Picture this: you’ve started microdosing, and you’re feeling some of the benefits you’d heard so much about. Your thinking is more clear. You’re less anxious. You feel more creative. Now you want to take it to the next level: you want to try stacking! Lion’s mane and niacin are the most common microdose support supplements, so that’s where you start. You do your research, so you know how much of what kind of niacin to use and the difference between good lion’s mane and junk.
You finally try your carefully crafted new stack and…Bam! You get a tingling, almost burning sensation in your skin and redness on your face. You have encountered niacin flush. It’s not dangerous, but it can be pretty unpleasant for a lot of people.
You have a few options at this point:
- You could give up on niacin, and walk away from the potential benefits.
- You could reduce your niacin and hope it still works or that you might one day be able to work back up to your ideal dose.
- You could also take an aspirin with every dose to suppress the niacin’s action, but that sort of defeats the purpose.
- OR you could try adding apple pectin to your stack.
Apple pectin is a soluble fiber found in apples and other fruits. It’s gaining recognition for its general health benefits, but also for its role in microdose stacking. Apple pectin is a versatile, natural addition to a psychedelic microdosing practice. In this article, we’ll share the general benefits of apple pectin and how it can be particularly beneficial when used as part of microdose stacking protocols.
What is Apple Pectin?
Pectin is a type of fiber that comes from the cell walls of many fruits, including apples. It has been used by grannies for generations as a gelling agent in things like jams and jellies, but we now know it’s good for more than that.
As a supplement, pectin is recognized for its ability to promote digestive health, lower cholesterol, and potentially aid in the management of blood sugar levels.
The Science Behind Apple Pectin
Pectin is a dietary fiber that is found in the cell walls of certain plants that helps give them structure. Fruits like blackberries, grapes and apples are especially rich sources of high quality pectin.
Probably the most relevant attribute of pectin as a supplement generally and certainly as part of a microdose stack is the way it can transform its physical state. In supplement form, pectin is usually a powder–sometimes packed in a capsule or pressed into a tablet. However, the chemical structure of pectin allows it to easily convert from individual, chain-like molecules into an overlapping 3-dimensional mesh structure that captures water and, as a result, behaves like a gel (Thakur et al., 1997).
The pectin gel exerts its effects in 3 ways:
- What it is–as a dietary fiber apple pectin is useful in and of itself. It’s filling and a good probiotic.
- What it captures–just like apple pectin in gel form captures water, it can also capture other things…both controlling the release of useful substances and also capturing potentially harmful materials and toxins.
- How it behaves–when pectin forms a gel it increases viscosity and slows the rate of digestion.
Baseline Benefits: Why Do People Supplement with Apple Pectin Generally?
Digestive Health
One of the most commonly cited benefits of apple pectin is its impact on digestive health. Because of its ability to take on a viscous, gel-like form in the gut, apple pectin can help regulate bowel movements and improve gut flora.
Apple pectin is also used to treat acid reflux. In fact, until the 1980’s, it was the main active ingredient in Kaopectate (WEBMD, 2019).
Apple pectin has been shown to act as a probiotic, promoting the growth of good bacteria in the gut, which play a key role in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Improved gut health is linked to a wide range of benefits, from enhanced immune function to better mood regulation (Koutsos et al., 2015).
Cardiovascular Benefits
Apple pectin’s ability to lower cholesterol is another well-researched benefit when taken consistently in high doses. By binding to bile acids in the intestines, pectin prevents their reabsorption, prompting the liver to use circulating cholesterol to make more bile. This process can lead to a reduction in overall cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is often referred to as “bad cholesterol” (Brown et al., 1999).
It is also sometimes paired with niacin for patients under treatment for high blood pressure. As we’ll discuss later, niacin can cause harmless but unpleasant adverse reactions in some people. Apple pectin has been shown to be a good alternative to pharmaceutical remedies like aspirin in the treatment of niacin reactions (Moriarty et al., 2013).
Blood Sugar Management
Another potential benefit of apple pectin is its impact on blood sugar levels. By slowing the absorption of carbohydrates in the digestive tract, apple pectin may help prevent spikes in blood sugar levels after meals. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes or those looking to manage their blood sugar for general health purposes. Although some of the preliminary findings have been promising, more research is needed to confirm this (Schwartz et al., 1988).
Weight Loss
Another application of apple pectin is in weight management. More specifically, it can create a durable feeling of satiety without necessarily contributing a lot of caloric content because it thickens into a more slowly digested mass that keeps the stomach fuller longer.
