5 | Nutrition Magazine October 20 1 5
* Shortness of breath: The summer heat may
cause children to have shortness of breath
with excessive phlegm. Drink pear juice
during this period to help clear the phlegm.
* Throat problem: The pears are in season
during the summer for a reason. Drinking
pear juice every morning and night helps to
cool your body down during this time.
* Fiber: Pears are an excellent source of
natural dietary fiber. One pear will give you
24% of your recommended daily allowance
of fiber. Fiber contains no calories, and is a
necessary element of a healthy diet as it
helps sustain blood sugar levels and
promotes regularity. Pectin is a type of
soluble fiber that binds to fatty substances in
the digestive tract and promotes their
elimination. This seems to help lower blood
cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber also helps
regulate the body's use of sugars.
Studies indicate that diets high in fiber may
reduce the risk of heart disease and certain
types of cancer.
How do pears rank on the Glycemic Index?
Pears have 26 net grams of carbs. The
carbohydrates in a pear are low on the
glycemic index and have a low glycemic
load. This basically means that the carbs in
pears are slow to convert to sugar and enter
the bloodstream. Pears are a good choice for
getting healthy carbs.
Vitamin C:
Fresh pears are a good source for
Vitamin C. One fresh pear contains
10% of the RDA for Vitamin C (also
called ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is an
essential antioxidant for normal
metabolism and tissue repair, and helps
prevent free radical damage
(destructive by-products of the body's
metabolic process). Vitamin C
promotes healing of cuts and bruises
and helps guard against a number of
infectious diseases.
Potassium:
Fresh pears offer 5% of the
recommended daily allowance (190 mg
of potassium) per serving