Pear Aphrodisiac

Pears (Genus: Pyrus) are a wonderful fruit and everyone should consider adding them to their own raw diet. Their unique texture, tangy flavor, and curvy shape have made pears part of the erotic in both art and cuisine. Ripe juicy pears have been considered an aphrodisiac by many cultures, as the shape of fruit, has been seen as a celebration of the female form.

Health Benefits

Pears provide a very good source of fiber and are also a good source of vitamin B2, C, E, copper, and potassium. They also contain a significant amount of pectin, which is a water-soluble fiber.

Recent studies have shown that the skin of pears contains at least three to four times as many phenolic phytonutrients as the flesh. These phytonutrients include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and potentially anti-cancer phytonutrients like cinnamic acids. The skin of the pear has also been shown to contain about half of the pear's total dietary fiber such as pectin.

Pears contain more pectin compared to apples. This makes them effective in helping lower cholesterol levels and in toning the intestines. Health care practitioners often recommend them as a hypoallergenic fruit that is high in fiber. They are less likely to produce an adverse response than other fruits. Pears are often recommended as a safe fruit to introduce to infants.

In recent studies measuring risk of type 2 diabetes in U.S. women, pears have earned very special recognition. Researchers now know that certain flavonoids in food can improve insulin sensitivity, and of special interest in this area have been three groups of flavonoids (flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins). All pears contain flavonoids falling within the first two groups, and red-skinned pears contain anthocyanins as well. Intake of these flavonoid groups has been associated with decreased risk of type-2 diabetes in both women and men.

However, a new analysis of the Nurses' Health Study has shown that among all fruits and vegetables analyzed for their flavonoid content, the combination of apples/pears showed the most consistent ability to lower risk of type-2 diabetes. We believe that this special recognition given to pears as a fruit that can help lower risk diabetes in women is likely to be followed by future studies showing this same benefit for men.