Fruit: It’s Gone Pear Shaped
Whilst the classic pear shape is easily distinguishable from the apple there are some varieties that look very similar. It is only by eating the fruit can you tell the difference by the texture and taste. Unlike the apple or orange which are very popular both in whole form and juice form, pear juice is not a top consideration of the average shopper. So it must be good for something, let’s take a look at the nutrients.
What is in a Pear?
Nutrients are based on 100 grams
- Calories: 60
- Protein: 0.38 grams
- Carbohydrates: 15.46 grams
- Fibre: 3.1 grams
- Fat: 0.12 grams
- Calcium: 9 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 11 milligrams
- Potassium: 119 milligrams
- Zinc: 0.10 milligrams
- Iron: 0.17 milligrams
- Magnesium: 7 milligrams
- Vitamin B1: 0.012 milligrams
- Vitamin B2: 0.025 milligrams
- Vitamin B3: 0.157 milligrams
- Vitamin B5: 0.048 milligrams
- Vitamin B6: 0.028 milligrams
- Vitamin C: 4.2 milligrams
- Folate (folic acid): 7 micrograms
(Nice Pear! – Beeble)
What do these figures mean?
Things really are looking pretty pear-shaped for our friend. According to the RDA figures from the USA the highest contribution to our diet provided by the pear is Vitamin C at 7%. So it really doesn’t pack a strong punch in the areas normally associated with fruits.
Why Eat a Pear?
Very good question judging by the figures you can now probably see why they are combined with other fruits like in jams or pickles. Used in combination with other fruits, it is a good combiner food but is it just riding on the backs of the other fruit? What the figures above don’t show is that the pear has a very high iodine content which is beneficial for your thyroid function and can help to reduce water retention. Its pectin content aids peristalsis (Stomach contractions – Beeble) which helps to remove toxins from the body.
Add it to your Diet
Adding the pear to your diet could be very beneficial if you are trying to lose weight or follow a calorie controlled diet. For its size it doesn’t have many calories and would make a perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack to fill that gap. Along with the benefits mentioned above it would make a great addition to any diet or detox.
Summary
At the start I bet you were wondering about the nutritional qualities of pears, but like the tortoise against the hare it has come from behind to be a real fruit winner. Whilst it has non of the obvious benefits of the other main fruits it has some really great attributes; that means you can’t ignore it from your diet.
