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Are Peaches Good for You?

Disease and Condition: Healthy Living
Are Peaches Good for You?
Peaches are a healthy and delicious addition to your diet that offers the following 10 health benefits.

Peaches are a healthy and delicious addition to your diet.

Peaches belong to the family of stone fruits, which also include cherries, apricots, and plums. They are best had as a mid-meal snack, as an addition to your oatmeal, smoothie, or salad, or as a part of a post-workout meal.

10 benefits of peaches in your diet

  1. Better digestion:
    • Peaches contain both soluble and insoluble fiber.
      • Insoluble fiber helps with bowel movements by absorbing water and reducing constipation.
      • Soluble fiber helps with gut immunity and stabilization of the blood sugars.
    • The peach skin and flowers can be used to make teas and tonics that are known to improve digestion by reducing acidity, cramping, and flatulence.
  2. Heart health:
    • The fiber and the polyphenol content in peaches may have a role in cholesterol reduction and blood pressure control.
    • The moderate potassium content in peaches is important to maintain blood vessel and heart health.
  3. Immunity:
    • Peaches are rich in vitamin C, B complex, and vitamin A, all of which play a part in immunity.
    • Regular consumption of peaches in moderation can help improve the good gut bacteria, which have been linked to gut immunity, heart health, and skin health.
    • Peaches also contain polyphenols, antioxidants, and carotenoids that fight cell damage; thus, they can help protect your skin and organs against aging and various viral illnesses.
  4. Cancer protection:
    • Owing to high polyphenol content, peaches may have cancer-fighting properties.
    • Some studies have reported that postmenopausal women who ate at least two servings of peaches in a week had lower rates of certain types of breast cancer; however, the findings need to be confirmed by large-scale studies.
  5. Decreased body inflammation:
    • With reduced inflammation, peaches may aid in a stronger and better-trained immune system that helps the body fight diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic diseases.
    • Some research reports that extracts from peach pits reduce the body’s allergic response, thus helping patients with asthma, eczema, and bronchitis.
  6. Eye health:
    • Beta carotene is a red-orange pigment found in fruits and vegetables that the body turns into vitamin A, an essential vitamin that’s important for retinal health. The retina is the part of the eye that has a crucial role in vision.
  7. Skin health:
    • Some evidence suggests that the extracts made from peach pits or peach flowers can reduce ultraviolet damage and help skin retain moisture.
  8. Kidney friendly:
    • Patients with chronic renal diseases often need a diet rich in soluble fiber and antioxidants. However, they cannot eat many fruits that have a high potassium content.
    • Peaches have a moderate potassium content; hence, these can be safely eaten in moderation by patients with kidney disease.
  9. Gastritis:
    • Peaches have been known to heal stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis owing to their nutritive content.
    • They help maintain healthy gut flora, reduce acidity, and improve digestion, all of which help relieve gastritis symptoms.
  10. Weight loss:
    • Owing to the fiber and anti-oxidant content, if eaten in moderation, peaches may help with weight loss and help control bingeing behavior.
    • Additionally, peaches contain metabolism-boosting flavonoids such as catechins, which can speed your metabolism and calorie-burning rate, aiding in weight loss.

What is the nutritive content of peaches?

The nutritive content of peaches (100 g) is as follows:

Table. The nutritional content of peaches (100g)
% Daily Value*
Calories per 100 g 59
Total fat 0.4 gram 1%
Total carbohydrate 15 gram 5%
Dietary fiber 2.3 gram 8%
Sugar 13 gram
Protein 1.4 grams 3%
Vitamin D 0 mcg 0%
Calcium 9.2 mg 1%
Iron 0.4 mg 2%
Potassium 293 mg 6%

Water content: Peaches contain about 88 percent water. They, therefore, make up excellent post-workout snacks.

High fiber content: Peaches are rich in dietary fiber. A 100-gram peach contains 1.6 grams of fiber that helps the body stay fuller for longer and check cravings.

Is any part of peach poisonous?

Theoretically, the seeds (or pits) of peaches contain trace amounts of cyanide.

  • To poison a human, a large number of seeds have to be consumed; therefore, pits are virtually nonpoisonous to humans, and accidental ingestion of a single pit is fine (although they are a choking hazard, especially in small kids).
  • Still, peach pits may be toxic in animals, such as dogs or cats.

Raw peach leaves should never be consumed.

  • They contain a chemical called amygdalin, which turns into cyanide when it comes into contact with acids in the human gut.
  • A raw peach itself is nonpoisonous; however, it doesn’t taste very good and is sour and hard.

The peach skin is always safe to eat, provided no pesticides have been sprayed on it. Make sure you wash the store-brought fruit very well in running water before consumption

QUESTION

According to the USDA, there is no difference between a “portion” and a “serving.” See Answer

What are the side effects of peach?

When eaten in moderation, peaches are mostly safe.

Having too many peaches in a day can cause the following problems:

  1. Indigestion: Peaches have natural sugars called polyols, which may not always get along well with your gut bacteria. These sugars may remain undigested in the gut and cause cramps, nausea, and bloating.
  2. IBS trigger: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a symptom complex characterized by recurrent abdominal cramps, bouts of constipation and diarrhea, joint pain, and a feeling of general ill-health. Certain foods may trigger IBS in susceptible individuals and peaches may be one of those.
  3. Food allergies: Food allergies are triggered when your immune system mistakenly detects certain foods as harmful. Unfortunately, peaches are among the more common fruit allergies that may manifest as itching and swelling of the mouth or throat. Some may have a burning sensation when peaches are eaten. There have been rare cases of anaphylactic reaction—a potentially fatal reaction that is characterized by swelling, rashes, breathlessness, wheezing, dizziness or fainting, and chest pain. 
  4. Blood sugar fluctuations: The sugar content of peaches is high. Thus, if eaten in excess, the peaches can mess up your post-prandial (post-meal) sugar levels. It is best to have peaches as an addition to greens or added to muesli or oatmeal or as a post-workout snack with some apples.
  5. Worsens gastroesophageal reflux disease: Peaches have been known to cause reflux in those prone to gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is best to avoid bingeing on them as midnight snacks.
  6. Gout trigger: Peaches contain a reasonably high amount of purines. If eaten in excess, peaches can increase the blood uric acid levels and cause a gout flare-up. Eating peaches occasionally is alright, but eating them in excess every single day must be avoided.

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References
Image Source: iStock Images

https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Peaches%2C_raw%2C_yellow_nutritional_value.html

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-peaches/

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