The post Pears May Support Cognitive Function (or “Brain Health”) appeared first on USA Pears.

In sharing their experiences as they relate to fiber, dietitians revealed the following takeaways:

• Education is Needed on Fiber
  • Most dietitians have a similar experience when it comes to talking about fiber with their patients. 50% or less of the individuals/communities they counsel seem to understand the benefits of fiber. Moreover, dietitians shared that 50% or less of the people they counsel understand how to include fiber in their daily diets, and the same amount, 50% or less, take action to include fiber into their daily diets.
• Fruit Takes The Lead
  • In practice, dietitians recommend fruit more often than any other high-fiber food. When recommending ways to increase fiber, dietitians stick with whole foods, while fiber-enriched foods and fiber supplements are recommended least often.
• When it Comes to Fiber, Pears Rank Higher
  • With 6g of fiber in one medium pear providing 24 percent of daily fiber needs, pears are a top choice among dietitian recommendations to increase fiber intake, and it’s no surprise why! Pears are an excellent source of fiber and have vitamin C with only 100 calories per serving. Plus, pears are sodium free, fat-free and cholesterol free.
• Preparation is Key
  • The most common roadblock dietitians have found to prevent people from getting enough fiber is a lack of knowledge among those they counsel about how to prepare high-fiber foods. Additionally, more than half of dietitians have encountered a dislike of high-fiber foods as a major barrier to proper fiber consumption among individuals/communities they counsel.

Pears are in season now and plentiful at grocers nationwide, making this the perfect time to enjoy the many varieties of pears. To help overcome the preparation barrier commonly encountered with high-fiber foods, try the following tips to enjoy pears and their nutrition benefits:

• The best way to judge the ripeness of a pear is to Check the Neck: Apply gentle pressure to the neck of the pear with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe.
• Leave firm, unripe pears at room temperature so that they can ripen. Once a pear is ripe, it can be refrigerated to slow the ripening process and saved for use up to five days.
• If you find yourself with a few too many overripe pears, blend them into smoothies, soups, sauces and purees.

Pear Bureau Northwest continues to pursue opportunities to better understand the health benefits of pears and their ability to contribute to a healthy diet. Visit www.usapears.org for additional pear research, nutrition resources and recipes.

About Pear Bureau Northwest
Pear Bureau Northwest was established in 1931 as a nonprofit marketing organization to promote the fresh pears grown in Washington and Oregon. As the nation’s largest pear-growing region, 900 grower families produce 88% of all fresh pears commercially grown in the United States. Pears grown in these two Pacific Northwest states are distributed under the “USA Pears” brand. Pears are an excellent source of fiber (24% DV) and a good source of vitamin C (10% DV) for only 100 calories per medium-sized pear. Sweet and juicy with no fat, no sodium and no cholesterol, pears are a perfect choice for snacking and make a great addition to any meal. For more information, visit www.usapears.org, www.facebook.com/USApears, and follow @USApears on Twitter.

Resources:

1. S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.
2. Source: The Pear Bureau Northwest Fiber Survey was conducted by Today’s Dietitian between August 24 and September 13, 2017 with participation from 1,030 registered dietitian nutritionists across America, using an email invitation and an online survey.

The post Breaking Down Fiber: A National Survey of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Gives Insight into The Nation’s Understanding of Fiber appeared first on USA Pears.

Pears are fat free, and are an excellent source of fiber that contains vitamins and other beneficial nutrients. Several studies suggest that adding pears to the diet aids weight loss, especially when pears replace less healthful or less filling foods.

What we choose to eat makes a big difference. By choosing nutrient-dense, filling foods, we tend to eat fewer calories throughout the day. Nutrient-dense foods are usually higher in fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals that not only fuel our bodies, but keep us satisfied for longer. These foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, low-fat dairy, and lean meats. By including nutrient-dense foods in the diet, such as pears, in place of higher-calorie foods, such as ice cream, we tend to eat fewer calories throughout the day without being hungry.

