Pears provide a very good source of fiber and are also a good source of vitamin B2, C, E, copper, and potassium. They also contain a significant amount of pectin, which is a water soluble fiber.
Pears are actually higher in pectin than apples. This makes them effective in helping to lower cholesterol levels and in toning the intestines.
- Blood pressure: Pears have anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogen glutathione which help prevent high blood pressure and stroke.
- Cancer prevention: The high vitamin C and copper content act as good anti-oxidants that protect cells from damages by free radicals.
- Cholesterol: The high content of pectin in pears make it very useful in helping to lower cholesterol levels.
- Colon health: When not juicing, eat the pear whole for its precious fiber that are highly beneficial for your colon health.
- Constipation: The pectin in pears is diuretic and have a mild laxative effect. Drinking pear juice regularly helps regulate bowel movements.
- Energy: You can get quick and natural source of energy from pear juice, due largely to its high amounts of fructose and glucose.
- Fever: The cooling effect in pear is excellent in relieving fever. Best way to bring a fever down quickly is by drinking a big glass of pear juice.
- Immune booster: The anti-oxidant nutrients in pears are critical in building up your immune system. Drink pear juice when you feel a cold coming.
- Inflammation: Pear juice has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps relieve sufferers of much pain in various inflammatory conditions.
- Osteoporosis: Pears contain high level of boron. Boron helps the body to retain calcium, thus prevents or retards osteoporosis.
- Pregnancy: The high content of folate (folic acid) prevents neural tube defects in infants.
- Shortness of breath: The summer heat may cause children to have shortness of breath with excessive phlegm. Drink pear juice during this period to help clear the phlegm.
- Throat problem: The pears are in season during the summer for a reason. Drinking pear juice every morning and night helps to cool your body down during this time. It nourishes the throat and helps prevent throat problems.
- Vocal chord: Boil two Chinese pear juice with some raw honey and drink warm. This is extremely healing for the throat and the vocal cord.
- Fiber: Pears are an excellent source of natural dietary fiber. One pear will give you 24% of your recommended daily allowance of fiber. Fiber contains no calories, and is a necessary element of a healthy diet as it helps sustain blood sugar levels and promotes regularity.
- Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that binds to fatty substances in the digestive tract and promotes their elimination. This seems to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber also helps regulate the body's use of sugars.
Studies indicate that diets high in fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Pear Nutrition Facts
1 medium Calories 102
% Daily Value*
| Total fat 0.2 g | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0 g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g | |
| Monounsaturated fat 0.2 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 2 mg | 0% |
| Potassium 206 mg | 5% |
| Total Carbohydrate 27 g | 9% |
| Dietary fiber 6 g | 24% |
| Sugar 17 g | |
| Protein 0.6 g | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 0% | Vitamin C | 12% |
| Calcium | 1% | Iron | 1% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 5% | Vitamin B-12 | 0% |
| Magnesium | 3% | | |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
Health benefits of pears
- Pears fruit is packed with health benefiting nutrients such as dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins, which are necessary for optimum health. Total measured antioxidant strength (ORAC value) in the fruit is 2941 µmol TE/100 g.
- Pears are a good source of dietary fiber. 100 g fruit provides 3.1 g or 8% of fiber per 100g. Regular eating of this fruit may offer protection against colon cancer. Most of the fiber in them is non soluble polysaccharide (NSP), which functions as a good bulk laxative in the gut. Additionally, the gritty fiber content binds to cancer-causing toxins and chemicals in the colon, protecting its mucous membrane from contact with these compounds.
- In addition, pear fruit is one of the very low calorie fruits, provides 58 calories per 100g. Just a few sections a day in the diet can bring significant reduction in weight and blood LDL cholesterol levels.
- They contain good quantities of vitamin C. Fresh fruits provide about 7% of RDA per 100 g.
- They are moderate sources of antioxidant flavonoids phyto-nutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin. These compounds, along with vitamin C and A, help the body protected from harmful free radicals.
- The fruit is a good source of minerals such as copper, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium as well as B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).
- Although not well documented, pears are among the least allergenic of all fruits and are therefore recommended by health practitioners as a safe alternative in the preparation of food products for allergy sufferers.
- Pears have suggested in various traditional medicines being useful in treating colitis, chronic gallbladder disorders, arthritis and gout.
Digestive Benefits
One medium-sized pear contains 5.5 grams of fiber toward your daily goal of 21 to 38 grams. When you eat plenty of fiber, your digestive system works the way it's supposed to. Fiber helps your body absorb the vitamins and minerals from your food. It also helps prevent and relieve constipation and can keep you from developing painful hemorrhoids as well.
Nutritional Benefits
A medium-sized pear supplies 212 milligrams of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps your heart beat normally and keeps your muscles working the way they are supposed to. The same pear contains 7.5 milligrams of vitamin C, which is about 10 percent of your daily needs. Vitamin C helps prevent infection and keeps your immune system strong. Pears also supply a good dose of vitamin K to help clot your blood, as well as vitamin A for your eyes.
Health Benefits
The fiber in a pear helps keep your heart healthy and might reduce your risk of certain types of cancer as well. A pear a day might also keep you from having a stroke. A 2011 article published by the American Heart Association reports that eating one pear a day can reduce your risk of stroke by as much as 52 percent. Pears might also cut your risk of dying from heart disease. A 2007 article published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" notes that the flavonoids in pears might lower your risk of heart disease, as well as death associated with heart disease.
