Pears are valuable fruits
that have been widely used and savored for their delicious flavor since
ancient times. Apart from being a tasty addition to the diet, pears are
also packed with nutrients and nutritional value. Some of the health
benefits of pears include their ability to aid in weight loss improved digestion, improve heart health, regulate the body’s fluid levels, reduce blood pressure, increase cognitive ability, prevent cancer, promote wound healing and tissue repair, defend against birth defects, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, increase the metabolism, improve circulation, protect against osteoporosis , while guaranteeing healthier skin eyes, and hair.
Pears
are an integral part of the fruit diet of many cultures around the
world, and these oddly shaped and succulent fruits certainly provide a
lot of nutritional value and medicinal benefits.
There are a wide variety of pear trees, and a few of them bear edible
fruit that is commonly consumed by humans; a number of pear varieties
are only used as decorative trees and shrubs.
The fruit is the
upper end of the flower stalk, and is typically narrow at the top (stem)
and wider at the bottom. However, this is not the way to ultimately
determine a “pear” variety. Some pears are shaped just like apples!
The appearance of the flesh inside the skin is also similar to apples,
although it is a slightly grittier consistency, due to the presence of
stone cells. This is one of the most obvious differences between the two
fruits, as well as the taste.
It is native to the Old World,
mainly Europe, North Africa, and Asia, and there is evidence of it being
consumed since prehistoric times. It was unclear whether European
varieties moved east, or if Asian varieties moved west and south from
China, but evidence seems to point to China as the ultimate source of
pears. It has been a part of international diets for thousands of years,
and has been found in Celtic literature, Roman history, and Chinese
lore. Its ability to grow easily in places with temperate, cool climates
makes it very versatile and rather easy to cultivate.