From Bosc to Anjou, there’s a pear for almost everyone’s pallet. Besides their delicious flavor, pears are also very nutritious. Their fiber content promotes digestive health and blood sugar regulation, and the antioxidants in their skin can counter chronic inflammation linked with a variety of chronic diseases.
Keep reading to more about pears’ health benefits, tips for adding them to your diet, and the risks of having too many.
Pears are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber. Each medium pear contains about 20% of the daily value (DV) of fiber. Both forms of fiber are important for digestive health. Soluble fiber helps soften the stool for so it can pass easier, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to the stool to prevent and treat constipation.
Consuming enough fiber also likely contributes to a flourishing gut microbiome, which impacts not just digestive health but also immune and mental health.
May Reduce Diabetes Risk
A large meta-analysis that included over 200,000 participants found that apple and pear consumption was linked with an 18% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Consuming just one serving of apple or pear per week was associated with a 3% lower risk for type 2 diabetes. This research demonstrates a correlation, not causation, but this association is interesting and may suggest a connection between intake of these fruits and diabetes risk.
One possible reason for this is that pears are a good source of flavonoids—a type of antioxidant. Another meta-analysis found that higher flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, the fiber in pears can help mitigate blood sugar spikes, even though pears also contain carbohydrates. Of course, pairing them with a source of protein is recommended if you have diabetes to prevent blood sugar spikes, but fiber can help, too.
The skin of pears in particular is a good source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and triterpenes. Inflammation is necessary to heal wounds and fight illness, but chronic inflammation can be problematic since it’s linked with a variety of chronic diseases.
These phytonutrients help neutralize free radicals to prevent inflammation-inducing oxidative stress linked with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and certain eye diseases.
Not just that, but high fiber intake is associated with lower rates of inflammation so pears’ fiber content may enhance their anti-inflammatory effects.
May Improve Cardiometabolic Health
A 2019 study that evaluated the effects of eating pears daily on markers of cardiometabolic health found improvements in those who had two pears daily compared to a control group who had a drink with the same caloric value. The participants were middle-aged and older adults with metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
After 12 weeks, participants who consumed two pears daily had improvements in systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure (the difference between the top and bottom blood pressure numbers), and a reduction in waist circumference. High blood pressure can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. When it’s paired with other risk factors like high fasting blood sugar levels, the risk for other ailments like diabetes can increase even more. Therefore, pears may play a role in managing metabolic syndrome and reducing chronic disease risk, particularly in middle-aged and older adults.
Additionally, fiber, particularly soluble fiber, helps prevent your body from taking in some dietary cholesterol and fat. High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease, so the fiber in pears can also help promote cardiovascular health.
Pears are a good source of carbohydrates, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals. The nutrition in one medium pear (178 grams), per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is:
- Calories: 101
- Fat: 0.25 grams (g)
- Sodium: 1.78 milligrams (mg)
- Carbohydrates: 27.1g
- Fiber: 5.52g (20% DV)
- Added sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0.64g
- Copper: 0.15mg (16% DV)
Pears are a great source of fiber, which is important for various aspects of health including digestion, blood sugar regulation, satiety, and cholesterol reduction.
The most abundant micronutrient in pears is copper, an essential mineral that acts as a cofactor for various enzymes that play a role in energy production, iron metabolism, and more.
Besides copper and fiber, pears also contain decent amounts of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K. Vitamin C is important for immune health and non-heme iron absorption, potassium is important for cellular function, and vitamin K is important for blood clotting.
Risks of Eating Pears
In general, pears, are safe to consume for most people. Of course, if you have an allergy then you should avoid consuming them. The one main risk of consuming too many pears is digestive upset from the high fiber content. Especially if you increase your fiber intake too quickly, you may experience gastrointestinal symptoms like gas, bloating, or diarrhea. Therefore, since each medium pear contains 20% of the DV for fiber, be careful about overdoing it.
There are a few different types of pears commonly available in grocery stores or produce markets including Bosc, Bartlett, Anjou, and Asian, to name a few. Each one has a different color pattern, texture, and flavor; the different colors can represent different nutrients, so mixing it up could be beneficial. Here are some tips for consuming pears:
- Let pears ripen on the counter.
- Refrigerate pears once they have ripened to extend their life.
- Freeze pears if they’re about to go bad to prevent food waste.
- Enjoy fresh pears on their own.
- Make a pear and gorgonzola cheese salad.
- Replace apples with pears in tarts, pies, and pastries.
- Use pears to make fresh jam.
- Poach pears and flavor with cinnamon for dessert.
- Add pears to a sandwich.
A Quick Review
Pears are nutrient-rich fruit packed with fiber. Their nutrient composition can promote digestive and cardiometabolic health, reduce inflammation, and reduce your risk for diabetes. Plus, their fiber content helps promote satiety.
They come in a bunch of varieties whose different textures, colors, and flavors can appeal to almost everyone. Try eating them fresh, adding them to a salad, or including them in your next baking project.
