Eat it when it’s dry in the fall! 3 additional benefits

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Pears are high in water, low in calories, low in GI, high in fiber, rich in phenolic substances, and also contain a lot of sorbitol. In addition to moisturizing, they are also a good laxative.

Pears can really look at the butt.

Pears are the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to moisturizing fruits in autumn. Let’s talk about pears today~

Pear is a fruit of the genus Rosaceae, which is closely related to apple and has many similarities with apples in terms of nutrition and health care effects.

The nutritional benefits of pears

Pears are really average in terms of vitamin C (about 5-10mg/100g), potassium (about 50-150mg/100g), and magnesium (5-11mg/100g). Not “fruit”.

But pears have their own advantages in these areas:

High moisture, low calorie, low GI

The moisture content of pears can reach more than 90%, about 35-50kcal per 100g, and it is a low-glycemic index fruit (glycemic index 33). People who control blood sugar can also eat it in moderation.

High fiber

Pears are rich in dietary fiber, can reach 6%, and some varieties can even reach 9% , especially rich in insoluble fiber (71% of the dietary fiber of pears is insoluble fiber and 29% is soluble fiber [1]).

In fact, when you eat pears, you can feel the feeling of hard residue, which is a unique type of pear fruit called “stone cells” structure. Stone cells are formed by the thickening and hardening of the cell wall of ordinary parenchyma cells and the disappearance of cytoplasm. The main component of stone cells is lignin, which is a kind of insoluble dietary fiber.

Rich in phenolic substances, easy to use and shelf-stable

Pears are rich in phenols such as chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, catechin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, arbutin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, proanthocyanidins, etc. Substances [1-2].

In fact, many fruits are rich in phenolics, but phenolics are often combined with other plant components and need to be metabolized or released by gut microbes to produce health benefits. The special feature of pear is that it is rich in methylated phenolic acids, more easily metabolized directly. 70% of the phenolic acids in pears are methylated, while in other fruits this is usually less than 23% [3].

Because of its high content of antioxidant phenolic substances, pear extract has shown a good anti-inflammatory effect in animal experiments[3].

Pear peel has higher phenolic content than its pulp, and peeling can reduce the total phenolic content by 25%[1].

In addition, pears are more shelf-stable than other squeamish fruits. Studies have found that under good storage conditions, the antioxidant properties of pears can be maintained for 8 months [1].

Laxative Master

Some readers have said that they have diarrhea when they eat pears, and they always feel that pears are unsanitary and a bad fruit.

Actually, pears are laxative!

Specifically High fructose + high sorbitol + high insoluble cellulose.

As mentioned earlier, pears are high in insoluble dietary fiber, which can not only increase the weight of stool, but also mechanically stimulate the intestinal lining and promote peristalsis.

Pears also contain 2.5% sorbitol[1]. Sorbitol is difficult to digest and loves to absorb water. Mixing in poop can not only increase water, but also be fermented by intestinal microorganisms, producing Qi promotes peristalsis, especially when eaten on an empty stomach.

Pears also contain 4.5% fructose[1], which is also laxative for people with fructase deficiency.

Moisturizing effect

Why do people think that eating pears in autumn is especially moisturizing? One is that the moisture content of pears is indeed a lot, and it is not very sweet. It is very comfortable to eat in the mouth and throat, and the fructose itself will give you a cool feeling.

The other has to do with sorbitol and fructose, which are particularly absorbent ingredients, which carry a lot of water through your digestive tract along the way, as well as some “moisturizing” strong>Effect.

A yellow skin or a green skin?

Next, let’s talk about the different varieties of pears.

There are many varieties of pears. There are 4 most common types in my country: sand pears (P. pyrifolia), white pears (P. . bretschneideri), Qiuzi pear (P. ussurienssis) and Xinjiang pear (P. sinkiagensis).

Pears

Sand pears are native to Sichuan and are mainly distributed in the Yangtze River Basin and its south.

Sand pear peels are mostly green, and there are thousands of specific varieties, such as “Cuiguan”, “Zaomeisu”, “Emerald” , “June Snow”, “Yellow Crown”, “Yellow Flower”, “Jade Water”, “Jade Green”, “Hua Pear”, “Yellow Yellow”, “Gold”, “Fragrant Fragrance”, etc. There are also brown The peel is like “Autumn Moon Pear”, while the red peel is like Yunnan “Beauty Crisp”.

Pear pulp is crispy, but relatively rough.

Sand Pear

Image source: China Specimen Museum

White Pear

White pears are native to Hebei and are mostly distributed in the north. The famous ones are Yali and Xuehuali in Hebei, Chili in Shandong, Dangshansu pear in Anhui, etc. Some scholars believe that it is a A hybrid of sand pear and Qiuzi pear.

