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In the United States alone, there are more than 10 varieties of pears grown throughout the year. Each has its own distinctive color, flavor, texture and culinary uses, and would you believe that worldwide it’s estimated that there are more than 3,000 known varieties of pears in existence? That’s a good thing considering the wonderful benefits pear nutrition provides.
What’s there to love about pears? Besides how filling and refreshing a crisp pear can be, pear nutrition also comes loaded with benefits. For instance, pears have the ability to help fight chronic diseases by supplying high levels of antioxidants. They’re also capable of helping lower cholesterol thanks to their high fiber content.
Pears contain special phytonutrients, including anti-inflammatory flavonoids, anti-cancer polyphenols and anti-aging flavonoids. Studies regarding pear nutrition have linked the fruit’s consumption with lower levels of constipation, kidney stones, high cholesterol and even diabetes.
What are other health benefits of pears? While there aren’t many calories in a pear, pears can help lower inflammation.
Plus, they’re one of the best sources of dietary fiber of all fruits. This summer and fall fruit provides high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin K and boron, which aid in bone health, and pear nutrition also helps prevent or even reverse copper deficiency and low potassium.
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Pear Nutrition FactsPears, which have the species name Pyrus communis, are a member of the Rosaceae plant family. They are considered a pomaceous fruit that grows on a number of different pear trees.
Today, many different species of pears are eaten around the world. Of all the known pear species, there are three main varieties of pear trees that are primarily grown today: European, Asian and hybrid.
Some of the most common types of pears include:
Which pear is the healthiest? Different types of pears have similar health benefits, including their high fiber content, vitamin C and antioxidants. You’ll find various phytonutrients and other antioxidants mostly in the vibrantly colored skins of pears. This is why it’s a good idea to eat pears with their skins/peels on.
Also, enjoy different pear varieties, and choose a mix of pear colors.
One medium pear (about 178 grams) contains approximately:
*Daily Value: Percentages are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day.
In addition, pear nutrition contains some vitamin A, vitamin E, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline, betaine, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.
How do calories in a pear compare to calories in other fruits? There are about 100 calories in a pear. That is similar to the amount of calories in a medium-size apple, banana or orange.
Pears are a bit more calorie-dense than berries; stone fruit, like nectarines or peaches; or melon, such as cantaloupe, but they are still a low-calorie food overall.
Are pears full of sugar, and is this something to worry about? Although pears and other fruits or vegetables do contain natural sugars in the form of the fructose, studies show that higher fruit and vegetable intake is inversely associated with diabetes incidence, especially among women.
Because pears are bigger than some other fruits, they do tend to provide a bit more sugar than smaller fruits, like strawberries or plums. If you’re concerned about consuming too much sugar — for example because you follow the ketogenic diet or a low-carb diet — but you still want to include fruit in your diet for the fiber, consider having half an avocado daily.
Avocado is another high-fiber fruit but contains much fewer carbs and sugar (and much more healthy fat!).
Related: What Is Quince Fruit? Top 6 Benefits + How to Eat It
Health BenefitsWhat do pears do for your body? Below are some of the top benefits of pear nutrition.
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Why are pears healthy to eat as you age? One reason is because they provide a good dose of the daily vitamin C you need.
This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radical damage and lowers oxidative stress. Vitamin C is beneficial for protecting DNA, stopping cell mutation, maintaining a healthy metabolism and repairing tissue.
Are pears good for your skin? Yes, pear nutrition benefits your skin due to its vitamin C content.
Consuming vitamin C from high-antioxidant foods like pears helps increase skin’s immunity. It also has anti-aging effects because it promotes skin cell renewal.
Vitamin C foods also help support maintenance of connective tissue, heal cuts and bruises, and guard against a number of age-related and infectious diseases.
With over five grams of fiber in every medium-size pear, pears are the ultimate high-fiber food. Eating pears is a great way to make sure you cover your bases of 25–30 grams of fiber daily.
Fiber contains zero digestible calories. It is a necessary element of a healthy diet, since it helps sustain healthy blood sugar levels and promotes regularity.
One of the most researched aspects of pear nutrition is pears’ compound called pectin fiber. Pectin fiber is more than just a regulator — it’s a type of special beneficial fiber that’s water-soluble and helps lower cholesterol and increases digestive health.
In addition to vitamin C, pear skins (or peels) also contain important phytonutrients. That includes polyphenols, phenolic acids and flavonoids.
These are mostly found in the skin of pears and can help ward off disease formation, so don’t peel your fruit! In fact, when researchers studied the antioxidant capacity of pears and apples, they found that diets that included the fruit peels had a significantly higher level of healthy fatty acids (higher plasma lipid levels) and antioxidant activity than diets that discarded the peels and only ate the pulp.