FINDINGS

The post Weight Management appeared first on USA Pears.

Help manage gut health with pears

New research led by Dr. Kalidas Shetty, Ph.D., found that the bioactive functions of pears may play a beneficial role in managing gut health. This new research looks at the health effect of pears as they are digested, such as slowing the growth of harmful bacteria (ulcer-causing H. pylori, the most common chronic bacterial infection in humans) without affecting beneficial bacteria with probiotic potential. The study also looked at pears as part of a dietary strategy to provide efficient and effective management options to combat diet-linked non-communicable diseases, like type 2 diabetes and its associated cardiovascular disease complications.

Dipayan Sarkar, Chandrakant Ankolekar, Marcia Pinto, Kalidas Shetty, Ph.D.: Dietary functional benefits of Bartlett and Starkrimson pears for potential management of hyperglycemia, hypertension and ulcer bacteria Helicobacter pylori while supporting beneficial probiotic bacterial response: Food Research International (2014).

This site is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to treat any illness or condition. If you have questions or concerns about your health, seek advice from your physician.

The post Gut Health appeared first on USA Pears.

Vital nutrients, vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber can all be found in pears, and play a proactive role in maintaining a healthy diet and fighting against various cancers (1). Danish women who ate a healthy Nordic diet pattern, which included regular consumption of pears (part of the traditional Nordic diet), had a lower risk of colorectal cancer. (Br J Nutr, 2013). And data from the NIH-AARP (Am J Epidemiology 2007) study found that among common fruits and vegetables, there was a particularly protective effect from the intake of Rosacea fruits, such as pears, on esophageal cancer. (IntJ Cancer, 2007)

For more information about cancer and prevention, get the facts from the American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org) or the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov).

FINDINGS

The post Cancer appeared first on USA Pears.

Have you heard that reducing sodium can lower blood pressure? This is true for a lot of people (2). Sodium is found in a lot of foods in small amounts, and it makes up about 40% of table salt. It is necessary for the body in very small amounts, but most Americans eat entirely too much.

For most people, lifestyle changes will have a positive outcome on blood pressure. By following an exercise plan prescribed by your doctor, eating more fruits and vegetables, decreasing sodium while increasing potassium, and losing 10% of your body weight if you are overweight, you may reduce blood pressure (3). These are great reasons to add pears to your diet. Pears are sodium-free, fat-free, contain antioxidants and 190 mg of potassium, and when they replace higher calorie foods in the diet, may aid weight loss. Eating foods rich in potassium tends to reduce the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Other benefits of potassium include maintaining a normal heartbeat, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and carbohydrate and protein metabolism.

Just think, if you replace high-sodium, high-calorie foods in your diet with low-calorie, sodium-free foods such as pears, you’ll decrease your sodium intake even more.

FINDINGS

Need to decrease hypertension? Start with fruits and vegetables

In 1,569 (642 men, 927 women) subjects in Ohasama, Japan, high-level consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with a significantly lower risk for hypertension. Likely due to their antioxidant properties, there was a strongly significant association between high potassium and vitamin C intakes and a lower risk for hypertension. Vitamin C has a strong correlation with high levels of fruit and vegetable consumption, and thus, a high vitamin C intake seems to contribute to lower blood pressure. However, this is not the case with vitamin C supplements. Only vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables had a benefit, likely due to a combined and synergistic relationship at work between vitamin C, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Compared to those consuming the least amounts of fruit daily (15.6 grams/day), those consuming the most (222.7 grams/day) had a 45% lower risk of hypertension.

Utsugi MT, Ohkubo T, Kikuya M, Kurimoto A, Sato RI, Suzuki K, Metoki H, Hara A, Tsubono Y, Imai Y. Fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of hypertension determined by self measurement of blood pressure at home: the Ohasama Study. Hypertension 2008;30(7):1435-1443.