White pears are mostly yellow peels, with large fruits and few stone cells. Although they have the same crispy texture as sand pears, they are more fine .

White pear

Image source: China Specimen Museum

Small and exquisite Xinjiang pears

Xinjiang pear is distributed in Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and other places. It may be a hybrid of white pear and Western pear.

For example, the Korla fragrant pear, which has been very popular in recent years, is small and exquisite, sweet and juicy. The texture of the epidermis is different from that of sand pears and white pears, and it is somewhat slippery, which is caused by the distribution of natural pectin and other substances in the epidermis.

Korla Pear

Image source: China Specimen Museum

Sand pears, white pears, and Xinjiang pears do not have nutritive differences. They all have delicious varieties, so choose whichever you choose [4-8].

Best Frozen Pears Qiuzi Pears

Qiuzi pear is a wild variety in Northeast China. It is quite resistant to cold and sand, but it is small in size, has many stone cells, and has a sour taste, so it is not suitable to eat fresh.

Autumn pear

Image source: China Specimen Museum

The flesh of the freshly picked Qiuzi pears is thick and firm, and must be let to wait for it to ripen, a process that takes more than ten days. After ripening, Qiuzi pears become soft and juicy, and strongly sour is also a plus for those who like it.

Although it is not suitable to eat fresh, Qiuzi pears have the most special way to eat –frozen pears!

Eating frozen pears has a long history. Some people ate it in the Song Dynasty. It is a good way to save and taste naturally developed in the cold regions of Northwest China.

Qiuzi pears that ripen and soften after the meeting are the most suitable for frozen pears, commonly known as “soft pears” and “soft pears” in Northwest China. After the pear is frozen, the peel turns black like charcoal, which is difficult to associate with food, but after thawing it with a bowl of cold water, the skin and flesh become easily separated, and the juice is rich. Mud”. In the cold winter and twelfth lunar month, eating a frozen pear after a meal in a hot and dry heating room or by the fire will nourish and relieve greasy, and the gods are envious [9].

Longshang poet Wang Juzhou praised:

Pick a pear

You can really watch ass

For many fruits, picking a fruit based on “male and female” is pseudoscience, but it does make some sense in pears.

Pears are a “fake” fruit

The fruit of the pear genus is a false fruit, so called false fruit because the edible part of the pear is not as serious as other fruits. The pulp is developed from the calyx tube and the ovary wall, and it is more like a stale leaf than a fruit.

Pear butt bumps are related to quality

Because of this special development of pear false fruit, there are persistent calyx fruit (commonly known as male pear) and decalyx fruit ( Commonly known as mother pear) two cases.

Many studies have found that pears with “removed calyx fruit” are more delicious than “persistent calyx fruit”, especially for Korla fragrant pear, the pulp of the removed calyx fruit is always more delicious. The content of sugar, sucrose, soluble internal matter, VC content, and solid-acid ratio were significantly higher than those of the calyx fruit. [10]

Studies on five pears, Yuluxiang Pear, Suli, Yusu Pear, Hongxiangsu and Shuofeng, also found that the calyx fruit has a high content of soluble solids and a low content of large-diameter stone cells , which is sweeter and more delicate in texture. [11]

But for ordinary consumers, it may not be possible to distinguish the two kinds of fruits with the naked eye, because for some common varieties, the calyx fruit and the persistent calyx fruit do not completely correspond to the bottom bumps. It just looks like a pear with a protruding bottom (protruding apical fruit), with a high probability (91.4%) that it is a persistent calyx fruit, while the bottom is concave The pears (concave top fruit) have a high probability (53.5%) of decalyx fruit, and the bottom is not unable to be improved by artificial pruning[12].

Image source: [12]

However, the calyx fruit of Korla fragrant pear is still very easy to distinguish! Because it’s a hole~

It can only be said that when buying pears, you can really pick the ones with a concave bottom, and the probability is high.

Do pears stop a cough?

No studies were found to find specific cough-relieving ingredients in pears.

The familiar “Sydney Cough Syrup” has “Sydney” in its name, but not only Sydney extract, pear is more Mostly cooperation[13].

Pears are high in water content, and you can really feel hydrated if you eat some when your throat is uncomfortable. However, it is recommended to see a doctor in time for a long-term cough, rather than eating pears to treat yourself.

By the way, the autumn pear paste contains a lot of rock sugar and honey in addition to pears. The sugar content is extremely high, don’t drink too much.

Pears and Respiratory Health

Pears are often associated with respiratory and lung health.

Studies have shown that antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids contained in fruits and vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer, but there is no independent study on the special advantages of pears, which are often associated with apples and Other Rosaceae fruits exhibit the same effect.

