Health Benefits of Pears (Nashpati) fruit and Juice

About Pears/Nashpati

The pear or nashpati fruit is an amazing fruit bestowed by the God as a gift for making good health. Pear tree is a shrub and belongs to Rosaceae family. It is cultivated in the coastal and temperate regions of the world like North Africa, East Asia and Western Europe.

There are more than one edible species types are found of the pear. It is a pome fruit like apple. Pear is famous for its shape and stone cells (grit) contents. Different varieties of the pear are Chinese pear, Korean pear, Siberian or Manchurian pear and Japanese pear. Approximately, 3,000 varieties of the pears are found all across the world. The varieties of pears are available in various colors like red, yellow, golden, green and brown.

Some of its varieties are listed below:

• Bartlett
• Starkrimson
• Bosc
• Forelle
• Comice
• Seckel
• Red Anjou
• Concorde
• Green Anjou
• Red Bartlett

Benefits of Pears/Nashpati

Here I am pointing some amazing health benefits of the pear fruit:

Source of Dietary Fibers

• Pears are very good source of dietary water soluble fibers, vitamin and minerals.

Lowers Bad Cholesterol

• High level of pectin is found in pear which helps in lowering the cholesterol levels in blood as well as tones up the intestines.

Rich Source of Antioxidants

• Pear or nashpati fruit has powerful antioxidant property (because of vitamin E and C) and all the essential nutrients required for the good health.

Prevents from High Blood Pressure and Stroke

• Pear fruit plays a great role towards preventing the blood pressure and stroke because of its anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogen (glutathione) contents.

Prevents from Cancer

• Pear fruit assists in the cancer prevention because of its copper, vitamin K and high vitamin C contents. It helps in protecting the cells from getting damaged by the free radicals.

Prevents Colon Cancer

• Regularly eating pear fruit prevents the colon from colon cancer because of its high dietary fiber availability.

Relieves Constipation

• Pectin found in the pear fruit acts as a good diuretic and has mild laxative effect to the colon thus helps in relieving the constipation.

Boosts Immunity

• Pear works as an immune booster as it is full of the anti-oxidant nutrients which are the main building blocks of the immune system.

Relieves Pain and Inflammation

• Pear fruit is also a good anti-inflammatory agent as it gives relief from the pain and variety of inflammations.

Reduces Risk of Osteoporosis

• Pear fruit greatly assists in preventing the osteoporosis because of the high boron level availability. Boron enhances the capability of the body to retain calcium and thus prevents or reduces the osteoporosis.

Regulates Blood Sugar Level

• Its high fiber contents helps in regulating the blood sugar levels thus prevent from diabetes.

Eliminates Extra Fat

• The pectin (soluble fiber) content of the pear helps in the elimination of the fatty substances from the body by binding them in digestive tract.

Keeps Heart Healthy

• Nashpati reduces the risk of heart diseases and variety of cancers because of the high fibre content.

Improves Metabolism and Tissue Repair.

• Pear fruits are good source of Vitamin C which works as an antioxidant and assists in metabolism and tissue repair.

Prevents from Ageing

• It prevents the body from ageing by preventing from free radicals (by-product of metabolic process).

Prevents from Infections

• Its Vitamin C content also helps in healing of the wounds, cuts and bruises by preventing from the infections.

Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer

• Eating a pear a day helps in preventing the breast cancer by 34% after menopause in women.

Prevents from Allergenic Reaction

• Its keeps a person away from any type of the allergenic reaction.

Improves Digestion

• The high fiber content of the pear helps in improving the digestion.

Prevents various Disorders

• It prevents the occurrence of the gallbladder problems, gout, arthritis, colitis, and etc if eaten regularly.

Prevents from Stomach and Lungs Cancer

• One of the acid found in the pear fruit known as hydroxycinnamic acid helps in preventing the cancer of stomach and lungs.

Reduces Risk of Age-Related Problems

• Eating pear fruit regularly lowers the threat of age-related macular degeneration (also called ARMD).
• A famous antioxidant called Quercetin is found in the skin of pears which prevents from cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and artery damage.

Rich Source of Phytonutrients

• Pear’s skin also has important phytonutrients like anti-inflammatory flavonoids (flavan-3-ols, flavonols, epicatechin, catechin and anthocyanins), antioxidant (vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids), anti-cancer phytonutrients (cinnamic acid) and dietary fiber, that’s why it is necessary to eat pear with its skin.

Prevents from Chronic Heart Diseases

• Some other phenolic phytonutrients found in pear like Hydroxycinnamic acids (ferulic acid, coumaric acid and 5-caffeoylquinic acid), Hydroxybenzoic acids (gentisic acid, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid), Flavonols (isorhamnetin and kaempferol), Hydroxyquinones (arbutin), Anthocyanins and Carotenoids (beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein) are beneficial for preventing the body from chronic heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Rich Source of Potassium

• A medium sized pear provides 212 mg of potassium which helps in maintaining the heart beat normal and muscles strength.

Rich Source of Vitamin A and K

• Vitamin A maintains the eye sight and vitamin K helps the blood to clot as soon as possible at the cut areas.

Useful in Acid Reflux

• Pear fruit helps in absorbing excess stomach acids thus used in acid reflux.

Removes Gallbladder Stones

• Malic acid contents of the pear fruit helps in gradually disintegrating the gallbladder stones or other stones.

Benefits of Pear Juice

Energizes Body

• Pear juice is full of natural and quick energy because of its high fructose and glucose amounts.

Relieves Fever

• Nashpati juice has cooling effect on the body thus helps in relieving the fever.

