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The GI Symbol Program, Australian Pears and Teresa Cutter, "The Healthy Chef", have teamed up to create a series of enticing snacks and meals featuring low-GI Pears.
Pears contain more fibre than many other fresh fruit, with each pear containing about four grams of dietary fibre. Fibre helps speed the passage of food through the digestive system and plays a part in controlling blood glucose by slowing the absorption of carbohydrate from the intestine into the bloodstream.
Pears contain vitamin C, with virtually no fat or sodium, and are cholesterol free. Pears are also one of the least allergenic foods available - making them ideal for kids.
PEARS AND THE GLYCEMIC INDEX
 Pears have a low glycemic index (GI) of just 38. Low-GI foods are digested and absorbed more slowly, producing a more gradual rise in blood glucose and insulin levels.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recommend low GI foods for the prevention of common western diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Low GI means
- a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals
- improved diabetes management
- improved concentration and focus
- you stay full for longer
- you can prolong physical endurance
- sustained energy
Low GI diets can
- help people lose weight
- improve the body's sensitivity to insulin
- improve blood glucose levels
- Pears are high in fibre (one of the highest ranking of all fruit), each pear contains approximately 4g of dietary fibre
- Pears have no cholesterol and almost no sodium
- Pears are virtually fat free
- Pears are a source of vitamin C
- The average pear has 370 kilojoules (90 calories)
- Pears are the only fruit allowed on elimination diets used to test allergy sufferers
- Pears can safely be introduced as babies' first food
- Pears contain hydroxycinnamic acids which act as antioxidants1
- Pears should be eaten with the skin, not just for the fibre but because a major antioxidants tends to accumulate in pear skin2
- A recent study has observed that pears may contribute to weight loss in overweight women3
- An Australian study has revealed people who eat pears regularly have the lowest risk of developing asthma4
- Eating pears appears to improve lung function and reduce Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease symptoms such as breathlessness and coughing5
- At least one serving of apples and pears a day is associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer in women6
So go on, pick up a pear today!
References
- Tsao R et al J Agric Food Chem 2003;51(21):6347-53
- Chinnici F et al J Agric Food Chem 2004;52(15):4684-89
- Conceicao de Oliveira et al Nutr 2003; 19(3):253-6
- Woods RK et al Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:414-21
- Tabak C et al Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2001;164(1):61-4
- Feskanich D et al J Natl Canc Inst 2000;92(22):1812-23
By Teresa Cutter < the healthy chef © 2006
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