Pros and cons of pears

Pros and cons of pears

Pros and cons of pears

Pears are high in sugar and have a glycemic cost that could be greater than the micro nutrients they offer. They are low in protein and can cause an imbalance of your essential fatty acids. On the other hand, pears are high in fiber; increase good gut bacteria and prolong your life. Balance out the disadvantages of pears by eating other fruit and vegetables in your diet. Also eat enough protein every day.

Nutritional content of pears

Let's take a look at the nutritional makeup of pears before we delve into their health benefits and drawbacks. 100 grams of pears have the following nutrients:

1. 58 Calories (3% of the recommended daily allowance)
2. 83.7 grams of Water
3. No Cholesterol
4. 15.5 grams of Carbohydrates (5% of the daily recommended intake)
5. 9.8 grams of Sugar
6. 0.4 grams of Protein
7. 0.1 grams (100 milligrams) of Fat
8. 3.1 grams of Dietary Fiber (12% of your recommended daily intake)
9. 23 International Units of Vitamin A (0% of the recommended daily intake)
10. 0.2 milligrams of Vitamin C (7% of your recommended daily intake)
11. 0.1 micrograms of Vitamin E (1% of your daily recommended intake)
12. 4.5 micrograms of Vitamin K (6% of your daily recommended intake)
13. 1% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B 1 (Thiamine)
14. 1% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B 2 (Riboflavin)
15. 0.2 Milligrams of Vitamin B 3 (Niacin) (1% of your daily recommended intake)
16. 1% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B 6
17. 7 micrograms of Vitamin B 9 (Folate) (2% of your daily recommended intake)
18. 0% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B 12
19. 0% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B 5 (Pantothenic Acid)
20. 5.1 micrograms of Choline
21. 0.2 milligrams of Betaine
22. 29.0 milligrams of Omega 6 fatty acids
23. No Omega 3 fatty acids
24. 9 milligrams of Calcium (1% of your daily recommended intake)
25. 0.2 milligrams of Iron (1% of your daily recommended intake)
26. 7 milligrams of Magnesium (2% of your daily recommended intake)
27. 11 milligrams of Phosphorus (1% of your daily recommended intake)
28. 119 milligrams of Potassium (3% of your daily recommended intake)
29. 1 milligram of Sodium (0% of your daily recommended intake)
30. 0.1 milligrams of Zinc (1% of your daily recommended intake)
31. 0.1 milligrams of Copper (4% of your daily recommended intake)
32. 2% of your daily recommended intake of Manganese
33. 0.1 micrograms of Selenium (0% of your daily recommended intake)
34. 2.2 micrograms of Fluoride
35. 8.0 milligrams of Phytosterols (important plant compounds)

The nutrients in pears

Disadvantages of pears

1. The sugar content of pears

Carbohydrates break down into sugars. Pears are high in sugar. If you follow the recommended dietary guidelines, 100 grams of a pear fruit will give you 5% of your total recommended daily allowance for carbohydrates. They will only nourish you with less than 3% (on average) of the vitamins and minerals that you need.

2. Pears are a High GI food

Pears cost more in terms of sugar consumption than what they give you in terms of micro nutrients.

The glycemic index (GI) is the ranking of foods that compare how the sugar content affects your blood stream. It is important to keep this in mind because high sugar consumption leads to a variety of diseases and illnesses. The total food that you eat should give you less than 100 GI points per day.

Pears have a glycemic index of 3 per 100 grams. Therefore, 100 grams costs you more in terms of your recommended sugar consumption (3%) than what they give you in terms of micro nutrients (less than 3%).

Compare this to spinach, for example, which has a glycemic load of 1 (1% of your daily recommended value), but offers over 10% of your vitamin and mineral needs (on average) per 100 grams.

Monitor your sugar intake.

3. Pears are low in protein

The average man who does not exercise regularly needs 56 grams of protein per day. An average, sedentary woman needs 46 grams of protein every day.

A man would need to eat 14 kilograms (over 30 pounds) of pears to fulfill his daily protein requirements. A female would need to eat 11.5 kilograms (over 25 pounds) of pears to get her daily protein requirement. The amount of protein that you need on a daily basis will increase if you exercise regularly.

Comparisons to other food

You only need to consume 440 grams of eggs if you are a male or 365 grams of eggs of you are a female. A male would need to eat 264 grams of almonds while a woman would only need 216 grams for her daily protein intake.

Pears therefore don't give us enough protein either - which most of us don't get enough of.

4. Pears are high in omega 6 fatty acids but lack omega 3 fatty acids

Pears have Omega 6 fatty acids and no Omega 3 fatty acids. Most of us get too many omega 6 fatty acids in our diet already. We don't get enough omega 3 fatty acids. This imbalance leads to many health problems.

Diseases caused by an imbalanced omega 3 to 6 fatty acids profile

1. Increased cardiovascular disease like heart attacks and stroke
2. Almost all forms of cancer
3. Inflammatory diseases like allergies, asthma, coeliac disease, hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease
4. Autoimmune diseases like diabetes, arthritis and multiple sclerosis

The above study (in the link) explains that you can avoid many diseases if you increase your omega 3 intake (which pears lack) and decrease your omega 6 consumption (which pears contain).