Apple Pectin’s Contributions in Microdose Stacking
The concept of stacking—combining various supplements to enhance the effects of microdosing—is a popular practice in the microdosing community. Apple pectin, while not one of the most commonly used stack ingredients, has been gaining traction as a useful addition due to its ability to mitigate some of the side effects associated with another, more common stack ingredient, as well as its broader potential health benefits.
Mitigating Niacin Flush in Microdosing
Niacin is one of the most commonly used ingredients in psychedelic microdosing support stacks, including in probably the most famous: the Stamets Stack. It’s favored due to its vasodilating properties, as well as evidence that it might enhance neuroplasticity. However, high doses of niacin can also cause niacin flush, which is characterized by redness, tingling, and even a burning sensation, especially in the face and upper body. While the flush response is typically harmless, for many people it can be quite unpleasant.
This is where apple pectin can really help. Researchers have shown that apple pectin can significantly reduce the duration and severity of niacin flush without compromising the beneficial vasodilating effects (Moriarty et al., 2013). It does this via its gelling action. By creating a gelatinous suspension to carry the niacin, pectin can slow the rate at which it’s absorbed. This reduces the suddenness and intensity of the spike in niacin levels without specifically dampening its action.
For microdosers who want to incorporate niacin into their routine but are sensitive to the flush, taking apple pectin alongside their dose can provide relief and make the overall experience more comfortable.
Enhancing Bioavailability
Beyond its role in mitigating side effects, apple pectin may also enhance the bioavailability of other substances in a microdosing stack. The gel-like consistency it forms in the digestive tract can slow the absorption of other active ingredients, allowing for a more sustained release of compounds like psilocybin. This can lead to a gentler, more stable microdosing experience, which is particularly beneficial for those aiming for consistency in their cognitive and emotional states. For more information on this, check out our article on top tips to enhance microdosing.
Additionally, apple pectin’s previously mentioned potential to improve gut health could have indirect benefits on the effectiveness of microdosing. A healthy gut has been linked to improved mood, mental clarity, and emotional resilience—all key goals of many microdosing practitioners.
How to Incorporate Apple Pectin into Your Stack
Apple pectin is a widely available and safe supplement, which means it’s easy to add to your microdosing stack. Apple pectin can be taken in capsule or powder form, and it can also be found naturally in foods like apples and citrus fruits. It can also sometimes be found in specialized microdosing support supplement formulations.
For those who are interested in taking apple pectin specifically for niacin flush, the effects will scale with how much you take. Those who are highly sensitive might take as much as 2 grams with their microdose and niacin, but for most people–especially those that are not brand new to niacin supplementation, much less should be sufficient to take the edge off.
Conclusion
Apple pectin is a versatile supplement that offers a range of health benefits, from improved digestion to enhanced cardiovascular health. Its ability to mitigate the uncomfortable side effects of niacin, combined with its potential to improve the bioavailability of other substances, makes it a great potential addition to microdose stacking routines. Whether you’re new to microdosing or a seasoned practitioner looking to refine your stack, apple pectin can be a helpful tool in maximizing both comfort and effectiveness. As always, consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your supplement regimen, particularly if you have pre-existing health conditions.
Sources:
Brown, L., Rosner, B., Willett, W. W., & Sacks, F. M. (1999). Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 69(1), 30–42. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/69.1.30
Koutsos, A., Tuohy, K., & Lovegrove, J. (2015). Apples and Cardiovascular Health—Is the Gut Microbiota a Core Consideration? Nutrients, 7(6), 3959–3998. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7063959
Moriarty, P. M., Backes, J., Dutton, J. A., He, J., Ruisinger, J. F., & Schmelzle, K. (2012). Apple pectin for the reduction of niacin-induced flushing. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 7(2), 140-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacl.2012.11.005
Schwartz, S. E., Levine, R. A., Weinstock, R. S., Petokas, S., Mills, C. A., & Thomas, F. D. (1988). Sustained pectin ingestion: effect on gastric emptying and glucose tolerance in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 48(6), 1413–1417. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/48.6.1413
Thakur, B. R., Singh, R. K., Handa, A. K., & Rao, M. A. (1997). Chemistry and uses of pectin — A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 37(1), 47–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408399709527767
WEBMD. (2019). Pectin: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning. Webmd.com. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-500/pectin
