The pear symbolized immortality in ancient China. Pear trees live many years, and most variations of pear change colors as they grow. Bartlett’s ripen from green to yellow to crimson. Perhaps that is why the ancient Chinese realized that pears are beneficial for your health in a number of ways, due to their high fiber and antioxidants.

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Pears:

1. Help Prevent Osteoporosis: Elderly people are susceptible to osteoporosis, a disease that saps bone strengths and makes bones easier to break. Luckily, pears are brimming with boron a metalloid which our bodies need to retain calcium, so pears can help prevent this bone disease.
2. Antioxidant Effect: Pears are full of antioxidant nutrients like Vitamin C and copper. that protect our cells from oxygen-related damage from free radicals. One study found that pear juice had potent free radical scavenging activity.
3. Hypoallergenic: Fewer people have allergic reactions to pears than to just about any other fruit. Because so few people are allergic to pears, they are considered a safe fruit to eat around the world, and can be given to most infants.
4. Good for Healthy Colon: Pears have up to six grams of fiber per medium-sized fruit, which is a great contribution to the 25 to 30 grams of fiber we need every week. Filling up on fiber keeps your digestive system moving, which is great for stomach health and preventing colon cancer. Just makes sure to eat the skin, as it contains half the pear’s fiber.
5. Heart Health: The dietary fiber in pears is also good news for your heart. Studies have shown that fiber lowers bad cholesterol by removing bile salts from the body. One study even argues that a pear-filled diet can even reduce risk of stroke by up to 50 percent.
6. Good for Blood Sugar Levels: The fiber in pears also makes them low on the glycemic index. Pears are also low in calories and carbs, both of which diabetics want to minimize in their diets. The minerals calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium, and the vitamins C, E, K, folate, beta-carotene, lutein, choline and retinol found in pears are all vitamins and minerals diabetics- and everyone else- needs in their diet.
7. Boosts Immunity: In addition to vitamins C and K, pears are packed full of B2, B3, and B6 and folate. All of these nutrients fortify the immune system to ward off illness and keep you feeling great.
8. Anti-Inflammatory Properties The phytonutrients in pears, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, are all shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. That helps with heart and digestive health, making pears an essential component in nutrition.
9. Improve Eye Health: Eating fruit everyday is good for your eyes, and the pears are one of the best fruits of all. The vitamins and nutrients in pears prevent cataracts and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration
10. Improve Blood Pressure: Not only are the skin of pear’s full of fiber, they are packed with Quercetin. Quercetin is one of the antioxidants found in the skin of pears. It has demonstrated anti-cancer properties and also helps regulate blood pressure.

A bite of this wildly nutritious tropical superfood can deliver a cornucopia of benefits for the human body. Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, can be either sweet or sour, depending on the species. The most common form of dragon fruit, which is smaller than a cantaloupe, red, and covered with spiky growths, can protect the body from aging and diabetes.

In the U.S., the exotic fruit has gone under the radar compared to many mainstream fruits and health foods, such as apples and kale. Typically, it is widely distributed from South Florida, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Taiwan, Malaysia, Israel, and Vietnam, according to the University of Florida. Dragon fruit also undergoes food irradiation in the U.S. when shipped from overseas to improve its safety and extend its shelf life by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and insects.

Although exotic, it is safe for consumption even by pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and continues to grow in popularity while becoming more affirdable in the U.S. The fruit is rich in vitamin C, but it is also a rich source of fatty acids. Kevin Meehan, a holistic practitioner and founder of Meehan Formulations and owner of Teton Valley Health Clinic in Jackson, Wyo., told Medical Daily in an email: “It is not this fruit's vitamin C content which gives it the health potential but rather its fatty acid and phosphorus content.”

Replenish your body and feed it the six benefits of this tropical superfood.

1. Anti-Aging

Antioxidants are essential for keeping the skin tight and firm. They fight off free radicals that circle around the body that are known to cause problems like cancer. Dragon fruit is a good source of antioxidants due to its vitamin C content.

Meehan reminds eaters probably the most overlooked nutrient in this fruit is its phosphorus punch. “One of the most important key regulatory events in our cells require phosphorus and the phospolipids are primary components of cellular membranes. This could help in preventing premature aging,” he said.

