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Q. I’m an active 69-year-old man. I ride my bicycle, work out 5 days a week and do my own landscape work. I no longer play softball since my knee operations.
I have arthritis, and the left knee is close to bone on bone. I started taking liquid pectin this spring and I no longer have swelling in my knee or pain at night. My knee is almost totally pain free on a daily basis.
It’s got to be the pectin, as I’ve done nothing else different in my dietary or physical routines. I can’t believe how good my knees feel!
A. Pectin comes from the cell walls of plants and is especially abundant in apples, blackberries, plums and oranges. It is used to help thicken jams and jellies. This soluble fiber has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels (Current Atherosclerosis Reports, Dec. 2008).
Liquid pectin such as Certo may be added to grape or pomegranate juice to ease joint pain. We include instructions for this and many other home remedies in our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis.
Joan
Wisconsin
To avoid the calories in grape juice, I’d like to try powdered fruit pectin in sugar free jello. Any suggestions as to how much powder to use for a jello box that requires 4 cups of water?
Cee
CA
I do not know how much powdered pectin to use. If you are asking about Sure- Jell or MCP in the box, they both contain sugar. If you are expecting Jell-O to set, it will not. It will stay liquid. If it’s flavor you are looking for, try the sugar free singles for bottled water. Some of them are pretty good.
Jay
Illinois
I’ve played golf for a few decades and been suffering from stiff and painful fingers especially in the morning. I have asked some doctors to give me a few cortisone shots to no avail.
I read something about pectin yesterday and went to Walmart, buying some pectin and grape juice.
As soon as I came home, I mixed a table sp of pectin and 4 ounces of grape juice and drank it.
It didn’t taste bad at all. I woke up this morning (some 10 hrs later), I noticed that my fingers were not as stiff as before. I hope it is not my imagination. I, however, was convinced it would work for me. I took another dose. Wish me luck.
DawnM
WA
Good evening! I’ve been searching all sites regarding pectin & cartilage and was wondering if the pectin/grape juice mix would help the healing process of injured sternum & cracked ribs? My husband required cpr last month which fractured ribs #3 & 5 on right side and his sternum.
Everything I’ve read & heard tells me it will take a long time for healing but if this drink mix can work on knees & other parts of our body containing cartilage what are the odds it would work in the chest area? Thank you for any assistance!
Lorrayne
So how much grape juice and how much Pectin? I heard about this today and I would like to try it.
I have knee pain and have had cortizone shots and the roosters comb shots and my knees still hurt.
Carla
Indiana
Can you use Sure-Jell, a powdered form of Pectin? I’m going to be doing some traveling and the liquid Certo would be much more difficult to transport. If so, what would the amount of Sure-Jell to a cup of grape juice be? Thanks!
Janet
Indiana
Can you use apple juice with the pectin?
ronald engels
United States
I have been taking Pectin for about 25 years, I had a dislocated shoulder and was told by a DR. that I would get arthritis which I did. I started to take Pectin & the pain stopped. I have been taking it ever since. It works.
LIR
I am getting ready to try it… gonna start with one tsp in 6 oz juice. If I feel it isn’t enough, will increase the certo to 2 tsp. Will let you know how it works.
robin
California
My great grandmother just drank jello every day. Her arthritis went away. No need for anything expensive.
Lorrayne
How did ir work?
BJN
Can you substitute red wine for the grape juice in the recipe for grape juice and Certo as an arthritis remedy?
People’s Pharmacy response: We suspect the Certo would ruin the flavor of the wine. Why would you want to do that?
The actual answer is that we don’t know. We’ve had no reports on such a combination.
V
Hello to all, I would like to point out that there is a high-grade pectin from Denmark which is available on eBay and is quite inexpensive.
