Well, it *is* possible to produce pectin artificially, but it's so much cheaper to just harvest it from natural sources that nobody's going to bother synthesizing it.

However, if it was cheaper to synthesize, then it would still have exactly the same function as a bacterial substrate in the intestine as would the natural stuff. Pectin is pectin.

That being said, yes, pectin in jams, and jellies for that matter, are quite healthy. Nobody ever got sick from eating good jams and jellies. They don't need to be as sweet as we've grown to make them, but jams and jellies are quite alright as food, and as a source of pectin...

In fact, natural pectin from the fruit is what gives jellies their jell.

Now... as for pectin in yogurt...

Although pectin is not a natural constituent of yogurt, it's a darned good idea to add pectin to yogurt, because yogurt has lacto-bacilli, which are of that class of bacilli that prefer to live in a medium having pectin for it to root on, and which are of that class of bacilli that eat bile-salts, which has the effect of lowering cholesterol levels.

So... yes... jams and jellies with naturally occurring pectin are good (just consider making them with less sugar) and adding pectin to yogurt is a very good idea.

Both are healthy. Most yoghurts in North America have added pectin, found naturally in fruit. Pectin is higher in legumes and citrus fruits than cereals. Pectin is a carbohydrate. Pectin is present in all plants but the content and composition varies depending on the species, variety, maturity, plant part, tissue, and growing condition. Pectin refers to a group of diverse and complex polysaccharides found in the primary cell wall and intercellular space of plant cells. Pectin is mostly composed of a sugar residue called D-galacturonic acid.
Yoghurt or yogurt is a dairy product. Fermentation of lactose, which acts on milk protein to give yoghurt and its characteristic tang. The milk is heated to about 180°F. to kill any undesirable bacteria and to change the milk proteins so that they set together rather than form curds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoghurt

Pectin is a soluble dietary fiber which is known to have health benefits to human.
Health benefits of pectin:
1. has potential to lower blood cholesterol specifically the LDL (low density lipoprotein) or the bad cholesterol
2. improve insulin resistance
3. gives relief from diarrhea
4. acts as detoxicant
5. act as regulator and protectant of the GIT
6. stimulates the immune system
7. anti-ulcer and antinepthrotic agent
8. can help reduce the rate of glucose uptake after consumption of glycaemic carbohydrate
9. reduce heart disease
10. prevent gallstones.

Pectin has a high-water-holding capacity because of this property it is isolated from cirtrus peels and apple pomace and used in making jams like apple or apricot jams as a gelling substance and thickening foods. It is also an important ingredient in industrial yogurt, cakes, ketchup and fruit jelly.