Citrus pectin

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels³

  In people, citrus pectin lowered cholesterol by about 13%, though it also raised fat in the stool.

• Open question

  Cholesterol and gut bacteria⁴

  In people, citrus pectin lowered cholesterol at first and changed gut bacteria, but stool habits stayed the same.

• Concern

  Iron absorption from food⁵

  In people with ileostomies, eating citrus pectin reduced how much iron the body absorbed, while other minerals were unchanged.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria and fat burning⁷

  In animal studies, citrus pectin changed gut bacteria and turned up fat-burning genes in mice on a switching high-fat diet.

How it’s made and used

• Gut bacteria and digestion⁶

  In people, eating citrus pectin raised a gut bacterial enzyme and changed how some steroids came out in stool.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.