by significantly raising the levels of HDL, or good cholesterol. (Nutrition and Food Research Journal, 2010) The HDL cholesterol extracts the bad cholesterol LDL from the arteries and away from arterial walls, then delivers it to the liver where it is processed and removed from the body Pectin, as a soluble fiber, also works by binding cholesterol to bile acids and carrying them out of the body. Cholesterol reduction

Drug Delivery   Pectin's gel-like consistency makes it a useful agent for delivery of cancer drugs (Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan).  An oxidized type of pectin has been shown to form a gel and retain the anticancer drug within the area of the tumor, allowing the drug to have greater effectiveness than it would have if it were allowed to disperse. (Biomacromolecules, December 2010 ) Since it releases fatty acids and only ferments when it reaches the colon it is believed to be indirectly lowering the risk of colon cancer.

Anti-cancer properties In vitro animal studies and human clinical trials have demonstrated applications in the prevention and treatment of cancer in reducing solid tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis Pectin decreases risk of colon cancer by making the environment in the colon less toxic (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, September 2010 ) Pectin leads to less DNA damage and less risk of cancer (Chung Shan Medical University, Taishung, Taiwan)  

Anti-Inflammatory attributes   Pectin reduces inflammation associated with bowel disease by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory antibodies ("Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010)

  Weight Control Researchers at Konkuk University in Korea has tested the effects of a pectin-containing beverage on food intake levels for healthy but overweight women. The results of their study indicate that women who consumed the pectin twice a day consumed 12 percent fewer calories than usual at lunch time and 22 percent fewer calories at dinner. (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2007)

Glucose reduction Several studies with insulin dependent and non- independent diabetics have shown that pectin substances lower blood glucose and insulin levels after a carbohydrate meal. (Tunali, 1990, Levitt et al., 1980, Kanter et al. 1980) The results were comparable to studies with healthy volunteers (Jenkins et al., 1980, Holt et a.l, 1979, Sahi et a.l,1985 )

Incontinence improvement Pectin helps manage or prevent some types of incontinence. Research in this field points to it as an effective part of a management program to control fecal incontinence. A study showed that women required 21 to 25 gram of fiber, including pectin, each day and men needed 30 to 38 gram of this nutrient daily to control fecal incontinence (Journal of Pediatric Surgery, June 2009)

Human tissue regeneration A Chinese chemist Lin Shu Liu has developed a material from natural crop polymers including pectin, which can be used in biomedical materials, such as those used in human tissue regeneration. The new, pectin-based material forms three-dimensional structures with better physical and mechanical properties than the tissue replacers in current use.

Other medical applications New pectin applications include prosthetic medical devices and scaffolding for bone or cartilage repair. Pectin has properties that allow human cells to bind to it and grow. Plant physiologist Arland T. Hotchkiss and collaborators has demonstrated that pectin fragments have pre-biotic properties. Pre-biotics are non-digestible food ingredients that increase growth of beneficial bacteria which help prevent growth of food-borne pathogens.