2. Cancer Prevention

Aside from vitamin C, dragon fruit contains carotene, which is linked to several anti-carcinogenic qualities, including reducing a number of tumors. Moreover, lycopene, responsible for the red color in dragon fruit, has been shown to be linked to lower prostate cancer risk. A 2011 study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention found lycopene intake of less than 2,498 mcg/day increased the risk of prostate cancer, whereas a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and lycopene-rich foods, including being physically active, can significantly reduce the risk.

Moreover, the peel of dragon fruit contains polyphenols, which are chemicals often found in nature. “There is the possibility that some of these polyphenols work as affinities to estrogen receptors and possibly alter the attachment behavior of this and other hormones to their receptor sites on cells,” Meehan said. “This could be one reason why it may protect against certain forms of cancer.”

3. Cardiovascular Health

Dragon fruit can help boost your heart health, as it decreases bad cholesterol levels while improving the good levels. A 2010 study published in the journal Pharmacognosy Research found the consumption of dragon fruit may lower the risks of developing heart disease and developing high blood pressure. This exotic fruit is also a good source of monosaturated fats which help to keep our heart in good condition.

4. Diabetes

The high amount of fiber in this exotic fruit can help stabilize a person’s blood sugar levels. It also helps to inhibit the sugar spikes that occur after eating high glycemic index foods. In the same study in the journal of Pharmacognosy Research, researchers found dragon fruit had a valuable effect on the oxidative stress from aortic stiffness in diabetic rats. This suggests regular consumption of the fruit could be beneficial in preventing common issues linked to diabetes. 

5. Digestion

Dragon fruit has a significant fiber content. This means it can improve the body’s bowel movements by facilitating the passage through the digestive tract. The consumption of this exotic fruit can help reduce the chances of conditions like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. 

6. Immunity Booster

The high levels of vitamin C found in dragon fruit can give the body’s immune system a boost while also stimulating the activity of other antioxidants. The presence of high level of vitamin C, minerals, and pytoalbumin is involved in fighting free radicals and possessing antioxidant properties. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, as well as calcium, phosphorous, iron, protein, niacin, and fiber also contribute to improving the functioning of your immune system.

The health benefits are mainly attributed to the antioxidants, vitamins, and mineralsthat the dragon fruit contains, and many of those healthy qualities are explained below.

Immune System Health: One of the most beneficial aspects of dragon fruit is its ability to give a serious boost to your body’s defense system. The high levels of vitamin-C that can be found in dragon fruit are one of the strongest assets to your body’s immune system, and they stimulate the activity of other antioxidants in the body as well. They actively seek out and eliminate free radicals, the dangerous byproducts of cell metabolism, which have been directly linked to potentially fatal conditions like cancer and heart disease. The more vitamin-C, the better!

Cardiovascular Health: Dragon fruit is quite the exotic fruit with a number of unique properties, one being that they contain no cholesterol and almost no unhealthy cholesterol-producing fats. By reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood, the chances of developing plaque in the arteries and veins are small, thereby reducing the likelihood that you’ll suffer from atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. By using dragon fruit as a source of many other nutrients, you are not negatively impacting your body in any way, hence the fruit’s reputation as a “superfood” is true. Some fat is beneficial, and the seeds of dragon fruit do contain this positive type of fat, which can lead to HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol). HDL cholesterol actively decreases the amount of LDL cholesterol by inhibiting the receptors that it binds to on the walls of arteries.

Vitamin Content: Dragon Fruit is also packed with other beneficial vitamins besides vitamin-C, including the B vitamin group. The B1, B2, and B3 vitamin content of dragon fruit benefit everything from blood pressure, skin health, and cholesterol levels to thyroid function and carbohydrate metabolism. Even a single cup of dragon fruit contains a significant amount of beneficial vitamins.

Digestion: Dragon fruits have a significant fiber content, which means that they can help your body bulk up its bowel movements, facilitating smooth passage through the digestive tract, stimulating peristaltic motion, and induce a release of digestive juices. By regulating bowel function with dietary fiber, you reduce your chances of conditions like constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and even more serious diseases like colorectal cancer.

