Did you know that if you follow the advice to eat probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and sauerkraut to help improve your gut health — or if you take probiotic supplements for that purpose — you still have to “feed” those probiotics to get them to stick around long enough to be of benefit to you?
Well, you do. What they need to stick around and do their job, is soluble and insoluble fiber.. now often called “prebiotics”.
Guess what you can eat that provides you with both soluble and insoluble fiber? Pears. (Now you see the inspiration for the headline of this article…)
One medium-sized pear contains 6 grams of fiber. That 6 grams is about 22 to 24% of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of fiber, which is impressive according to people who know about such things. And those same people say that once that fiber gets into your gut it can improve your health in some pretty serious ways.
A study by researchers at North Dakota State University (yes, the one here in Fargo, ND), found that pears are a favorite food source for friendly (probiotic) bacteria in the digestive tract. And when those organisms are well-fed they are said to be able to help keep your blood sugar and blood pressure at a healthy level.
But that’s not all. When they’re well nourished and satisfied they also multiply. Multiplying can reduce the risk of bacterium like Helicobacter pylori overgrowing and causing ulcers and stomach pain, and even increasing your risk of cancer.
“Bacteria is often perceived as something that causes diseases; however, the body is full of bacteria that are mostly good,” according to researcher Kalidas Shetty. She added that “It’s exciting to explore the potential that pears have to balance beneficial bacterial activity in the digestive process, as gut health helps support overall health of the body.”
Research has also found that pears have natural chemical antioxidants and phenolics that interact with the body’s enzymes to improve how the body handles sugar. They can help lower the high blood pressure that often comes along with diabetes as well. And the antioxidants in pears have also been found to make heart tissue more pliable to balance cholesterol levels, making these tasty fruits especially heart-healthy.
How to get the most benefit from pears… most of its fiber is in its skin. So if you want to get the most benefit from it, eat its skin. Since you’re eating the skin it’s especially advisable to buy organic pears, to avoid pesticide residue in non-organic pears.
There are a lot of ways to add pears to your diet. People often like pears added to oatmeal, salads, smoothies and more… use your imagination! Pears are also nice as a snack — maybe along with some cheese and/or almonds. Or just eat a pear all by itself as a special treat that is also going to benefit your health, not harm it like so many snacks do. Isn’t is nice to know such a great tasting snack — one even kids like! — is also a benefit for one’s gut and overall health?
And as you probably know, studies have shown that Willard's Water boosts the absorption of nutrients from food or from supplements, so it would seem to us lay people that drinking Willard's Water along with eating beneficial foods like pears (and other good foods, fruits, and vegetables), will only make them all work even better.