I don’t know if links are allowed on this message board but you can find it if you search Google product search for CP Kelco Pectin, or search on eBay but be sure to check the box that says include item description. I just ordered a pound and a half of pectin for $14.99! It is available in quantities up to 10 pounds at $40. And it is pure with no additives. Hope this helps
j.n.d.
concord grape juice & Certo liquid pectin worked a miracle for me. Started taking combo well over a year ago after reading about it in a magazine comparing treatments for arthritis. Have a 4oz juice glass each morning. Two months ago, I started taking 2 packets of pectin in 2 quarts concord grape juice due to MRI report of torn meniscus in rt. knee due to fall and pain has been subsiding. My orthopedic doc said if there is no pain…NO Surgery!! YEA!! Am 77 year old walking dog to park and mowing my lawn. Folks, THIS WORKS!! It is cheap PLUS “NO” side effects!!!!!
abinico
Tried this several years ago – used the Certo liquid pectin. This is a cure for arthritis as far as I’m concerned. I was pain free within a day and stuff has really helped restore my joints. Note! I was already taking collagen based joint supplements but the Certo really did something to make those joint supplements really work. I also give this to my old dog – also helped his mobility greatly – wonderful stuff!
katielee
I began looking for help with chronic joint and knee pain from inflammation forever it seems. It’s so bad, even my hair is shedding at the root. I just started taking gelatin when I accidentally came across pectin in the store and decided to look up before I bought it as to what it could do if anything, so I stumbled on this page. I’ve read all these great reports, so I’m absolutely going to try this. I found prickly pear cactus, and Omega 3 are anti-inflammatories, but imbalanced hormones can cause join pain in both men and women go hand in hand with Adrenal Fatigue.
I’m going to be 62 this year, and I’ve been suffering for years. I pray I have the same results you had. It is a know fact that most chronic illnesses begin with inflammatory disease.
Mollie
Texas
KatieLee, did you try it and is it working for you? I’ve just been told about Pectin and really want to get started. Thanks.
SATNAM M.
I agree with home remedies. Medical science does research on only after you have problem, how to get rid of it. No research is done for the root cause of it. Home and herbal remedies work to eliminate the root cause. For arthritis exercise is must. It is a matter of use it or loose it. Thank you.
Michaelc
I purchase powdered pectin marketed by Ball I use the “Real Fruit Pectin” “Low Or No Sugar Needed” It has less citric acid added than other varieties. The citric acid in the others made it taste sour to me.
Anecdotal I know, but my experience has been: It helps my arthritic pain,– reduced my LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) and did not reduce my HDL (the good stuff),– and has helped keep me regular by adding bulk to my stool. I am attempting to lose weight by substituting soy protein shakes at lunch, which can put you in a real bind… silly pun intended.
Pectin is a water soluble fiber and binds to cholesterol produced by the liver and carries it out of your body instead of allowing it to get to your bloodstream.
Anne
I have had chronic back and neck pain for many years and I was taking several aspirin daily. I have noticed that the pain got worse in winter months, and I figured it was from a colder house and less outdoor activity. At Christmas this year, my pain was so bad that I could not stand for more that 5 minutes at a time.
My sister said she had been taking apple pectin capsules daily and her knee pain was significantly decreased. I am fairly skeptical about it but my husband said that he wanted to try it for his arthritis in his shoulder and hands. We are both diabetic, so we could not take any grape juice, but we bought Apple Pectin capsules at our local vitamin supplement store. The dosage on the bottle is 700 mg.
I started out taking 1 capsule in the morning, with no expectation of relief because, even prescription meds did little to help. After about 4 days, I realized that I was standing longer with less pain. I asked my husband if he noticed anything. He said he had not thought about it but, yes the pain was much less. I read the bottle and it said to take 1-2 capsules up to 3 times per day. (It should be noted here that the bottle says it is for intestinal regularity and does not mention joint pain relief).
I increased the capsules to 2 in the morning and 2 at night. Last Saturday I was able to go to 2 stores, (concrete floors) and shop for nearly 3 hours with little pain. I have done nothing else different other than take the apple pectin. By the way, I told a girlfriend who is suffering with back pain about it and she went to the vitamin supplement store and they said that I was having a placebo effect and that pectin does nothing for joint pain. If it is a placebo, fine, I will continue to take it and be drastically less in pain!
bg
I’ve been taking pectin with grape juice, and it has definitely reduced the symptoms, but I am concerned about the level of sugar in two 8-oz glasses of grape juice a day. Is there any reason other than taste that the liquid pectin has to be taken in grape juice? For example, could it be taken in water, cold coffee, or thinned-down red box wine?