Diets high in fresh fruit, including pears, have also gained a lot of attention for having anti-inflammatory and cancer-protective effects. This is due to their high levels of essential nutrients, like vitamin C, antioxidants and phytochemicals. Those essential nutrients and antioxidants make pears one of the better anti-inflammatory foods around.
Another important way pear nutrition benefits you? Pears also have antioxidant and anticarcinogen effects thanks to glutathione. Glutathione is a “super antioxidant” known to help prevent cancer, high blood pressure and stroke.
According to studies by the National Cancer Institute, consuming fresh fruit daily shows positive effects on the body’s ability to prevent cancer growth, reduce inflammation, remain in pH balance, decrease oxidative damage to lipids and improve antioxidant status in healthy humans. It’s also true that eating more fruits and veggies is the best way to detox your body of harmful substances and toxins.
This is the primary reason that every year U.S. national policymakers set a national dietary goal to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among both children and adults.
Why are pears good for weight loss? Fruit and vegetable intake can help protect against obesity, according to extensive research. Over and over we see that the more fresh vegetables and fruit someone eats, the less likely she is to gain weight and struggle to maintain her health.
Longitudinal studies among overweight adults find that a high-fiber diet coming from fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with slower weight gain. That’s likely because fruits and vegetables are so nutrient-dense and low in calories, but they are filling.
A pear is a great satiating, hydrating snack that won’t weigh you down. Plus, it’s easy to toss one in your bag and take it along with you during a busy day.
Why are pears good for your heart? One of the most noteworthy pear nutrition benefits is that pears can protect your heart by providing antioxidants, vitamins and fiber.
Higher fruit consumption is linked with lower rates of heart disease in certain studies. Epidemiological studies show a correlation between a diet high in fruit and vegetables and a lower risk for cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks and strokes.
The beneficial effects of fruits and vegetables are probably due to the presence of antioxidant phytochemicals that help keep arteries clear, lower inflammation and prevent high levels of oxidative stress. We also know that the specific type of fiber found in pears called pectin is very useful in helping lower cholesterol levels naturally, making pears one of the better cholesterol-lowering foods.
When researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health followed adults over a 15-year period, they found that overall greater intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with lower risk of all-cause death, cancer and cardiovascular disease. This supports the general health recommendation to consume multiple servings of fruits and vegetables (ideally five to nine a day of different types).
As a high-fiber food that provides essential nutrients, eating more pears is a great way to prevent or treat digestive issues. Why are pears good for constipation? Adding more fiber to your diet from whole foods is the best natural constipation relief remedy there is.
Pear nutrition benefits digestive health because of the pectin found in pears. Pectin is considered a natural diuretic and has a mild laxative effect. This means either eating whole pears (including the skin), blending them into a smoothie or drinking pear juice can help regulate bowel movements, prevent water retention and decrease bloating.
Higher fruit intake is also correlated with better general digestive health, especially of the colon. The phytonutrients found in pears and other fruit protect the digestive organs from oxidative stress. They also help alkalize the body and balance pH levels.
Eating more pears might also be beneficial as a natural hemorrhoid remedy and treatment.
Do pears make you poop more if you have diarrhea? It’s possible, so this is something you might need to test. Fiber can both speed up or slow down bowel movements, so it depends on your reaction. Start by consuming small amounts of pears (some people find that cooking pears can help them to be digested more easily) and increase consumption depending on your reaction.
Researchers now know that certain flavonoids in fruits, including pears, can improve insulin sensitivity. That is key for preventing and treating diabetes in addition to weight gain.
After following over 9,600 adults ages 25–74 for about 20 years, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that eating five or more servings of combined fruits and vegetables daily significantly cut the risk of diabetes formation.
Pears are considered a fruit low on the glycemic index. Because of the high fiber content in pears, they unleash sugar into the bloodstream slowly and therefore have a low glycemic load. Compared to eating packaged sweets filled with refined sugars that can negatively impact blood sugar levels, eating pears instead is a great way to appease your “sweet tooth” naturally without negative impacts.
Like all fruit, eating pears can provide you with a quick boost of energy before a workout. Pears are a natural source of fructose and glucose that the body uses quickly to enhance physical performance, concentration and stamina. That makes pears excellent pre-workout snacks.
You also need glucose after a workout to replenish glycogen reserves and help prevent muscle tears. Consider having a pear along with a healthy source of protein as a post-workout meal or snack following exercise.
