Health Benefits of Asian Pear – Nutritional Information

The Nashi pear resembles a beige apple, so much so that it is sometimes known as the apple pear. You may also see it sold in your local grocery store as an Asian pear, Japanese pear or sand pear. Whether ripe or unripe, these pears stay firm, so smell this fruit before buying — the most fragrant pears indicate ripeness. Nashi pears offer a variety of nutritional benefits.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Support :-

While pears are not an unusual source of conventional antioxidant or anti-inflammatory nutrients (for example, vitamin E or omega-3 fatty acids), the phytonutrient category is where this fruit excels. For example, in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (1,638 participants, average age range 62-69 years), the combination of apples/pears ranked as the second highest source of flavonols among all fruits and vegetables – partly due to the epicatechin richness of pears. Average flavonol intake in the study was about 14 milligrams per day, and one pear can provide about half of this amount all by itself. The list of phytonutrients found in pears has been of special interest to researchers, and the list below summarizes their findings about key phytonutrients provided by this fruit

Fiber :-

One large Asian pear contains 116 calories and only 0.6 grams of fat. The majority of these calories come from carbohydrates, with 9.9 of the 29.3 grams of total carbohydrates coming from dietary fiber. Daily recommendations for fiber vary with your age and gender, ranging from 25 to 38 grams. As such, one large Asian pear provides between 26.1 and 39.6 percent of your daily intake. Dietary fiber is essential for your intestinal health and helps to promote healthy blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels. In addition, a high dietary fiber intake helps you to feel full longer, which, coupled with the relatively low caloric content of an Asian pear, may help you to attain or maintain a healthy body weight.

Potassium :-

The proper functioning of all your body’s cells, organs and tissues relies on a healthy balance of electrolytes. Two of the most important electrolytes are sodium and potassium. Asian pears contribute to this balance by being sodium free and providing 7.1 percent of your daily potassium. Sodium and potassium have opposite and complementary effects, and the high potassium content in Asian pears can help to counteract the high sodium content in other foods. This is particularly important for its effects on blood pressure, as reducing your sodium intake and increasing your daily potassium can help to lower high blood pressure.

Vitamin K and Copper :-

Vitamin K is important for bone health and vital to your blood’s ability to clot, or coagulate. With 13.8 percent of a woman’s and 10.3 percent of a man’s daily vitamin K, one large Asian pear can play a significant role in maintaining the regular functioning of your blood. Another important micronutrient for blood and bone health is copper, which is essential to the production of energy, red blood cells and collagen. One large Asian pear contains 15.3 percent of your daily copper.

Vitamin C :-

Aside from vitamin K and copper, the only micronutrient found in high concentrations in Asian pears is vitamin C. With 11.6 percent of a man’s and 13.9 percent of a woman’s daily intake, one large Asian pear helps you to meet your body’s daily vitamin C needs. This vitamin is important for the growth and repair of bodily tissues, healing wounds and repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. Similar to copper, vitamin C boosts iron absorption and plays the role of an antioxidant in your body. By removing free radicals from your body, these antioxidant effects add cancer prevention to the list of health benefits of Asian pears.

Mental Health :-

A medium-sized pear provides about 15 percent of our daily recommended copper requirement. Copper is an essential mineral required for a healthy central nervous system. The copper ions affect the component that is responsible for making the neural synapses stronger or weaker. This change affects our ability to learn and remember. The antioxidant, quercetin, found in pears also protects us from Alzheimer’s disease.

Cancer :-

The health benefits of pear extend into the area of cancer risk as well. Fiber in pear binds together with a special group of secondary bile acids. Excessive amounts of secondary bile acid can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. By binding together with the secondary bile acids, pears help to lower the risk of cancer. The hydroxycinnamic acid found in pears prevents lung and stomach cancer. Quercetin, an antioxidant found in the skin of pears, also prevents cancer.

Bone Health :-

Pears contain boron, a mineral which aids the body to retain calcium. The fruit may, therefore, help in preventing osteoporosis.

Low in Calories :-

One of the complaints that some people have about various fruits is the calorie content, mainly derived from natural sugars. However, pears are one of the lowest calorie fruits; an average pear has just over 100 calories, which is 5% of daily calorie allowance of a healthy diet. However, the nutritional supplementation it gives you is immense, and the fiber makes you feel full. Therefore, people trying to lose weight often turn to pears to get the most “bang for their buck”. It is a high-energy, high-nutrient food with a low impact on weight gain and obesity.

Immune System Health :-

Similarly, the immune system of the body is also boosted by the activities of antioxidants and vitamin-C. Vitamin C has long been known to be beneficial for the immune system, as it stimulates white blood cell production and activity. Traditionally, fruits like pears have been suggested to eliminate simply conditions like the common cold, the flu, or various other mild illnesses that a quick immune system boost could help cure.