Cancer Prevention: Along with the antioxidant protections of vitamin C to boost the immune system, dragon fruits contain other sources of natural antioxidants. Carotene is another component of dragon fruits, and carotene has been linked to a number of anti-carcinogenic qualities, as well as reducing the size of tumors. Basically, dragon fruits boost your immune system from every direction, so if you feel like you’re frequently getting sick or feeling under the weather, or even if you are at a high risk of developing cancer, dragon fruit might be the answer for you.

Antibacterial and Anti-fungal: A final boost to the immune system from dragon fruit is its antifungal and antibacterial quality. This can help increase the white blood cell count in the body which defends against toxins, and it also inhibits the entrance or growth of fungal or bacterial infections in the organ systems. You will also find that it stimulates cell regeneration and speeds up healing, so wounds and bruises will heal at an increased rate.

Body Metabolism: One of the essential parts of our diet is the intake of protein. Proteins are what make our body run smoothly, because they are the intrinsic parts of everything from our teeth, hair, and bones, to our organs, blood vessels, and tissue. Many of the proteins we gain from fruits, vegetables, and meat are metabolized by enzymes in our body and turned into usable proteins that can speed up cell repair, enhance strength, speed up the metabolism, and help us lose weight and increase muscle mass. An appropriate dose of protein in our diet helps countless aspects of health, and dragon fruit is an unusually good source of protein.

Archeological records show that people have been steeping green tea leaves for over 5,000 years! Globally, tea ranks second only to water in overall beverage popularity. Green tea has benefits beyond its ability to quench thirst and decades of research suggest it offers a variety of healing, health-boosting properties. Here are just a few of the many health benefits of green tea.

1. Nutritional Support for Health Challenges

While not a stand-alone cure by any means, studies have shown green tea has the potential to fight many forms of cancer. One lab study done at the McGill University in Montreal found that the antioxidants in green tea could successfully shrink prostate tumors in mice. Another meta-analysis of data found that high green tea consumption could lower lung cancer risk by up to 18%.

Chinese studies have even shown a link between green tea consumption and lowered chances of stomach, pancreatic, esophageal, prostate and colorectal cancer. This is definitely an exciting to start for more research to come.

2. Promotes Heart Health

Potentially due to its ability to lower blood cholesterol, green tea has been shown to aid the body in its ability to burn off harmful forms of fat, preventing them from laying stagnant in the blood stream. Large-scale studies done on green tea have associated it with long-term heart disease prevention. A Japanese trial found that drinking at least four cups of green tea daily could lower the severity of heart disease in men.

3. Antioxidants

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants. These free-radical fighting substances increase the body’s ability to ward off disease and slow down the degenerative processes of aging. Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins and polyphenols, forms of antioxidants known to stop the response associated with damaged DNA, high cholesterol, and even cancer. These antioxidants act as dilators on our blood vessels, improving their elasticity and reducing the chance of clogging. What is more, green tea undergoes very little processing, allowing the natural antioxidants to remain intact and concentrated.

4. Weight-Loss Aid and Metabolism Booster

Green tea extract has been shown to be effective in both the prevention and reduction of weight gain. One study found that green tea’s fat oxidation properties aided participants in weight loss over a period of three months. A Japanese study found that participants using green tea extracts were most easily able to lose weight, lower blood pressure levels and get rid of harmful LDL cholesterol. Clinical studies suggest that green tea’s polyphenols create a fat-burning effect in the body, as well as increase metabolism. But, and this is a big but, some research has shown that green tea extract may offer too much of a good thing to the point it can negatively affect liver health. Although we can’t talk about the benefits of green tea without mentioning green tea extract and weight loss, we also can’t mention that without the caveat against green tea extract.

5. Supports Digestion

Green tea is a well-known digestive stimulant. It reduces intestinal gas and may even offer support for digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two types of IBD.

6. Encourages Normal Blood Sugar

Green tea has been used in traditional medicine to keep blood sugar levels stabilized. This may be due to the fact that it regulates glucose in the body.

7. Support for Arthritis

Studies show that green tea counteracts the response typically associated with diseases like arthritis. It does this by slowing the inflammation response as well as the breakdown of cartilage in arthritic individuals.

8. Boosts the Immune System

Green tea may act as an overall immune booster. Chemicals in green tea have been used to promote good health in so many ways. Some studies on laboratory animals even show promising evidence that green tea can slow the aging process and even keep us alive longer!