Thanks
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: GRAPE JUICE HAS SOME ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF ITS OWN, BUT OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SUCCESS WITH CHERRY, POMEGRANATE OR OTHER JUICE MIXED WITH THE PECTIN. WE DOUBT COLD COFFEE WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT IF YOU TRY IT AND DISCOVER WE ARE WRONG, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
Susan1234
Frances,
Some time ago you commented that you have flare-ups of knee and joint pain. Have you been checked for calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease (aka psuedo gout)? Both of my knees flared up a couple of years ago, and after a lot of testing they figured out it was psuedo gout. I’ve had a couple of flare ups since. I also have some osteoarthritis that’s causing some problems, so I plan to try the liquid pectin, too.
Cynthia
I was using Welches’ purple grape juice and liquid pectin for arthritis pain in my hands. I used to feel the pain increase if I missed a couple of days of this.
Recently I stopped drinking coffee or tea, except maybe once a week, just because it was not tasting good any more. It coincided with a time in which I was irregular with the grape juice. To my surprise after 2 or 3 weeks I noticed that my hand pain was reduced just as it had been by the grape juice/pectin. Research informed me that caffeine seems to inhibit some natural substance that normally works against inflammation.
However it works, it worked for me, and it is not a placebo effect because I had no expectations of feeling at all different from no caffeine, never gave it a thought. The pain reduction (as in the case of the grape juice) is pain when the finger joints are at rest or in mild use.
The swollen joints are still that way and still tender to pressure. But not having aching or shooting pains in the joints is a big improvement. Perhaps someone else will find this worth a try. Be sure to taper off of caffeine to avoid the terrible headache, if you drink more than a cup or two a day. I had been down to a cup or so a day for several months when I quit, and the pain reduction came when I quit entirely.
Cynthia
Dorothy, look for powdered pectin in the canning section of the supermarket. They usually sell both the liquid and powdered forms there.
Dorothy
I saw suggestion to use pure pectin powder for arthritis pain, but need to know where to obtain and how to use the powder.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: CHECK THIS ON OUR WEB SITE:
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/13/pectin-in-fruit-juice-for-aches-and-pains/
Gabriela P.
No one answered the question that if it helps with us who have RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis)….
Does the pectin/grape juice help? Please, I would love to know. I would do anything that would help with the searing pain, and if it is natural, all the better!
Jerry
You mentioned that he mixed 1 pack of liquid pectin to 1/2 gallon of juice. Do you have to shake it up before each use or does the pectin (liquid or powder) stay dissolved in the juice? My presumption is you would have to shake it up before each use (especially if it is powder).
Mark M
Does it have to be the liquid pectin? What about using the powder version?
I’ve been sprinkling the powder version on warm, buttered toast!
Tastes good. Don’t know if it has the same effect however.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: WE HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SUCCESS WITH POWDERED PECTIN.
Lesley
I, too, am concerned about the sodium in the Certo and am wondering whether Candace R. has had any good results with the apple pectin capsules? Thanks!
lynn
I have heard that Pomona Pectin is very good.
Jim B.
I just started using Certo after reading an article in the paper and have a couple of questions: 1. Am I correct in using 3 oz of Certo to 64 oz of WHITE Grape juice? 2. Should I refrigerate it after mixing? 3. How soon after taking 1/2 cup of the mix can I drink or eat anything else?
Thanks
Candace R
I’ve had two arthroscopic surgeries this year, and I’m about to have another. My job requires jumping up and down out of a truck 10-12 hours a day, and my knees are thrashed. So… like a lot of you, I’m going to try the Certo and grape juice program.
I don’t like the fact that Certo contains sodium benzoate, so I’m looking at alternatives. I found apple pectin capsules is a health food store, which seems like a good solution if I can figure out how many to take. Trader Joe’s (in California) has wonderful 100% organic grape juice for about half the price of most brands at other stores.