Pears are a good source of two nutrients that are key to skeletal health: vitamin K and boron. Vitamin K deficiency puts you at great risk for bone-related disorders. It works with other essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium and phosphorus to prevent bone breakdown.
In fact, some experts even consider vitamin K to potentially be the most important nutrient there is for fighting osteoporosis.
Boron uses include the ability to help keep bones strong by adding to bone mineral density, preventing osteoporosis, treating inflammatory conditions like arthritis, and improving strength and muscle mass. Boron is often underutilized in terms of preventing osteoporosis, but many health experts consider it an important part of preventing age-related bone disorders.
Historians have evidence that pears have been eaten since prehistoric times, especially in China, where they’ve been cultivated for an estimated 3,000 years. Even centuries ago, populations knew that pear nutrition benefited digestive health and could be used to promote “regularity,” fight dehydration and even reduce fevers.
In Ayurvedic medicine, it’s recommended that fruits, including pears, be eaten when they are ripe and in season. Seasonal fruits are said to provide rasa, or “nutritional fluid,” which supports maintenance of body tissues.
Fresh, ripe fruit is also beneficial because it holds nutrients that are easy to digest, enhances immunity, can increase pleasure and happiness, balances the doshas, and builds strength.
In Ayurvedic cuisine, fruits like pears and apples are often consumed as chutneys and preserves or cooked with beneficial spices, such as cinnamon, fennel, dry-roasted ground cumin, ginger and coriander. They may also be combined with ghee, milk, yogurt or salt.
It’s recommended that fruit be eaten in the morning or for a snack, ideally separate from other foods. Fruits should ideally be sourced from farmers markets or local orchards to increase nutritive value.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pears are said to help cool and lubricate the lungs and large intestine. This aids in detoxification and clearing excess fluid or heat.
Benefits of pears according to TCM include clearing coughs, improving breathing, reducing constipation and moisturizing the skin. Pears are recommended either baked or eaten fresh, depending on the climate and how well they are digested.
What is healthier, a pear or apple? Here’s how these two fruits compare:
Pears are described as having a soft, sweet, buttery texture that makes them great for cooking or baking. They’re also excellent to eat raw.
Pears can be eaten fresh, cooked, juiced, frozen and dried. The juice of pears is a great way to sweeten smoothies and recipes without adding refined sugar. In fact, pear juice is used in many ways around the world, including fermenting it to make “perry” or hard pear cider.
How many pears can you eat in a day? Because pears are high in fiber, it’s best to introduce them to your diet slowly if you currently don’t eat much fiber. One pear daily is a great place to start, although when they are in season and widely available, it’s not out of the question to eat two pears a day.
Here are tips for buying and storing pears:
What can you do with pears? Aside from eating fresh pears, add them to a chicken or turkey roast with onions and herbs for extra flavor. You can also throw some into your morning oatmeal or smoothie, top a salad with some diced pear, or incorporate them into homemade muffins or low-sugar desserts.
Ever use applesauce in place of butter, sugar or extra oil when you bake? Well, you can do the same thing with blended pears.
Here are a few ways to try using pears in recipes at home:
Risks and Side EffectsWhat are potential side effects of eating pears? Pears can cause allergies in some people.
They may also raise digestive issues, such as bloating or diarrhea, in people sensitive to FODMAP foods. This is due to certain types of carbohydrates found in pears that can be difficult to properly digest.
Pears are often recommended by health care practitioners because they’re considered a hypoallergenic fruit. Compared to many other fruits (like stone fruit or berries), someone is much less likely to suffer from digestive issues or allergic reactions when eating a pear. This makes pears a good choice even for infants and making homemade baby food.
Can you eat too many pears? Although pears have multiple benefits, as with all fruit they do contain sugar. It’s best to have them in moderation.
Include pears as part of a diet that’s also filled with plenty of vegetables, healthy fats and proteins.
How much fruit is right for you depends on a few factors. These include your level of physical activity, history of medical conditions and current weight.
Plan to eat pears (and all fruit) in moderation balanced by other low-sugar foods. To get the most benefits of pears without consuming excess sugar, always have them with their skins, and limit the amount of pear juice you have, which eliminates fiber.
I've talked a lot this season about how much I love a pear-scented candle for my fall candles. I actually like them better than pumpkin spice scented candles (I know, call me crazy!). They are slightly sweet and full of energy while also creating a warm and cozy mood in any room.
In addition to smelling great, pear scent also has benefits such as fighting infections, working as an anti-depressant, reducing inflammation, and lowering blood pressure.
Have you ever burned a pear-scented candle? If not, we think brandied pear is the perfect soy candle to introduce in your home and fall candle decor.