Pear, its nutritional profile, biological activity, health benefits, therapeutic uses, culinary uses and risk factors
Description : Pear is one of the most nutritious fruits that has been used for centuries for various medicinal
Article Details :
Pear is one of the most nutritious fruits that has been used for centuries for various medicinal purposes.
Nutritional profile
- It contains desirable amount of carbohydrates as well as fibre
- It also contains too some extent of proteins and fats but totally free from cholesterol
- It contains adequate moisture too
- It is loaded with various important micronutrients, which include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese and copper
Important plant compounds
It contains various important biologically active plant compounds that help in exerting numerous nutraceutical activities, such as –
- Anthocyanins – these compounds are responsible for improving cardiac health and also helps in strengthening the blood vessels
- Lutein and zeaxanthin – these two components play significant role in boosting up the eye health and also help in reducing the risk of developing eye disorders especially macular degeneration
- Arbutin – it helps to improve skin health and also helps in protecting the skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation as well as sun burn
- Catechin – it exhibits powerful anti-inflammatory activity and also plays vital role in inhibiting thrombogenesis by suppressing platelet adhesion
- Chlorogenic acid – it exerts potent hypoglycemic as well as hypotensive activity
- Rutin – it is closely related with exerting anti-inflammatory activity
- Quercetin – it exerts potent antioxidant activity
Biological value
Antioxidant activity
- It contains various imperative micronutrients and phytonutrients that act as antioxidant and help to protect the body from free radical induced oxidative damages
- Its consumption is thus thought to be very effective for preventing oxidative stress, which ultimately helps in decreasing the risk of developing chronic diseases
- It helps in preventing cellular damages too and helps in sustaining cellular functions as a result promotes overall wellbeing
Anti-inflammatory activity
- It is packed with antioxidants as well as flavonoids, both of these components play important role in exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity
- Whereas its micronutrient components especially Vitamin C, Vitamin K and copper also exert anti-inflammatory activity
- It helps to delay the onset of inflammatory events in body by decreasing the concentration of inflammatory markers as a result helps in decreasing the susceptibility of developing chronic inflammatory diseases
- It is also associated with preventing swelling as well as pain
- Its consumption is really very effective for improving the symptoms of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, gout, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease etc
Anti-carcinogenic activity
- Its cinnamic acid and anthocyanin components are accountable for exerting anti-carcinogenic activity that plays vital role in reducing the risk of developing cancers
- Its oxidative stress reducing capacity is also considered as another important factor that helps in reducing the risk of carcinoma. It helps in protecting DNA from damages and also reduces the prevalence of gene mutation, which significantly lowers the susceptibility of cancer
- It also helps in suppressing the growth of malignant cells within body
- It is very effective for decreasing the prevalence of lung, bladder, stomach, breast and ovarian cancer
Detoxifying activity
- It acts as natural detoxifying agent and helps in eliminating toxins from body
- It contains adequate amount of moisture that helps to make the body hydrated and also promotes urination, which ultimately helps in flushing out toxins from body as a result helps to clean the body effectively
Hypotensive activity
- Individual suffer from hypertension should include pear in their diet as it is very useful for reducing elevated blood pressure
- Its antioxidants, glutathione component and potassium component exert potent hypotensive activity, which help in dilating the blood vessel and subsequently reduces high blood pressure
Health benefits
Role on immunity
- Consumption of pear is very effective for boosting up the overall immunity of the body
- Its antioxidant activity plays vital role in preventing the damages of immune cells by protecting them from the detrimental effects of free radicals, which ultimately helps to improve their functionality hence promotes the resistance Read more