I’ll let you know… It will be so amazing if this works!
sue
It WORKS…..no more hip pain (after about a week) when standing from sitting and trying to walk. I put one package of Certo liquid pectin in a glass pint jar….fill the jar up with water and take a 3 teaspoons every morning. This formula was given to me, via a friend from a Bone/Joint doctor.
Rose M
Certo in grape juice has helped relieve joint pain for my husband’s arthritis in his knees and thumb, and it has given me relief with stiff sore muscles when I first stand up. Pain is gone!! We have followed the proportions recommended on this website. Here’s a tip: the liquid Certo can be messy, so get a syrup dispenser. Empty the envelope of liquid Certo into it and store in the refrigerator. Then it is easy to measure out by tsp. or Tbsp.
Frances
I am happy to hear that the grape juice and pectin combination seems to have brought relief for some people!
I am a moderately active 32 year old woman with at least 15 years of recurrent hip, shoulder, and ankle pain, soreness, and limited mobility, coming on suddenly every few months and lasting for a few weeks at a time, then quietly slipping away and leaving me perfectly well again for a few more months. I have had another attack in both knees recently, making it impossible to sit down or stand up without using my hands to lower myself down or push myself back up again. Talk about a scrape at a young age!!
So, I have now taken my first daily dose of approximately 10 oz of grape juice mixed with 1 TBS of Certo liquid pectin tonight and am hoping to be able to report back within the next week or two with positive results. I do find the juice to be a little bit sweet, but it does taste like yummy liquid grape jelly so I’m treating it like a dessert!
As a side note, I fully agree with RMD’s comment that regular exercise is absolutely key to recovery, preserving mobility, and all-around lifelong health. I have begun walking on a hilly forest trail every day for an hour and have embarked on a healthy diet, free of processed foods and added sugar, low in sodium, and high in fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, green tea and water. Also, because I have heard that wheat or dairy products *may possibly* contribute to intolerance-related inflammation in some people, I have decided, for a month or two at least, to cut out dairy and all wheat-containing products concurrently with starting my pectin program, just to see if I feel any better. I do love milk, cheese, and wheat breads and pasta! Ho hum..there are many healthy, alternative grains out there to explore! Naturally gluten-free spelt makes gorgeous, absolutely delicious bread. So, these other changes may well factor into my results.
I’ll come back April 30 and report any progress or freedom from pain!
Pat P
My husband’s pain from early arthritis in many places had been increasing late this Fall. He mixes one package of the liquid pectin in a half gallon of red grape juice. He takes 4 oz twice a day. He has experienced a marked increase in flexibility within 2 weeks, moving and swimming more easily. He was not as successful with one 8 oz glass per day.
lhegeman
Grape juice with pectin has provided good results for friend with lower limb arthritis. My (early morning) lower limb discomfort disappeared within a week of taking grape juice with pectin 2x daily. Welch’s grape juice is too sweet for our taste but purchasing concentrated concord/red grape juice from wine making supplies tastes great, works beautifully and is lower cost. We use pectin in any form and from any source. Life in arctic Canada is adventurous and sometimes a challenge. With 8 months of winter and months of darkness any impaired mobility would impact our life significantly. Grape juice with pectin has helped maintain wellness and maximum mobility. Thanks so much!
Sue B.
Would this work for rheumatoid arthritis as well?
Sally
Does it have to be grape or pomegranate juice? What about using cherry juice? What about other juices?
Ron S.
68 yo wm with severe debilitating joint disease… osteoarthritis of R hip…. pain so bad that using a cane to get to the bathroom was becoming common. After 2 weeks of grape juice and pectin (1 pkg liquid pectin in 64 oz juice) my pain has almost completely disappeared… it’s like magic. I still have some twinges of pain every now and then but I consider it a 98 % cure. I was this close to consulting a surgeon.
syd
Instead of pectin, powdered or otherwise, wouldn’t it be just as effective to eat an apple or orange?
