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Page 39
| The Heart-Friendly Herbal Pharmacy |
| Apple Pectin |
| The pectin found in citrus fruits, apples, potatoes, green beans and strawberries, most familiar to cooks as the jelling agent that turns fruits into jams and jellies, has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels in laboratory animals and humans. In one three-week study, patients took 15 grams of apple pectin daily and their plasma cholesterol fell 13 percent or more. A 10-year study of nearly 4,000 men with high blood cholesterol levels tested the drug cholestyramine, which reduced cholesterol an average of 13.4 percent, a result almost identical to the effects of apple pectin. The drug, which had to be taken six times per day, cost $150 a month and had such severe side effects that 27 percent of the volunteers dropped out of the study. Pectin has no adverse side effects and is inexpensive. |
| Pectin is a mucilaginous fiber, and mucilaginous fibers have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels more effectively than ''roughage" fibers such as wheat bran. Pectin is especially effective at preventing the body's absorption of dietary cholesterol, making it the herb of choice for those who consume meat, eggs and dairy products. Among pectin's beneficial side effects are its ability to prevent gallstones, reduce blood sugar imbalances in diabetics and gen- |
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