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What happens when we correct our omega 3-to-6 fatty acid profile?

1. Suppression of the above diseases
2. 70% less death from cardiovascular disease
3. Reduced spread of cancer in people with colorectal cancer
4. Decreased risk of breast cancer
5. Less inflammation in people who have rheumatoid arthritis
6. Beneficial effects for people with asthma

This is why fish oil is so beneficial. Their high omega 3 fatty acid profiles help us to keep the balance between the two.

5. Digestive issues

Live Strong explains that you can experience digestive issues like diarrhea, gas and bloating when you dramatically increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables.

Our bodies depend on beneficial gut bacteria to break down the parts of food that we can't digest. If you have not eaten a lot of fibrous foods in the past, you will not have the beneficial strains of gut bacteria that help you to turn this kind of food into usable nutrients. This is what leads to these digestive issues.

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Advantages of pears

The list of disadvantages to pears above might make you want to avoid them altogether. The truth, though, is that it is healthier to eat pears than to not eat them at all. Raw fruit and vegetables are very good for you.

1. Pears are high in fiber

100 grams of pear fruit has 12% of your total daily fiber requirement. A medium pear (which is 178 grams) will give you 22% of your daily fiber needs.

Benefits of fiber

This is why we need fiber:

1. Detoxes the body and helps it to pass bowel movements
2. Lowers cholesterol levels
3. Controls blood sugar levels
4. Helps to prevent fat gain
5. Aids in the prevention a whole range of diseases 
6. Helps you to live longer
7. Feeds bacteria that keep bad bacteria at bay
8. Keeps you fuller for longer

Fiber is good for you.

2. Pears are a much better source of sugar than processed food

Processed foods are loaded with sugar. Sugar that is found in processed food like snack bars, soda, candy, processed meat and condiments are referred to as added sugar. The sugar that is found in fruit and vegetables is known as intrinsic sugar.

The difference between natural sugar (intrinsic sugar) and sugar from processed food (added sugar)

1. Natural sugars are accompanied by nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Processed foods are generally void of these micro nutrients.
2. Added sugar is dumped into the blood stream. Natural sugar is locked in fiber and takes longer to be released.
3. Our bodies are made to digest natural sugars. Processed foods with added sugars are foreign to the digestive system.
4. There is almost always more added sugar in processed food compared to the sugar that is found in fruit and vegetables.

A can of soda, for example, has 45 grams of sugar (compared to 9.8 grams of sugar in 100 grams of pear fruit). Pears will fill you up and give you much more micro nutrients than soda.

If you crave something sweet, eat a pear instead of a chocolate bar. It has more nutrients and the natural sugar in a pear is not as dangerous as the sugar that is added to processed foods.

3. Pears provide protection against cancer

The antioxidants in pears protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer. The protective effects of the antioxidants go far beyond cancer prevention.

Benefits of antioxidants

Here are some of the benefits of antioxidants:

1. Reduced risk of heart disease
2. Combats neurological disorders
3. Helps to balance moods
4. Improves immune function
5. Reduces mental decline with age
6. Slows down the formation of wrinkles and other age-related symptoms
7. Prolongs life
8. Improved vision and eye health

Pears may prolong your life.

4. Pears are good for gut bacteria

The fiber in pears will feed your good gut bacteria. You will only experience the negative digestive effects listed above when you don't have this kind of good gut bacteria. When you don't, you will struggle to digest all kinds of fruit and vegetables.

Pears increase good gut bacteria and therefore lead to the following benefits:

Benefits of good gut bacteria

1. Improved weight control
2. Less risk of diseases
3. Improved overall health
4. Healthy aging with less health complications
5. Protection again digestive issues
6. Less constipation or diarrhea
7. Reduced risk of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease
8. Lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome
9. Increased defense against all forms of cancer
10. Reduced sensitivity to asthma
11. Better emotional and mental health
12. Less chance of depression
13. Greater bone mineral density

The right gut bacteria are important.

Read about how you can improve your gut health through gut bacteria.

Is it a good idea for me to eat pears or not?

Pears are very good for you. You should most certainly eat them - along with other fruit and vegetables daily.

You need to balance out your fruit and vegetable intake with good sources of protein. This will ensure that you get all of the nutrients that you need.

Eat other fruit and vegetables along with pears so that you get all of the plant-based micro nutrients that you need. Add good protein sources to your diet so that you get the nutrients that fruit or vegetables tend to lack (like protein and omega 3 fatty acids).

Good sources of protein

Here are some of the best sources of protein:

1. Lean meat (beef, pork and chicken)
2. Fish
3. Eggs
4. Dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese
5. Nuts and seeds
6. Beans and legumes
7. Soy products such as tofu
8. Grains like quinoa, spelt, kamut, teff, amaranth, sorghum and bulgur

Your diet is incomplete without protein.

Pears are good for your health and they have many benefits that can't be ignored. You still need to eat other foods in order to get enough of all the nutrients that you need. Remember to always consult your doctor before making any lifestyle changes and to do everything in moderation. Stay Strong!

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