Pears : Uses and Nutritive Values

Though the pears pictured do not have a textur... — Though the pears pictured do not have a texture suitable for good eating, scientists at the ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, West Virginia, will combine their fire blight-resistant qualities with other lines possessing traits sought in commercial pear varieties. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Morphology of Pears:

Pears are greenish coloured fruits that are mostly conical in shape while some of them are found to be round. Some Pears are also called as ‘Wood Apples‘ because they are hard even after ripening. If these Pears are kept behind bananas, they get ripened quickly. Pears are taken either as fruit juice or after drying as ‘dry fruits’. Jellies and jams are also made with the juice from Pears.

Nutritional Facts: 100 gms of Pears consists of :

58 Calories of Energy
Starch – 15.46 gms
Fibre – 3.1 gms
Protein – 0.38 gms
Calcium – 9 mg
Potassium – 119 mg
Zinc – 0.1 mg
Magnesium – 7 mg
Vitamin C – 4.2 mg

Some of the Uses of Pears

Small amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folates are also present in Pears.
Pears juice is given as the first juice to infants in European countries.
It is good to the people who are suffering with diseases like acidity in stomach, stones in gall bladder, arthritis and gout.
Pears also control Blood Pressure and cholesterol levels.
The fibre present in pears prevents several cancers.
The skin of the fruit contains ample amount of Vitamin C and fibre. So it is advisable to eat the complete fruit.