Including pears in your diet can provide plenty of health benefits. This fruit can lower cholesterol, boost immunity, protect vision, and most importantly, reduce the risk of cancer.
Did You Know?
In order to reap the nutritional benefits of pears, make sure you do not peel the fruit before eating it.
As is common knowledge, any fruit is good for health. Each fruit is known for the specific health benefits it gives out. As such, pears too have numerous benefits that they give us, health-wise. And what’s more? This fruit is so tasty, there would hardly be anyone around who didn’t fancy it.
Beginning the day by taking a few bites of a ripened pear will give you a head-start toward keeping yourself healthy. This is because, pears are packed with nutrition, and can be a perfect, healthy sweet treat. Health-wise, the fruit is simply amazing, as it contains a host of nutrients that display anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.
So without any further delay, we’re going to check out 13 amazing health benefits of pears, after which, you would have no reason not to include this juicy fruit in your diet.
Lowers Cholesterol
Pears show cholesterol-lowering ability, thanks to their high pectin content. Pectin, a type of fiber, found in a variety of fruits, including pears, provides an easy way to knock down those bad cholesterol levels. The fiber sticks to the cholesterol in the intestine, and stops it from entering the bloodstream. This pectin-bound cholesterol is then eventually flushed out of the body.
Strengthens the Immune System
Pears contain reasonable amounts of vitamin C, an antioxidant that is known to boost the immune system. A medium-sized pear provides around 12% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. So, do your immune system a favor by including pears in your diet.
Excellent Energy Booster
As we know, glucose obtained from our daily meals acts as fuel for the body. In simple words, every cell in the body requires glucose to fulfill its energy needs. Pears are high in glucose, a naturally-occurring sugar and the most readily usable form of energy. With 17 g sugar coming from a medium-sized pear, eating just one can quickly raise your flagging energy levels.
Promotes Bone Health
Pears are a good source of boron, a trace mineral that can help facilitate the absorption of calcium needed for optimum bone health. The trace mineral supports the bone strengthening effects of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. So, one can definitely say that boron found in pears is crucial in supporting bone health, and can even help to treat osteoporosis.
Supports Colon Health
Pears are an excellent source of fiber, with a medium-sized one providing 22% of the recommended daily allowance of fiber. So, pears, with their high-fiber content, can definitely assist in supporting the smooth functioning of the colon.
Protects Eyesight
Daily servings of pears can protect the health of the eyes and may prevent age-related vision problems. The powerful antioxidant compounds in this fruit inhibit cellular damage from free radicals, which may substantially minimize the chances of developing age-related macular degeneration of the eyes.
Reduces Cancer Risk
An important constituent found in pears is quercetin, a powerful antioxidant which is known to provide anti-cancer effect. Quercetin displays a cell protecting mechanism, as its acts as a free radical scavenger. Uncontrolled free radical damage has been linked to various diseases, including cancer. So, having regular servings of pears can certainly inhibit the activity of free radicals, in turn helping to reduce the risk of cancer.
Natural Anti-inflammatory Agent
As aforementioned, pears contain antioxidants like vitamin C and quercetin, which are found to display anti-inflammatory potential. As such, this may work to treat inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and prostate inflammation.
Controls Blood Pressure
Another antioxidant found in this amazing fruit is glutathione, which may help in lowering high blood pressure (HBP). Moreover, the antioxidant quercetin has blood pressure lowering ability. Its supplemental form is found to be effective in treating HBP patients. So, including pears in the diet can benefit in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
Protects the Heart
Studies suggest that the quercetin in pears supports artery functioning, as it may help in decreasing the chances of developing atherosclerosis, a condition that is marked by the accumulation of plaque in the arteries. So, having a few servings of pears may contribute in keeping your ‘pipes’ healthy, in turn reducing the risk of heart ailments.
Hypoallergenic Fruit
Pears have often been hailed as a hypoallergenic fruit, meaning, they are not capable of triggering an allergic reaction. Test tube studies have shown that the antioxidant quercetin in the fruit blocks the production of histamines; chemicals that induce allergic response. No wonder, doctors often advice to include this fruit in a low-allergy diet.
Controls Diabetes
Pears can be a healthy addition to the diet for diabetic patients. High-fiber pears are considered to be low-glycemic foods, which are often recommended to keep the blood sugar stable in diabetic patients. Low-glycemic means the sugar in these foods breaks slowly and gradually enters the bloodstream. This ensures that the blood sugar does not increase rapidly, which works to control the blood sugar levels in diabetics. Moreover, red pears are a good source of anthocyanin, antioxidants that can enhance insulin sensitivity (meaning the body cells may become more receptive to actions of insulin), which can help reduce the risk of diabetes. In fact, studies conducted at Harvard University suggest that a diet high in pears could keep type 2 diabetes at bay.
Beneficial During Pregnancy
Pears provide a healthy dose of nutrition, and can also be consumed during pregnancy. They are a good source of folate (vitamin B9), which is known to protect the baby from neural tube defects.
With so many health benefits, it is necessary to ensure that you have adequate servings of pears regularly. This health-promoting fruit can certainly be a great addition to any diet, and can be consumed at will.