A study by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), for example, found that consumption of fruits of the Rosaceae family (including apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears) has a modest effect on reducing the risk of lung cancer[ 14], another epidemiological study based on the European population also found that both pear and apple consumption had a certain protective effect against pneumonia [15].

In general, eating more fruits and vegetables means an increase in the intake of antioxidants, which is good for disease prevention, but food cannot replace medicine, it should be timely in the face of disease seek medical attention.

Finally, avocado is avocado, pineapple is pineapple’s brother, black pineapple is like you, and they are not real pears.

Tell me, which pear is your favorite?

Thanks to Gu Yourong, a doctor of botany from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a popular science writer, for the review of the botany content in this article

References:

[1] Holly Reiland and Joanne Slavin. Systematic Review of Pears and Health[J]. Food and Nutrition, 2015, 50(6):301-305.

[2] Li Xia, Zhang Junying, Gao Wenyuan, Wang Haiyang. Study on chemical composition, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities of extracts from Chinese pear fruit (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.) .Food and Chemical Toxicology.50 (2012) 3673–3679.

[3] Russell WR, Labat A, Scobbie L, Duncan GJ, Duthie GG. Phenolic acid content of fruits commonly consumed and locally produced in Scotland. Food Chem. 2009;115:100Y104.

[4] Wu Yuntana. Isolation and identification of self-incompatibility genes in Chinese white pear [D]. Central South Forestry University, 2003.

[5] Jiang Shuang, Yue Xiaoyan, Teng Yuanwen, Wang Xiaoqing, Shi Chunhui, Xu Fangjie, Zhang Xueying, Bai Songling, Luo Jun. Analysis of sugar and acid content and metabolism-related gene expression in different pear fruits[5] J]. Journal of Fruit Trees, 2016, 33(S1):65-70.DOI:10.13925/j.cnki.gsxb.2016.S.08.

[6] Chen Qiliang, Yang Xiaoping, Fan Jing, Zhang Jingguo, Du Wei, Zhao Biying, Yi Xianrong, Hu Hongju. Analysis and comprehensive evaluation of fruit quality characters of Guangxi sand pear landrace[J].Southern Agriculture Chinese Journal, 2021, 52(09): 2524-2533.

[7] Hu Lianchang, Geng Qiang, Cui Ying, Zhang Shujun, Mu Hongmei. Study on the fruit quality of 8 sand pear varieties [J]. Yantai Fruit Tree, 2022(01):16-18.

[8] Zhang Xinnan, Jia Xiaohui, Du Yanmin, Wang Wenhui, Shu Qun. Comparative analysis of fruit quality and aroma components of three red-skinned sand pear varieties [J]. Journal of Fruit Trees, 2022, 39(03 ):366-375.DOI:10.13925/j.cnki.gsxb.20210364.

[9]Wang Wenhui, Tong Wei, Jia Xiaohui. Analysis of my country’s frozen pear production history, industrial status and problems [J]. Preservation and Processing, 2015, 15(06): 1-6+ 12.

[10] Yushan·Kurban. Research on the occurrence mechanism and control technology of the calyx and rough skin fruit of Korla fragrant pear [D]. Xinjiang Agricultural University, 2012.

[11] Chen Yuanyuan, Luo Jialiang, Li Kai, Song Yuqin, Li Liulin. Comparison of the quality of pear with calyx and perennial calyx[J]. Journal of Beijing Agricultural University, 2018, 33(01) :15-21.DOI:10.13473/j.cnki.issn.1002-3186.2018.0110.

[12] He Zishun, Li Shiqiang, Ruxian Guli·Maimaiti, Zhang Feng, Niu Jianxin. Research progress of fruit appearance description and regulation of ‘Korla Xiangli'[J]. North Fruit Trees, 2010(04):1-5.DOI:10.16376/j.cnki.bfgs.2010.04.002.

[13] Ye Xiaobin. Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of ephedra commonly used drugs[J]. Chinese Medicine Research, 2021,34(03):57-62.

[14] Wright ME, Park Y, Subar AF, et al. Intakes of fruit, vegetables, and specific botanical groups in relation to lung cancer risk in the NIHAARP diet and health study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;168:1024Y1034.

[15]Lineisen J, Rohrmann S, Miller AB, et al. Fruit and vegetable consumption and lung cancer risk: updated information from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

(EPIC). Int J Cancer. 2007;121:1103Y1114.

[16] Eduardo De Stefani, Paolo Boffetta, Hugo Deneo-Pellegrini, Maria Mendilaharsu, Julio C. Carzoglio, Alvaro Ronco & Luis Olivera (1999) Dietary Antioxidants and Lung Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study in Uruguay, Nutrition and Cancer, 34:1, 100-110, DOI: 10.1207/S15327914NC340114

Editor: Xiaohui

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