THE CHOLESTEROL-FIGHTING FRUIT
Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
Boost immunity
Improve memory and alertness
Keep bones strong
The tender, juicy pear—once extolled as “the fruit of the gods”—got a headline-grabbing nutritional upgrade recently. Once thought to contain a respectable 4 grams of fiber, this sweet treat was reclassified by the FDA as a fiber superstar in late 2005, when new research revealed that a medium pear actually packs a whopping 6 grams. A single pear, we now know, provides one-quarter of your daily fiber needs.
That’s good news for your heart, since 41 percent of the fiber in a medium-size pear is pectin—a type of water-soluble fiber that whisks cholesterol out of your body.
Soluble fiber acts like Velcro, trapping cholesterol molecules in bile acids—one of the body’s digestive fluids—in the intestine before they get absorbed into the bloodstream. And because pectin can’t pass through the intestinal wall, it goes into the stool, taking cholesterol along with it, explains Mary Ellen Camire, PhD, professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine in Orono. When your body needs more bile acids, it must pull more bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol out of your bloodstream to manufacture them—and in the process, lowers levels in your blood. “Eating pears on a regular basis can have a big impact on lowering cholesterol,” Dr. Camire says. “There aren’t many fruits that measure up.”
The other type of fiber in pears—insoluble fiber—has its own health benefits. Insoluble fiber, as the name suggests, doesn’t dissolve in the intestine. What it does, however, is absorb large amounts of water. This causes stools to pass more easily and quickly through the digestive tract, which helps prevent constipation and hemorrhoids and also reduces the risk of colon cancer.
With 190 milligrams of potassium, or 5 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for this mineral, a fresh pear can help fight high blood pressure. Experts say getting a total of 3,500 milligrams of this important mineral each day could cut blood pressure enough to lower stroke risk by 22 to 40 percent.
Pears also provide 11 percent of the vitamin C and 9.5 percent of the copper you need each day. Both function as antioxidants in your body, disarming cell-damaging free radicals, while vitamin C also bolsters immunity by stimulating infection-fighting white blood cells.
But that’s not all. The presence of the trace mineral boron in pears plays a role in keeping bones strong—good news for postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis, the brittle-bone disease that can lead to debilitating fractures. Boron is also brain food: In one study by USDA scientists, reflexes and mental alertness improved when people were given additional boron.
Pears are usually harvested just before they’re ripe—the flesh spoils easily once they’re completely ready to eat. That means the pears you find in most stores need to sit for a few days in a bowl or paper bag in a warm spot outside of the fridge, suggests Cristie Mather of the Pear Bureau Northwest—the marketing group that represents American farmers in Oregon and Washington who grow more than 80 percent of the nation’s pears.
To test for ripeness, press near the stem. It will “give” under gentle pressure when it’s sweet, juicy, and ready to munch. Pears ripen from the inside out—don’t wait until the flesh around the middle is soft—the rest may be overripe by then.
With more than 5,000 varieties of pears worldwide, you could eat a different one every day for years and never have the same taste twice. Here are a few of the pears you’re most likely to find in neighborhood markets.
Anjou. These pears have a yellow-green skin and are usually available in winter. They’re sweet and very juicy and make a pleasant addition to salads.
Bartlett. Available during the summer and early fall, Bartletts have yellow-green skin and a sweet and juicy flesh. They can be eaten raw as a snack and are also delicious poached or in cobblers.
Bosc. Bosc pears have a slender neck, russeted yellow skin, and a sweet-tart flavor. The flesh is firm, making them a good choice for poaching. They can even be grated, adding a sweet accent to oatmeal or dry cereal.
Comice. Comice pears have melt-in-your-mouth texture and a sweet fragrance and a color ranging from greenish yellow to yellow brushed with red. Because they’re so soft and lush, they’re frequently served as a dessert fruit.
Once ripe, store in a zip-top bag in the coldest part of your fridge. Keep away from cabbage, carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes—all absorb pear odors. Onions can also impart their own odors to pears.
Keep it clothed. Most of a pear’s fiber is in the peel. By eating pears with the skin on, you’ll get the full complement of fiber, along with the cholesterol-lowering benefits, Dr. Camire says.
Fresh is better. While canned pears are convenient, they don’t provide anywhere near the benefits of fresh, says Donald V. Schlimme, PhD, professor emeritus of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland in College Park. For one thing, canned pears have been peeled, so they have lost most of their healing fiber. In addition, they may lose large amounts of nutrients during the canning process.
This isn’t to say that you don’t gain anything from canned pears. You do, although you probably don’t want it. A serving of canned pears packed in heavy syrup delivers 25 percent more calories than its fresh counterpart, Dr. Schlimme says.
Got a chronic cough? Munch a pear. In a study of 49,140 men and women, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers found that those who ate the most pears (as well as apples and grapes) had the lowest rates of coughing problems, notes researcher Lesley M. Butler, MD, of the NIH’s Epidemiology Branch in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Antioxidants in pears and other fruits may protect against lung damage, he suspects.
Quarter the pears lengthwise, and remove the cores. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise. Arrange the pears decoratively on a platter, alternating occasionally with strips of smoked turkey.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, and honey. Whisk until smooth. Add the basil and stir to mix. Spoon the dressing evenly over the pears and turkey. Season lightly with pepper.
Makes 4 appetizer servings
Calories: 193
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 6 mg
Sodium: 175 mg
Dietary fiber: 7 g