What you need to know about pears
There are so many healthy and delicious fruits in the world and pears are one of them. Pear is an extremely healthy and delicious fruit packed with lots of essential nutrients that are required by the body for effective functioning.
The bell-shaped fruit is not only rich in nutrients, but it is also a sweet fruit. It contains dietary fiber, plant compounds as well a lot of antioxidants that contribute to certain important functions that take place in the body.
It supports weight loss as they are quite low in fat, calories, and cholesterol, It is definitely a great choice of fruit that should be added to the diet. They also help to protect the body from the risk of certain chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart-related disorders.
This article will provide a detailed description of the nutrition, types, and health benefits associated with pears. If peas are a regular in your diet, it is probably advisable that you learn about their nutritional value as well as the benefits they offer to the body.
Types of pears
Different kinds of pears exist in different parts of the world. Their distinction arises in their sizes, shapes, colors, taste, and crispness.
There are over 3,000 different types in the world however for this article we will discuss the ten most common and available kinds.
1.Anjou: D’anjou as it is popularly called is a kind of pear popular in the United States. They are short, fat, and are of two different varieties;
(a) Green Anjou: The green Anjou is mostly popular in the United States, it is short, well-rounded, green, and mostly consumed raw. The green Anjou is a sweet pear however the counterpart (red Anjou ) is known to be sweeter.
(b) Red Anjou: The red Anjou differs from the Green Anjou pear only in color, it is almost sweeter than the green Anjou. It could be cooked not overly cooked though however it is mostly consumed raw.
- Concorde: This is another species of pear mostly chosen to be used in salad dye to the toughness of their skin. Concorde does not turn brown when exposed to air, unlike other species. This characteristic of them makes them a good choice for almost all activities (cooking, eating raw, or adding to salads).
- Bartlett: Just like D’anjou, the Bartlett exists in two different varieties I.e the green and red bartlett.
(a) Green Bartlett: Just like the name the green bartlett is greenish however it could look gold-ish in appearance. This juicy pear is a great choice for baking or pureeing.
(b) Red Bartlett: It is quite similar to the green bartlett (hood choice for pureeing, baking, or canning). It could also be consumed raw, it is definitely a multi-functional pear.
- Asian: Due to the texture of the Asian pear it is interchangeably used with apples. Unlike most pears it is quite crunchy within, it isn’t shaped like a pear. It can be consumed raw or used in baking, despite its crunchy interior it is still a very tasty pear.
- Starkrimson: The bright red color of the stark crimson makes it appear as a great choice of pear to be consumed raw. However, it is better added baked than consumed raw.
- Bosc: Great choice for baking, they are not easily destroyed under heat. They hold up really well hence they are absolutely perfect for baking.
- Forelle: This species has green skin with a splash of red around it. It Is tasty and can be consumed raw.
- Conference: Either cooked or consumed raw the conference pear has a great taste. It has brown skin and it’s quite longer than other species.
- Comice: Tasty species that are better consumed raw.
- Seckel: The seckel is a very small pear, it can be easily carried about. Its size makes the perfect choice for snacks. Add seckel to your snack pack, it should fit in and it is absolutely tasty.
There are so many different types of pears available in the world, try to add pears to your diet as they are healthy and absolutely delicious.
Nutrition
According to USDA, 100g of pear contain;
| Calories | 57kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 15.23g |
| Protein | 0.36g |
| Fat | 0.14g |
| Dietary fiber | 3.1g |
| Water | 83.96g |
| Calcium | 9g |
| Iron | 0.18 |
| Sugar | 9.75g |
| Vitamin C | |
| Copper |
7 amazing benefits of pears
There are so many benefits associated with the consumption of pears ranging from the high amount of nutrients it contains to the diseases and sickness it prevents. If they are not part of your diet you should consider including them in your meals.
1.Nutrient dense: A medium-sized pear contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are beneficial for the proper functioning of the body. A 178g of can contain over 12% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin c, 6% of vitamin, and 16% of copper.
They contain nutrients that support a lot of bodily processes like cellular functioning, boosting skin’s health, and improving the energy production level in the body. Nutrients like folate and niacin are responsible for this function.
They are also composed of a lot of minerals that play very important roles in the body, They are a rich source of copper which helps in boosting immunity and also aids the metabolism of cholesterol. It also contains potassium which helps maintain balance in the heart.
The peels are also backed with a lot of antioxidants. Hence it is advisable to wash your pear properly and eat both the skin of the fruit. It is packed with polyphenols which help to protect the body from the effects of oxidative stress.
- Rich source of plant compounds: The bright colors found of most pears can be traced to the plant compound present in them.
A particular plant compound known as anthocyanins is responsible for the red color present in most pears, it also boosts the effectiveness of the cardiovascular system by strengthening the blood vessels.
Some researchers claim that an increase in the consumption of food substances that are rich in plant compounds has been linked to a reduction in the rate of heart-related diseases.
These plant compounds are present on the skin of the pear hence it is more advisable to consume your pear with its skin on.
They are composed of two antioxidants lutein and Zeaxanthin which play a major role in the health of the eye. They prevent macular degeneration as an individual advance in age.
- It may support weight loss: They are quite low in calories (100g contains about 57 calories). It is also highly packed with water and fiber.
Water and fiber support weight loss, the trio(low in calories, water, and fiber) is a great combination that is effective in weight loss.
Water and fiber have a high satiety rate (I.e you get easily satisfied when you consume it). This means that when you consume a pear you feel satisfied easily. They also have low-calorie content.
There have been several evidential research that shows that people tend to lose weight when they add pear to their diet.
- Can be easily added to your diet: They are not seasonal fruits they are very expensive and hard to find. They are readily available in different stores all year long therefore you can easily add them to your diet without much stress.
They are a good snack choice especially the seckel which is quite handy and easy to move around with. You can easily add them to your salads and oatmeal. People also make pear smoothies you can actually experiment with that.
Whatever way you choose to eat your pear either consuming it raw or cooking it. Ensure that you leave the skin on as if contains a lot of beneficial plant compounds.
- Improve gut health: To boost digestive health there must be an adequate supply of fiber(soluble and insoluble). Fiber is very essential in the health of the digestive system it helps to improve bowel movement by adding bulk to the stool.
Soluble fiber is also known as probiotics because they feed the healthy bacteria present in the gut. These bacteria help boost immunity
They contain a substantial amount of fiber hence they support the health of the gut. Fibers also help to protect the body from the risk of constipation.
- Contain anti-inflammatory properties: Prolonged inflammation is toxic to the health of the body as it is linked to several chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes.
Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory they help to fight off any form of inflammation hence protecting the body from the risk of certain illness.
They are also composed of lots of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which help to combat inflammation and protect the body from the effects of inflammation.
- Detoxification: They have a high content of water which helps to soften stools thereby improving the rate of excretion.
Through excretion, toxins are expelled from the body therefore consuming pears help to foster the rate of expelling dangerous substances from the body.
Conclusion
There are so many healthy fruits in the world packed with a lot of essential nutrients that the body requires. There are so many types, with different tastes, the choice of yours to make.
You can ask your local vendor to help you choose the best kind of pear. However, if you already have a species that you prefer that’s also good.
Pears are a good snack option. They can also be added to salads or used while baking. Add pears to your diet and reap the benefits associated with it.