RonD
I started using the SureJell in powdered form over two years ago due to hip joint osteo arheritis. I am over 60 and run 5-10 miles several times per week. It has reduced my pain symptoms. But, I have to point out that I started taking a daily capsule of fish oil at the same time. So I cannot separate the effect of the two.
I did not like the idea of opening the liquid form, using only part of it each day. I thought it might spoil. I put a box of of the powder into an old spice container with a pour spout and it lasts about a week. I stir about a tablespoon into a few ounces of water. I started putting it in juice but decided the juice didn’t do anything, was too sweet, too expensive. Although the powder in water is somewhat “gloppy” but tasted quite good by itself.
ca
See earlier posts in this thread for recommended amounts.
crg
Can sure jel powder be used instead of liquid certo?
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: WE DON’T KNOW. WE NEED PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRIED THE EXPERIMENT TO REPORT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
csn
how much certo?
ecs
What is the amount of Pectin to use per glass of grape juice or a half glass of grape juice??
Jim C
I’m looking for the correct amount of Certo to mix with the grape juice. One writer uses one teaspoon, another uses two per glass of juice. Is this a ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ sort of remedy?
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: AS A HOME REMEDY, PEOPLE HAVE ADAPTED THE PROPORTIONS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL ALTERNATIVE RECIPES.
VRW
Your article was passed on to me from a friend. The one about pectin in juice. My question is how much pectin to how much juice?
Mariza
2 teaspoons of Certo in 4-6 oz of juice. Relief comes relatively quickly – some within 24 hours. I take it with Hyaluronic acid. I feel better than I can remember in a long time. Good luck.
B C
What dosage amounts & what frequency to be taken????
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: THIS IS A HOME REMEDY, SO PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR OWN RECIPES. IT RANGES FROM 1 TEASPOON IN 3 OUNCES OF JUICE THREE TIMES A DAY TO 1 TABLESPOON IN 8 OUNCES OF JUICE ONCE A DAY. (THESE ARE ACTUALLY FAIRLY CLOSE DOSES, BUT THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS PEOPLE HAVE USED.)
DJW
I have found that when the summer gets here, my arthritis pain reduces by 80%. I thought it was because I was eating blueberries . But It happened before the blueberries came on. After watching and making no changes, I discovered that it was FRESH tomatoes. I don’t know what makes this work, only that it does in as little as two days of eating a couple a day.
I thought that drinking tomato juice would do the same thing but stewed tomatoes and juice don’t seem to work. Maybe because of being cooked. We were on vacation last week and by the end of the week, I couldn’t sleep. (no tomatoes) I’ve been home two days and have been eating fresh tomatoes and now greatly relieved of pain and can make a fist again without effort. This works for me. Not Maybe or I THINK it helps. It is very dramatic.
Wanda
One teaspoon mixed into a glass of Grape juice. It tastes like liquid grape jelly! Yum.
Margo F.
Nuts! I went to your site to find how much Certo pectin to add for arthritis joint pain, but no amounts were given.
Should I just guess????
Margo F.
RMD
I have arthritis in both knees, and I tried this as well as Sour Cherry juice and Pineapple Juice and I think it may have helped, but I’m not sure if it was real or in my head. When I stopped, I didn’t see any appreciable difference except in my wallet.
What I did find relieves the arthritic pain in my knees is what the American Arthritis Society and the Arthritis Foundation recommend, and that’s Exercise. I know none of us including myself wants to do it, and we always find excuses for not exercising, but moderate exercise like walking really did help relieve pain in my knees.
The caveat is that you have to do it regularly at least 5 times per week and keep exercising until it becomes a habit and a regular part of your lifestyle and that’s the hard part for most people including me. Moderate Walking or Bicycling will reduce the pain in your knees. The key word is moderate, if you feel pain after doing it, reduce the amount of time, but don’t give up. A heating pad on your knees before exercising and ice after exercising also helps to relieve the pain.
Eventually, as you continue to exercise regularly the pain will subside and you will find that you can walk further and climb and descend stairs with much less pain. This takes a strong commitment on your part, but once you do it you will find it really helps.