Summer is a great time to enjoy delicious, fresh fruit. And one of the best to choose from are sweet, juicy peaches. Not only are these fuzzy fruit good, they are good for you. Peaches are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that offer many health benefits. Let’s consider seven of these benefits.
- A Stronger Immune System
Peaches contain vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants, as mentioned earlier. These nutrients help to support the immune system by aiding in the production, function, and protection of several types of immune cells. They also help the respiratory tract by helping to form protective mucous membranes, which aid in keeping germs out of the bloodstream. Antioxidant compounds fight cell damage and protect the body against aging and illness.
- Aids in Digestion
Peaches also contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation and aids in digestion. Peaches also contain prebiotics, which feed beneficial gut bacteria connected to anti-inflammation, immunity, and mood.
- Heart Health
Studies have shown that compounds found in peaches help lower cholesterol and high blood pressure. This helps to keep your heart and vascular system healthy.
- Eye Health
An antioxidant called beta-carotene, which the your body turns into vitamin A, is also found in peaches. Vitamin A is a key nutrient for vision health. Two other compounds beneficial for eye health, lutein and zeaxanthin are present in peaches. These nutrients help protect the retina and lens and have been shown to reduce the risk of two common eye disorders, macular degeneration and cataracts.
- May Prevent Certain Types of Cancer
This fuzzy fruit is full of polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant that have been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells. Studies show that these antioxidants also have the ability to kill cancerous cells without causing any damage to healthy ones.
- May Promote Brain Health
Another important protective quality of antioxidants (found in peaches) are their ability to fight cell-damaging free radicals which can lead to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is basically an imbalance between production of cell-damaging free radicals and the body’s ability to halt or reverse their health-destroying effects. This is an important point for good brain health since oxidative stress has been tagged as a causative agent in neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
- May Reduce Allergy Symptoms
Peaches may reduce allergy symptoms by suppressing the body’s release of histamines, which occur as an immune response when triggered by allergens. This helps to reduce the inflammation commonly seen in allergic reactions.
Juicy, sweet, delicious and full of wonderful health benefits.Peaches are an amazing fruit. The next time you’re in the produce section of your local supermarket or drive near a farmer’s market why not grab a bag, or a box of peaches and enjoy the sweet rewards.
Sources:
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-peaches/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peach-fruit-benefits
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-peaches-health-benefits
- https://www.health.com/nutrition/health-benefits-peaches
- Photo by Rebecca Luna