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The Health Benefits of Modified Citrus Pectin: A Comprehensive Guide

Jenny Graves

If you’ve made jam or jellies, you probably know that you can use pectin as a gelling agent. It’s a carbohydrate that’s found in plant cell walls and helps to give them their structure. The peel and pith of citrus fruits like lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges is especially rich in pectin.

Pectin is a large, complex molecule that humans aren’t able to digest. It passes straight through the small intestine and into the large intestine, where our gut bacteria digest it for us. This makes it a valuable prebiotic that helps to keep our guts healthy. However, it can’t enter the bloodstream, so it can’t have any systemic effects.

How is modified citrus pectin made?

Subjecting the pectin from citrus fruits to pH modification and temperature breaks down the large molecules. The particles of modified citrus pectin (MCP) are small enough for the body to digest and pass into the bloodstream. Here they can work their magic.

What does modified citrus pectin do?

Once it reaches the bloodstream, MCP blocks the effects of a protein called galectin-3 on the surface of cells. Galectin-3 plays a large part in cancer formation and metastasis, and diseases caused by fibrosis, such as heart, liver and kidney disease.

Scientists have found high levels of galectin-3 in cancers of the:

  • thyroid

  • liver

  • prostate

  • pancreas

  • colorectal area

  • breast (particularly in triple negative breast cancers)

  • endometrium

  • pituitary

  • gallbladder.

In most cases, these high levels are associated with a worse prognosis (1).

Galectin-3 protects cancer cells as they travel through the bloodstream. High levels of galectin-3 stop the cancer cells from being eliminated by the body (2). By blocking them, MCP prevents the first step in metastasis. It also stops any circulating cancer cells from clumping together, which is how cancers form new tumours (2).

In order for tumours to survive, they must have a blood supply, a process known as angiogenesis. Galectin-3 plays a large part in promoting angiogenesis (3), so when MCP prevents it, it helps to stop the cancer from growing and metastasising.

Metastasis is a real concern for cancer patients because the outcomes are usually poor. MCP could give you peace of mind that your cancer is less likely to spread.

Modified citrus pectin and its effects on chemotherapy

Galectin-3 also plays a part in chemotherapy resistance, where the drug stops working. It does this by dampening the apoptosis pathway that most chemo drugs use to kill a tumour (4). Apoptosis is programmed cell death, which most cells have built in but cancer cells don’t. By blocking galectin-3, MCP reduces chemo resistance.

Modified citrus pectin and prostate cancer

Researchers studied 59 men who had undergone prostate removal and/or radiation therapy for cancer. These men had rising PSA levels after the treatment. They took 4.8 g of MCP 3 times daily for 6 months. At that point, they had their PSA levels taken to see whether they had risen and they had digital examinations or scans to check for cancer progression. If there was no evidence of progression, they continued with the MCP treatment for another 12 months. After the first 6 months, 58% of the men had stable or decreased PSA levels. In 75% of them, their PSA doubling time had improved, and they had negative examinations or scans. Nearly 20% of the participants experienced some bloating, but it didn’t last (5).

A small earlier study found similar results (6).

Modified citrus pectin and breast cancer

The studies on MCP and breast cancer aren’t as far advanced as the ones for prostate cancer. But they are looking promising.

One study on mice looked at tumour-associated macrophages (TAM). These are a type of white blood cell that play an important role in carcinogenesis, angiogenesis and metastasis. The mice had breast cancer cells implanted in them. MCP treatment significantly reduced the number of TAMs (7).

Triple negative breast cancer is a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer that often metastasises. The researchers treated cells from a triple negative breast cancer line with MCP. They showed a large reduction in the potential for metastasis (8).

Other modified citrus pectin cancer studies

A laboratory study tested MCP against liver and lung cancer cell lines. The MCP activated autophagy, a kind of cell death (9).

Melanoma often metastasises to the lungs. In a trial on mice, MCP reduced the metastasis of melanoma to the lungs by over 90% (10).

