The Benefits of Eating Pears
A fresh, juicy pear is a fall treat you might anticipate all year, and when you eat one, you're doing something good for your health. Pears are an impressive source of fiber, and they also contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals that keep you healthy. Pears come in a range of colors and they're inexpensive, making them a smart addition to your healthy eating plan.
Digestive Benefits
One medium-sized pear contains 6 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 prevent and relieve constipation and can keep you from developing painful hemorrhoids as well. It also helps you feel full after eating.
Nutritional Benefits
A medium-sized pear supplies about 200 milligrams of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps your heart beat normally and keeps your muscles working the way they're supposed to. The same pear contains 8 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 about 10 percent of your daily vitamin K needs. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting.
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 help people with pre-diabetes and diabetes better manage their condition. A 2015 in-vitro study published in Food Research International found that consuming a healthy diet that includes pears may provide better blood sugar control for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Eating Pears
Fresh pears are your healthiest choice, but canned pears can also be beneficial to your health. If you eat canned pears, choose versions packed in 100 percent fruit juice rather than syrup because they contain no added sugar. Chop a pear into bite-sized pieces and add it to a fruit salad, or stir the pieces into a carton of low-fat yogurt. Replace the jelly in your peanut butter sandwich with thin slices of pear, or add pear slices to a tossed green salad.
For a warm, nutritious dessert, cut a pear into quarters and brush it with a small amount of butter. Sprinkle the pear with cinnamon and nutmeg and broil it until it's soft.
Digestive Benefits
One medium-sized pear contains 6 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 prevent and relieve constipation and can keep you from developing painful hemorrhoids as well. It also helps you feel full after eating.
Nutritional Benefits
A medium-sized pear supplies about 200 milligrams of potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps your heart beat normally and keeps your muscles working the way they're supposed to. The same pear contains 8 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 about 10 percent of your daily vitamin K needs. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting.
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 help people with pre-diabetes and diabetes better manage their condition. A 2015 in-vitro study published in Food Research International found that consuming a healthy diet that includes pears may provide better blood sugar control for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Eating Pears
Fresh pears are your healthiest choice, but canned pears can also be beneficial to your health. If you eat canned pears, choose versions packed in 100 percent fruit juice rather than syrup because they contain no added sugar. Chop a pear into bite-sized pieces and add it to a fruit salad, or stir the pieces into a carton of low-fat yogurt. Replace the jelly in your peanut butter sandwich with thin slices of pear, or add pear slices to a tossed green salad.
For a warm, nutritious dessert, cut a pear into quarters and brush it with a small amount of butter. Sprinkle the pear with cinnamon and nutmeg and broil it until it's soft.