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Pear fruit is full of antioxidants like vitamin C, dietary fiber, and other plant compounds that help promote overall health.
Pears are nutritious and may help improve digestion, balance cholesterol levels, and may reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Free of fat and cholesterol, pears weigh about 100 calories, making it a strong choice to support weight loss efforts.
This article discusses pear health benefits and nutritional information, including who should avoid it.
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Varieties of Pears
There are many different types of pears grown in the United States. Common types include:
- Anjou
- Bartlett
- Box
- Comic
- Concorde
- Trout
- French butter
- Shekels
Canned pears are commonly stored in juice or syrup. To avoid added sugars and carbohydrates, choose pears canned in water.
Some fruits can be called pears but they are not part of the fruit family. Prickly pears are part of the cactus family and are technically not a type of pear.
Pear Nutrition
Pears are a great source of fiber, vitamin K, and potassium. Here’s how the nutrient content of the fruit breaks down for a medium-sized pear:
- calories: 101
- Fat: 0.5 grams (g)
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 1.8 milligrams (mg)
- Potassium: 206 mg
- Vitamin K: 7.8 micrograms (mcg)
Asian pears are lower in calories and contain more vitamin C and fiber than other types of pears.
Pears vs. Apples
Pears and apples have similar benefits. All are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre, with slight differences.
Pears and apples have comparable phosphorus and sodium levels. But pears contain more copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc than apples do. Apples have higher levels of vitamins A, E, and B1, while pears have higher levels of vitamins B3 and K. Each contains about the same levels of vitamins C and B2.
Both fruits are sources of pectin, a fiber that supports gut health.
Pears and apples also have a low glycemic index (GI), which is ranked at 55 or less. GI is a measure of how quickly a food can raise your blood sugar levels. Pears and apples increase blood sugar slowly in the body, making them a good choice for people with diabetes.
Health Benefits of Pears
Research shows that pears have many health benefits and have been used as anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic and diuretic home remedies for thousands of years.
Increases Fiber Intake
A medium-sized pear offers 5.5 g of fiber, about 22% of the recommended daily intake recommended by health experts.
Dietary fiber is essential to help promote bowel movement function and reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol. It helps increase bowel movements and protects against developing certain health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Treats Diverticulosis
People with diverticulitis (a condition where small inflamed pouches grow on the intestinal wall or colon) are encouraged to add more fiber to their diet. Fruits such as pears, apples and bananas are often recommended as high fiber foods can help stool pass faster and easier and may help prevent and treat diverticulosis.
Most healthy adults who eat a 2,000-calorie diet require at least 28 g of fiber per day, and some studies suggest that eating at least 30 g of fiber each day may help prevent heart disease. prevent.
It reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Thanks to antioxidants in the fruit and its skin, pears may help a person’s risk of developing heart disease.
Some research shows that certain antioxidants in pears can help reduce inflammation, reduce stiffness in heart tissue, increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good” cholesterol), and lower LDL levels).
Another study found that adults with metabolic syndrome (a set of symptoms that lead to a higher risk of heart disease) who ate two a pear a day for three months.
It stimulates detoxification
The nutrient composition of pears can help promote healthy bowel movements by keeping stools soft. This also encourages the elimination of toxins by flushing out the digestive system.
The fruit’s high water content and ample fiber and fructose promote a laxative effect on the digestive system.
Free Radical Fights
High levels of antioxidants in pears are beneficial in combating the harmful effects of free radicals, which are potentially cancer-causing molecules produced by the body when it converts food into energy. Vitamin C, vitamin K, and copper in fruits like pears help protect cells in the body from the damage caused by free radicals when they develop.
Who Should Avoid Pears?
Because pears have a naturally higher amount of fructose, they are considered a high FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) food.
FODMAPs are found in many different foods and can cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some people. These foods are not well absorbed by the gut, so they draw water from the intestines and can cause gas-like symptoms as they ferment in the digestive system.
People with digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are often encouraged to eat low-FODMAP foods to help control symptoms such as stomach pain, gas and bloating. In these cases, it may be best to reconsider your pear intake, but always check with a health care provider about your nutritional and nutritional needs.
Although pear allergies seem rare, adverse reactions to this product are possible. Experts believe that the allergy symptoms experienced after eating pears are a reaction to certain proteins found in the fruit, which are similar to proteins found in birch and peach pollen.
Summary
Pears are rich in powerful antioxidants, plant compounds, and dietary fiber. Research shows that the nutrient content in pears can help support gut and heart health, promote weight loss, and protect against the risk of certain health conditions.
Although pears are a generally beneficial addition to the diets of most healthy adults, people with IBS may want to steer clear of this product to avoid worsening digestive symptoms.