Researchers implanted human bladder cancer cells in mice and then treated them with MCP. It significantly inhibited growth of the tumours (11).

MCP effectively inhibited the growth and metastasis of gastric and colorectal cancer cells in laboratory testing (12).

Used together with paclitaxel, MCP boosted the effects of paclitaxel against ovarian cancer cells in laboratory tests (13). Another study used MCP with a low dose of paclitaxel that would not have been effective alone. The two worked together to kill 75% of ovarian cancer cells and reduced their adhesion to the medium that they were growing in (14). Cancer cells must adhere in order to form tumours. This suggests that the combination might allow lower doses of paclitaxel, which would reduce side effects.

Laboratory tests also showed that MCP worked synergistically with doxorubicin to kill prostate cancer cells (15).

Other health benefits of modified citrus pectin

If you’ve read my book, you’ll know that we live in a world of toxins. Amongst those toxins are the heavy metals, arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead. They’re very hard for the body to detoxify. So, even if you took steps to avoid them from now on, you would still have them stored in your body.

Regular detoxification agents, like EDTA, DMSA, or DMPS, bind the metals in the bloodstream and remove the toxins via the faeces and urine. The trouble is that they come with a slew of potential side effects, such as:

  • redistributing the metals to the bones and brain

  • removing helpful minerals like calcium, magnesium, selenium, iron and zinc

  • causing gastrointestinal problems

  • triggering skin rashes.

Once you stop using these agents, you can also get a rebound effect to pre-treatment levels (16).

The good news is that MCP can do the same job with minimal side effects and it’s safe enough to continue using.

In a small human study, the volunteers took 5 g of MCP 3 times a day for 5 days and on the 6th day they took 5 g 4 times. The researchers measured the levels of heavy metals in their urine before the trial started, in order to get a baseline. Then they compared those levels with samples taken each day of the trial. The results were remarkable. On the first day:

  • arsenic levels in the urine increased by 130%

  • mercury levels increased by 150%

  • cadmium levels increased by 230%.

By day 6, lead levels had increased by 560%, but levels of calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium and iron were all stable (16).

These reductions are important because these heavy metals can all affect cancer risk.

Another paper covered 5 different case studies that had similar results. In these cases, they took the MCP for between 3 and 12 months. Patient 1’s lead levels dropped by 49% over 3 months. Patient 2 reduced his lead levels from highly toxic to undetectable after 6 months, and his mercury levels had dropped by 83%. Patients 3 and 4 had reductions in their mercury levels of 80% and 58% after 6 months. Patient 5 had a drop in mercury levels of 73% after 12 months (17).

A study conducted on children with high lead levels found that MCP dramatically reduced them after 28 days of taking 5 g of it 3 times a day (18).

When to take modified citrus pectin

It’s best to take MCP on an empty stomach.

Side effects of modified citrus pectin

Because of its high fibre content, you might experience some minor digestive problems. However, in the research, any difficulties were minor and resolved quickly.

Summary

If you’re trying to avoid metastasis or trying to reduce your heavy metal levels to avoid further cancers, MCP could be a useful addition to your regime. It’s safe to take long term and is unlikely to cause any major side effects. Because it’s a soluble fibre supplement, it will also act as a prebiotic, as well as all the other benefits that I’ve outlined here.

The term ‘modified citrus pectin’ could cover citrus pectin that has been modified in any way. Almost all the research papers specified the brand PectaSol®. Others may not work in the same way.

In my book, I discuss many other supplements that can help you. It also covers many lifestyle changes that can make a significant difference to your health and wellbeing. Do check it out. If you’d like a copy of the book, click on the button below to find out where you can buy it online.

