Posted on SFGate
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-asian-pears-4377.html
Nashi pears provide you with fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Nashi pears, sometimes called Asian pears or simply “nashi,” have been a part of many Asian cuisines for centuries. They have a crisp but juicy texture similar to apples, and they can be enjoyed on their own or used to make desserts or salads. Adding nashi pears to your diet helps boost your nutrient intake, as they come packed with dietary fiber, and they also offer essential vitamins and minerals that support your health.
Calories and Carbohydrates
Each large nashi pear contains 116 calories, with the majority coming from its carbohydrate content. That’s approximately 6 percent of your daily calorie intake if you are on a 2,000-calorie diet. Consuming carbs helps keep you going throughout the day. The glucose derived from carbs fuels your muscles, serves as a source of energy for your brain and red blood cells, and also helps to maintain your body temperature. Each nashi pear contains 29 grams of total carbohydrates, including 19 grams of naturally occurring sugar.
Dietary Fiber
Nashi pears make a beneficial addition to your diet because they come loaded with dietary fiber. Each large nashi pear contains almost 10 grams of dietary fiber, which is approximately one-quarter of the daily fiber intake requirements for men and 38 percent of the intake requirements for women, as set by the Institute of Medicine. In addition to helping fend off hunger, fiber helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and lower your cholesterol. Fiber also protects you from Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and it might also lower your risk of some forms of cancer, reports the Linus Pauling Institute.
Vitamins
Eat nashi pear as a source of essential vitamins, particularly vitamins C and K, which support bone health. Vitamin C helps make collagen, a protein that keeps your bones from being too brittle, while vitamin K allows your body to make proteins needed for bone mineralization. Vitamin C’s antioxidant function also keeps your tissues healthy, and vitamin K ensures that you can form blood clots. Each nashi pear contains 10 milligrams of vitamin C and 12 micrograms of vitamin K. This provides 13 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C intake for women and 11 percent for men, according to the Institute of Medicine, as well as 13 and 10 percent, respectively, of the daily vitamin K intake for women and men.
Minerals
Adding nashi pear to your diet also boosts your mineral intake, providing you with a significant amount of copper and manganese. These minerals help support your active lifestyle by helping your cells produce energy, and they also help keep your tissues strong by playing a role in collagen synthesis and maturation. Manganese also keeps your bones healthy, while copper nourishes your brain. Each nashi pear contains 15 percent of the copper you need each day, according to the Institute of Medicine, as well as 9 percent of the daily recommended manganese intake for women and 7 percent for men.
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Nashi, Asian pears are one of the typical autumn fruits in Japan. I am so great to be able to share the nutrients that nashi provides us. Hope you enjoy this seasonal fruits.
Source: SFGate: Healthy Eating
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-nashi-pear-9457.html