Peach Health Benefits & Nutrition

Peach Health Benefits & Peach Nutrition Facts

Those delicious, juicy peaches offer so much flavor! And indeed, when we look at the peach nutrition facts, we see the many peach health benefits, too.

A member of the stone-fruit family and native to northwest China, peaches aren’t just delicious. In fact, they also possess a remarkable assortment of nutrients essential for good health, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Read to learn about peach health benefits and peach nutrition facts!

Antioxidants

Vegetables and fruits contain a fair amount of natural antioxidants that help your body stay active and healthy. It means developing a diet that meets your recommended amount of veggies and fruits are the most effective ones to provide your body with a strong cover against diseases.

Fruits and vegetables protect our overall health as they help to reduce the risk of strokes, cancers, and coronary heart disease. They’re also low in calories, which helps eliminate obesity – the most significant contributor to developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. According to US Dietary guidelines, consuming fruits is beneficial for health. Today, I will discuss nutrition facts of peaches, their health benefits, and how to add more of them to your diet. So, let’s get started!

Essential Vitamins

Peaches are a rich source of essential vitamins, such as A and C, that our body needs to stay healthy and active. The juicy fruit is perfect for making sweet and savory salsas and summertime desserts. Because of their relation to apricots, plums, almonds, and cherries, peaches are stone fruit because their flesh surrounds a shell with an edible seed.

You can eat this yummy fruit on its own or add it to a range of dishes. But, besides being delicious, peaches are incredibly nutritious, offering an array of health benefits. They boost your immune system, enhance vision, and improve skin health. Some other peach health benefits include enhanced digestion, allergy relief, and smoother skin.

 

 

Peach Nutrition Facts

Nutrition facts of one medium-size raw peach (147g) provide:

 

 

Calories	50
Fat	0.5g
Cholesterol	0g
Sodium	0g
Carbohydrate	15g
Fibre	2g
Sugar	13g
Protein	1g
Vitamin A	6%
Vitamin C	15%

 

 

Apart from that, a medium-size peach also contains a 3% daily value of iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium, choline, folate, phosphorus, and vitamins A, E, and K.

Peach Health Benefits

Their sweet aroma and refreshing taste aside, peaches are a rich source of essential nutrients, offering an array of health benefits. Check out some fantastic peach health benefits below:

Rich With Antioxidants

A healthy diet with a significant amount of antioxidants significantly reduces the risk of many diseases, including heart disease and cancers. Peaches are rich in antioxidants, and according to a study, they could be an excellent source of antioxidants.

Peaches also contain chlorogenic acid, which is a potent antioxidant and offer various health benefits. Moreover, phenolic compounds in peaches contribute to their antioxidant activity far more remarkable than Carotenoids or vitamin C.

More, peaches also contain zeaxanthin, lutein, and beta-cryptoxanthin, which all benefit disease prevention and healthy aging. Packed with vitamin C and phytochemicals, this fruit also prevents the risk of cancer. The presence of vitamin C fights off free radical damage to cells. In contrast, phytochemicals are known for their cancer-prevention properties, such as reducing DNA damage, preventing inflammation, and eliminating oxidative stress.

Help With Weight Loss

According to the CDCP report, starting your day right goes a long way in losing weight. And, one of the effective ways of doing that is to reduce the consumption of cereal to make some space for fruits like peaches. This not only helps you feel full but also limits the consumption of calories.

Another study states that polyphenols’ presence may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer. The same results are noted in human colon cancer cells. Peaches also have caffeic acid compounds. According to Swedish research, this compound protects against colon and breast cancers by preventing cancer growth.

Moreover, another study found that peaches help inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and prevent secondary development in the lungs. It is because peaches also have two major anti-cancer components called chlorogenic and neo-chlorogenic acids. These acids are beneficial in eliminating cancers cells without affecting their health.

Smoothens the Skin

As I already mentioned that peaches are rich in vitamin A; they promote and improve skin health. You can consume the fruit to add color to your complexion. Apart from vitamin A, vitamin C in peaches is also beneficial. It is one of the best antioxidants that help protect the skin from pollution and the sun, improve skin texture, and reduce wrinkles.

According to French research, vitamin C in peaches also help treat photodamaged skin and reduce sun-induced skin aging. Moreover, it is also beneficial in correcting the structural changes of skin that occur with age.

Help With Digestion

Another fantastic peach health benefit may improve your digestion system. A medium-sized peach contains about 2g of fiber, of which half is soluble, and half is insoluble. Insoluble helps add bulk to the stool to move the food through the gut, which helps to reduce the risk of constipation.

On the flip, soluble fiber promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in your intestine by providing them with food. These bacteria then produce short-chain fatty acids, such as propionate, acetate, and butyrate.

These fatty acids in your gut help reduce inflammation while also enhancing digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Besides peaches, peach flowers also help with digestion.

An animal study indicates that some compounds in peach flowers also increase the frequency and strength of gut contraction, which helps push the food along smoothly.

Aid Heart Health

In general, the consumption of fruit is beneficial for heart health. Peach health benefits also include heart health as they lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, decrease cholesterol and high blood pressure. In addition, a test-tube study suggests that they may bind to bile acids that are produced by cholesterol in the liver.

Bind bile acids are accompanied by cholesterol excreted by the body, helping lower cholesterol levels. Additionally, another animal and test-tube study suggest that the fruit may also reduce LDL cholesterol levels, triglyceride, and blood pressure.

Moreover, research in rats reported that peach juice helps to lower the hormone angiotensin II that contributes to increased blood pressure. However, more clinical research is needed to confirm these results in humans.

Improve Vision

Generally, eating fruit, including peaches, help reduce the risk of macular degeneration related to age. The presence of phytonutrients in peaches is beneficial for your eyes. Compounds like zeaxanthin and lutein provide a shield and protect your eyes from damages related to light.

Moreover, they may also help prevent vision loss. A study suggests that people with age-related macular degeneration who consumed antioxidants along with lutein are less likely to experience vision loss.

Help Detoxify Your System

Unfortunately, detoxification is something that many of us don’t pay attention to. However, like anything else, it is also essential to keep yourself active and healthy. According to a University of Minnesota report, vitamin A, C, E, and selenium serve as antioxidants, aiding detoxification.

Reduce Stress

Stress is a serious concern, and every other person is suffering from it. We all look for ways to keep ourselves away from stress to live a happy and healthy life. One of the most significant peach health benefits is that they contain magnesium, which strengthens your nervous system to eliminate the risk of developing insomnia to improve sleep quality.

An interesting fact about peaches is that they are known as “Fruit of Calmness” in Hungary because they have anxiety-reducing effects.

Anti-aging Effects

One of the sweetest peach health benefits is its anti-aging properties. The presence of health-promoting flavonoids in peaches helps slow down the aging process. According to  South Korean research, consuming fruits with vitamin C like peaches help reduce wrinkles by slowing down the aging process.

Help With Diabetes

If you’re suffering from diabetes, you may find it a full-time job to count carbs and limit your blood sugar levels. Fortunately, a peach contains only a few carbs, which means you can enjoy this yummy fruit without worrying about your blood sugar levels.

In addition to a limited amount of carbohydrates, peaches also contain a fair amount of fiber, crucial for managing blood sugar and making you feel full. Fiber is also essential for running your digestive system smoothly.

Conclusion

These are only a few peach health benefits. Besides being yummy and delicious, you will reap an array of health benefits by consuming this fruit. Regardless of their small size, peaches are a natural source to fight life-threatening diseases, including cancer. You can eat peaches on your own or add to a range of dishes.

 

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