References

  1. Dong R, Zhang M, Hu Q, et al. Galectin-3 as a novel biomarker for disease diagnosis and a target for therapy (review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2017;41(2):599-614. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.3311

  2. Takenaka Y, Fukumori T, Raz A. Galectin-3 and metastasis. Glycoconjugate Journal. 2002;19(7-9):543-549. doi:10.1023/b:glyc.0000014084.01324.15

  3. Funasaka T, Raz A, Nangia-Makker P. Galectin-3 in angiogenesis and metastasis. Glycobiology. 2014;24(10):886-891. doi:10.1093/glycob/cwu086

  4. Eliaz I, Raz A. Pleiotropic effects of modified citrus pectin. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2619. doi:10.3390/nu11112619

  5. Keizman D, Frenkel M, Peer A, et al. Modified citrus pectin treatment in non-metastatic biochemically relapsed prostate cancer: Results of a prospective phase II study. Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4295. doi:10.3390/nu13124295

  6. Guess BW, Scholz MC, Strum SB, Lam RY, Johnson HJ, Jennrich RI. Modified Citrus pectin (MCP) increases the prostate-specific antigen doubling time in men with prostate cancer: A phase II pilot study. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. 2003;6(4):301-304. doi:10.1038/sj.pcan.4500679

  7. Wang L, Zhao L, Gong F, et al. Modified citrus pectin inhibits breast cancer development in mice by targeting tumor-associated macrophage survival and polarization in hypoxic microenvironment. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica. 2022;43(6):1556-1567. doi:10.1038/s41401-021-00748-8

  8. Zhu L, Chvatal SA, Hayes HB, Millard DC, Gomillion CT. Abstract 4918: Modified Citrus pectin slows migration of triple negative breast cancer cells in an impedance-based scratch assay. Cancer Research. 2020;80(16_Supplement):4918. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.am2020-4918

  9. Leclere L, Fransolet M, Cote F, et al. Heat-modified citrus pectin induces apoptosis-like cell death and autophagy in hepg2 and A549 cancer cells. PLOS ONE. 2015;10(3):e0115831. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0115831

  10. Platt D, Raz A. Modulation of the lung colonization of B16-F1 melanoma cells by citrus pectin. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 1992;84(6):438-442. doi:10.1093/jnci/84.6.438

  11. Fang T, Liu D, Ning H, et al. Modified citrus pectin inhibited bladder tumor growth through downregulation of galectin-3. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica. 2018;39(12):1885-1893. doi:10.1038/s41401-018-0004-z

  12. Wang S, Li P, Lu S-M, Ling Z-Q. Chemoprevention of low-molecular-weight citrus pectin (LCP) in Gastrointestinal Cancer Cells. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 2016;12(6):746-756. doi:10.7150/ijbs.13988

  13. Hossein G, Halvaei S, Heidarian Y, et al. Pectasol‐C Modified Citrus pectin targets galectin‐3‐induced STAT3 activation and synergize paclitaxel cytotoxic effect on ovarian cancer spheroids. Cancer Medicine. 2019;8(9):4315-4329. doi:10.1002/cam4.2334

  14. Hossein G, Keshavarz M, Ahmadi S, Naderi N. Synergistic effects of PectaSol-C modified citrus pectin an inhibitor of galectin-3 and paclitaxel on apoptosis of human Skov-3 ovarian cancer cells. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2013;14(12):7561-7568. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.12.7561

  15. Tehranian N, Sepehri H, Mehdipour P, et al. Combination effect of PectaSol and doxorubicin on viability, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in DU-145 and lncap prostate cancer cell lines. Cell Biology International. 2012;36(7):601-610. doi:10.1042/cbi20110309

  16. Eliaz I, Hotchkiss AT, Fishman ML, Rode D. The effect of modified citrus pectin on urinary excretion of toxic elements. Phytotherapy Research. 2006;20(10):859-864. doi:10.1002/ptr.1953

  17. Eliaz I, Weil E, Wilk B. Integrative medicine and the role of modified citrus pectin/alginates in heavy metal chelation and detoxification – five case reports. Complementary Medicine Research. 2007;14(6):358-364. doi:10.1159/000109829

  18. Zhao ZY, Liang L, Fan X, et al. The role of modified citrus pectin as an effective chelator of lead in children hospitalized with toxic lead levels. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2008;14(4):34-38.