NUTRITION

5 health benefits of eating pears

Pears are good for people with heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.

In Summary

•Pears are good for people with heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.

•They can be eaten with ice-cream as dessert, be baked in pastries or be added in stews.

Image: Pixabay

Flourishing in cold areas of Kenya, specifically in Limuru, Mt. Kenya and western Kenya, pears are sweet bell-shaped fruits with white flesh that have been enjoyed since the ancient times.

Pears can be eaten raw and their crispy sweet and soft flesh makes an excellent salad and are also good for teething babies if steamed to prevent choking.

Baked Pears and nuts
Baked Pears and nuts
Image: Courtesy: Pinterest

They can be eaten with ice cream as dessert, be baked in pastries or be added to stews.

Pears also offer a lot of health benefits and have been shown to promote healthy gut health.

  1. Lower diabetes risk.

Due to its high fiber content, pears slow down digestion, giving your body time to break down and absorb carbs. Doing this helps to regulate your blood sugar level.

This potentially helps prevent and control diabetes.

A patient undergoes a blood test at Coast General Hospital on World Diabetes Day
MONITORING: A patient undergoes a blood test at Coast General Hospital on World Diabetes Day
Image: FILE
  1. Pears are good for your heart health.

Packed with many antioxidants, pears have been shown to decrease the chances of stroke by 9%.

The antioxidants also decrease inflammation in the body as well as stiffness in the heart tissue.

In addition, pears pack several vitamins and minerals, such as copper and vitamins C and K, which also combat inflammation 

 This helps reduce the spike in blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

Not only are they good for people with heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but pears are also good for people with arthritis.

  1. Pears are good for your digestive system

Packed with soluble fibres, pears are a good source of prebiotics that help improve the digestive system's health.

Its insoluble fibres, help maintain bowel regularity and bulks up the stool in case of diarrhoea.

Research recommends eating the fruit unpeeled for you to benefit from its fibre content; ensure it is thoroughly washed before consuming.

  1. Pears are good for eye health

Pears with green skin may help promote eye health since it contains compounds that help reduce risks associated with age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases.

It also has carotenoids that may help protect your eyes from the damaging effects of blue light especially from phones, tablets and various gadgets.

Image: Courtesy: neilshealthymeals.com
  1. It may offer anticancer effects

A study shows that pears are packed with compounds that may help fight cancers of the bladder, lungs, breast, ovaries and stomach.  

However, more research, dietary and lifestyle choices ought to be considered since they only lower the chances but do not cure cancer.

It is advised to eat at least one or two pears every day meets your fruit needs as outlined by the Dietary Guidelines.

Eating too much can cause stomach bloating, nausea or vomiting. 

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