Your gut microbiome needs both prebiotics and probiotics to stay healthy (5Trusted Source).

Probiotics are healthy bacteria in your gut that break down certain foods, kill dangerous organisms, and create vitamins. Prebiotics can help feed these good bacteria (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

As it stimulates the growth and activity of helpful bacteria, apple pectin is considered a prebiotic. What’s more, it may help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, such as Clostridium and Bacteroides, in the digestive tract (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

SUMMARYApple pectin is a prebiotic, promoting gut health by feeding the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract.

Apple pectin may aid weight loss by delaying stomach emptying.

Slower digestion may help you feel full for longer. In turn, this may reduce your food intake, leading to weight loss (8Trusted Source).

In one 2-day study, 74 adults took 5–20 grams of pectin with orange juice after fasting overnight. Even those taking the smallest dose experienced more fullness and reduced food intake (9Trusted Source).

However, a 3-week study in 11 adults noted that supplementing with 27 grams of citrus-peel pectin daily did not affect fullness or weight loss (10Trusted Source).

This is why more research is needed.

SUMMARYPectin may help you feel full for longer, which could aid weight loss. However, results are mixed, and further studies are necessary.

Soluble fiber like pectin is believed to decrease blood sugar levels, which could aid conditions like type 2 diabetes (11Trusted Source).

In a small, 4-week study, 12 people with type 2 diabetes took 20 grams of apple pectin daily and experienced improved blood sugar responses (14Trusted Source).

Yet, a review noted that standard doses of any type of pectin do not seem to reduce blood sugar levels (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

As such, further studies are necessary.

SUMMARYApple pectin may aid blood sugar control, but more studies are needed.

Apple pectin may boost heart health by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

This substance binds to bile acids in your small intestine, which may help improve cholesterol levels (15Trusted Source).

An analysis of 67 studies in 2,990 adults determined that pectin reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol without affecting HDL (good) cholesterol. Overall, pectin tended to lower total cholesterol by 5–16% (15Trusted Source).

This is important, as elevated levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol are a major risk factor for heart disease (16Trusted Source).

Other human and animal studies have observed similar results (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).

What’s more, apple pectin may affect blood pressure, which is another risk factor for heart disease (21Trusted Source).

A review of 43 studies showed that 9 grams of pectin per day for 7 weeks lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure — the top and bottom numbers in a reading, respectively. This effect was especially pronounced in people with high blood pressure (22Trusted Source).

However, more specific research on apple pectin and blood pressure is necessary.

SUMMARYApple pectin may reduce risk factors for heart disease, including blood pressure and total and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Constipation and diarrhea are common complaints. In fact, around 14% of people worldwide deal with chronic constipation (23Trusted Source).

Apple pectin may alleviate both diarrhea and constipation (24Trusted Source).

As a gel-forming fiber, pectin easily absorbs water and has been shown to normalize stools (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

In 2 studies, people who took 24 grams of pectin daily experienced fewer symptoms of diarrhea and constipation (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

SUMMARYApple pectin is a gel-forming fiber that easily absorbs water, helping relieve both constipation and diarrhea.

There is some research showing that apple pectin may improve iron uptake.

Iron is an essential mineral that transports oxygen throughout your body and makes red blood cells (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

This could be especially important for people with anemia, a condition linked to weakness and fatigue that’s often caused by iron deficiency. Notably, the World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that over 30% of women globally who are of childbearing age are anemic (30Trusted Source).

People who are menstruating and anyone following a vegan or vegetarian diet are at a particularly high risk of iron deficiency. Menstruation can trigger iron loss, while iron found in plant-based diets isn’t absorbed as well as iron from animal foods (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).

Yet, research on apple pectin provides mixed results.

While one rat study showed that pectin enhanced iron absorption, another did not (33, 34Trusted Source).

Therefore, research that includes humans is needed.

SUMMARYApple pectin may improve iron absorption, but results are mixed. Thus, more studies are necessary.

Pectin may improve acid reflux symptoms.

Around 20% of adults in the United States have acid reflux, a condition in which stomach acid rises into your esophagus. It may lead to heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) when it occurs too often (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

In a study in 18 children with cerebral palsy on tube feedings, those who received pectin in their formulas experienced fewer and less severe episodes of acid reflux (37Trusted Source).

Yet, because of the limited nature of this study, more research is necessary.

SUMMARYApple pectin may improve acid reflux, but further research is necessary.

Hair loss affects millions of people and is considered difficult to treat (38Trusted Source).

Anecdotal evidence associates apple pectin with stronger hair and skin. It has even been added to cosmetic products, such as shampoos, with the promise of fuller hair (39Trusted Source).

However, no scientific evidence links pectin to hair or skin health.

Your best bet is to eat whole apples, as their vitamin C content supports healthy skin (40Trusted Source).

SUMMARYMany people believe that apple pectin boosts hair and skin health, but studies don’t currently back this claim.

Diet plays a role in cancer development and progression, with increased fruit and vegetable intake potentially lowering your risk (41Trusted Source).

Test-tube studies suggest that pectin may fight prostate and colon cancer cells (42, 43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source).

One rat study revealed that citrus pectin reduced the spread of prostate cancer — but failed to affect the primary tumor (45Trusted Source).

Although these studies are promising, further research is needed.

SUMMARYA few animal or test tube studies indicate that pectin may have anticancer effects, but more research including humans is necessary.

Pectin is a common ingredient in jams and pie fillings, as it helps thicken and stabilize foods (1Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

Apple pectin is likewise available as a supplement.

Moreover, whole apples provide pectin, with the Granny Smith variety offering the highest amounts (2Trusted Source, 46Trusted Source).

It’s easy to eat apple slices raw, bake them with cinnamon, or add them to smoothies. You can also mix them into your oatmeal.

SUMMARYIt’s simple to add apple pectin to your diet as a supplement, though whole apples — particularly the Granny Smith variety — also offer high amounts.

Apple pectin is a type of soluble fiber with several potential health benefits.

It may improve cholesterol, blood pressure, gut health, and bowel stability, though results are mixed and more research is necessary.

You can consume it as a supplement, via jams and jellies, or by eating whole apples with the skin to get the max amount of pectin.