Relieves Cold

• Drinking pear juice regularly is very helpful for the one who is suffering from cold as it gives relief from the cold.

Prevents Throat Problem

• Drinking pear juice in the morning as well as night during summer has cooling effect on the body and helps preventing the throat problems.
• Drinking luke warm juice of two boiled Chinese pear (mixing with raw honey) provides relief from the throat and vocal cord problem.

Regularizes Bowel Movements

• Having pear juice also on daily basis maintains the regular bowel movements.

Benefits of Pears for Kids

Prevents from Shortness of Breath

• Eating pear fruit or drinking its juice on daily basis prevents the shortness of breath with extreme phlegm in the children during the summer season heat.

Benefits of Pears for Babies

Best Weaning Food

• Nashpati or pear is the only fruit which can be easily given to the weaning children/baby because of its hypoallergenic and low acidic property. It is good for digestion without creating any problems. But, strictly avoid giving pear to the children with diarrhea.

Benefits of Pears for Weight Loss

Have no Cholesterol and Low Calorie

• Pears also assists in the weight loss as it has no cholesterol, low Glycemic index, low calorie, high dietary fibers and low fat contents.

Benefits of Pears during Pregnancy

Prevents Defects in Babies

• Pear fruits are well-known for its high folate (folic acid) content which assists in preventing the neural tube defects in the infants, if regularly taken by the pregnant women.

Loaded with Nutrients

• Pear contains B group vitamins (B2, B3 and B6), minerals (calcium, copper, potassium, magnesium, manganese and etc) and Folates which helps the nursing mother or pregnant women a lot to get their all the required nutrients during very important periods of life.

Maintains Fertility

• Eating pear regularly helps to maintain the fertility in woman by regulating the insulin levels. Pear fruits are used by the women who have some problems in getting pregnant because of the fluctuations in the insulin levels.

Benefits of Pears for Skin

Rejuvenates Skin

• Pear fruit is full of the crucial nutrient required for the healthy skin. It fights with free radicals and wrinkles to give rejuvenate look.

Removes Acne

• As pears have high levels of vitamins and minerals, it assists in removing acne problems by neutralizing the skin acids as well as regulating the skin pH balance.

Remedy to Oily Skin

• It is used as the face pack for the oily skin. Mix 1 tsf honey, 1 tsf cream and 1 crushed ripe pear and apply over the face or neck for 15 mins then wash with little warm water.

Why pear Fruit ranks on the Low Glycemic Index?

• Pear fruit is famous for its low Glycemic index as the carbohydrates available in it has low Glycemic index. As they are slow in getting converted to the sugar as well as enter to the bloodstream. That’s why pears are considered as the fruit having healthy carbohydrates and low Glycemic index.

Pear Leaves

• In the ancient time the pear leaves were used to smoke instead of tobacco when tobacco was not available.
• Pear leaves are also used for various medicinal purposes both internal and external.

Nutritional Benefits of Pear/Nashpati per 100 g

(Source: USDA Nutrient Database)

Energy: 58 Kcal

Protein: 0.38 g

Carbohydrates: 13.81 g

Sugar: 10 g

Dietary Fibers: 3.10 g

Fat: 0.12 g

Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1g

Monounsaturated fat: 0.1g

Vitamins:

Folates: 7 µg

Thiamin (B1): 0.012 mg

Riboflavin (B2): 0.025 mg

Niacin (B3): 0.157 mg

Pantothenic acid (B5): 0.048 mg

Pyridoxine (B6): 0.028 mg

Vitamin A: 23 IU

Vitamin C: 4.2 mg

Vitamin E: 0.12 mg

Vitamin K: 4.5 µg

Choline: 5.1 mg

Electrolytes:

Sodium: 1 mg

Potassium: 119 mg

Minerals:

Calcium: 9 mg

Copper: 0.082 mg

Magnesium: 7 mg

Phosphorus: 11 mg

Iron: 0.17 mg

Zinc: 0.10 mg

Manganese: 0.048 mg

Phytonutrients:

Carotenoids: 97 mcg

Beta-Carotene: 12 µg

Crypto-xanthin-ß: 2 µg

Lutein-zeaxanthin: 45 µg

How to Select and Store Pears

Always select pears with firm, smooth skin, fresh and free of marks while buying from market. Do not buy loose or over ripe pears as they cannot be stored for many days. Avoid buying pears having dark spots. Select firm pears by softly pressing it at top near the stem. Pears can be easily stored at room temperature where they are exposed to oxygen.

Real Facts about Pears:

• It was planted first in North America in the year 1620.
• Pears are available in approximately 3000 varieties around the world.
• It is called as “li” by the Chinese as a symbol of immortality.
• It is known by the nickname as “butter fruit” because of its softness and creamy texture.
• Musical instruments, wooden statues, wooden kitchen utensils and some furniture are made by using pear wood.
• In the ancient Greece, it was used as a natural remedy against to the nausea.
• China is the leading producer of the pears yearly. China produces approximately 15,000,000 tones pear per year.

Disadvantages/Side Effects of Eating More Pears

Overeating of anything can cause unexpected side effects to the body and its normal functioning. It is same with the eating of the pear fruit. Eating more pear fruit than the required amount may lead to the several problems. As pear fruit is loaded with the vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, phytochemicals, dietary fibres and etc, the overdose of each can cause variety of the ailments accordingly. It may lead to your stomach getting upset and feel unwell.

How Many Pears Should You Eat A Day

A pear a day is enough getting all the necessary healthy nutrients for the body however it can be eaten more than one according to the choice or energy needs of the body.