1. American Heart Association, Hypertension. Available online here.
2. American Heart Association, Make Healthy Food Choices to Stop Hypertension. Available online here.
3. American Heart Association, High Blood Pressure – What Can Be Done? Available online here.

This site is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to treat any illness or condition. If you have questions or concerns about your health, seek advice from your physician.

The post Hypertension appeared first on USA Pears.

Heart disease is the primary cause of death in the United States, and stroke is the third leading cause of death, according to the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (3). Heart disease is a general term for diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels. Fats that we eat travel through our blood and are important ingredients that help our bodies function properly. But when we eat too much unhealthy fat, like saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol, these fats can accumulate and block blood flow to the heart or brain. This is how heart attacks and strokes happen.

According to the American Heart Association, many factors contribute to cardiovascular disease, including diet, activity level, age, and your genes (1). However, eating more fruits and vegetables may help fend off a heart attack or stroke, as fruits and vegetables include a lot of things that are good for your heart, such as fiber and potassium. Since diets rich in fruits and vegetables are usually lower in fat and calories, they can help keep your body at a healthy weight (1).

FINDINGS

The post Heart Disease and Stroke appeared first on USA Pears.

Pears: A Sweet You Can Eat

Type 2 Diabetes: Overview

We naturally have sugar in the bloodstream that provides energy to every body cell. Healthy levels of this sugar, glucose, are maintained by insulin, a hormone secreted when blood sugar rises too high. Type 2 diabetes happens when your body doesn’t make enough insulin or your body’s cells don’t respond normally to insulin, called insulin resistance. This causes high blood sugar and immediately starts to starve cells of energy. Over time, high blood sugar damages sensitive tissues, such as those in the extremities, eyes, and kidneys.

What Should I Eat?

Following a regular meal plan, being active, taking medications, and tracking your blood sugar levels will help you manage your diabetes. Indeed, you may be able to control your diabetes just by eating healthfully and exercising regularly. Most people benefit from 3 meals plus 2 to 3 snacks every day. For easy snacking ideas, click here.

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates provide energy, and every cell needs energy. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and dairy and come in three forms, sugars, starches, and fiber. Sugars are the simplest, most easily absorbed carbohydrates and include glucose needed to sustain energy. Starches are longer chains of sugars. Fiber is the indigestible part of a plant. While it is generally not digested, it may offer cardiovascular and digestive benefits.

Why Pears?

Everyone’s digestive system needs carbohydrates, and it is best to balance them with fiber, protein, or fat at every meal. Balancing carbohydrates decreases the rate of absorption of glucose, so your blood sugar won’t spike as dramatically. Good carbohydrate choices are those that already contain these nutrients, such as fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.

Pears pack a nutritional punch! Each medium pear contains 6g of fiber, 21% of the recommended daily value, and they contain vitamin C. Eating two pears every day meets your fruit needs as outlined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. What could be sweeter?

But Doesn’t Fruit Contain Sugar?

Sometimes people think that since fruit naturally contains sugar, eating fruit is not appropriate for managing diabetes. This is not true! Fruit is full of vitamins, minerals, water, and fiber – all important nutrients – and most fruits are considered low GI foods. Indeed, foods high in fiber, such as pears, taste sweet without having the deleterious effect of spiking blood sugar.

For those counting carbohydrates, a small piece of fruit contains about 15g, or one serving, of carbohydrates.

For more information on including fruit in your diet, visit the American Diabetes Association website.

The Glycemic Index:

Many practitioners suggest following the glycemic index (GI). The GI is a scale from 1 to 100 that ranks how foods affect blood sugar. Foods that contain carbohydrate naturally increase blood sugar; the lower a food is on the GI, the less that food increases blood sugar. According to Diabetes Care, a medium-sized pear ranks 38 on the glycemic index and is considered a low glycemic food. [1]

The post Pears and Diabetes appeared first on USA Pears.