What is Peach?
Peaches are a characteristically fuzzy fruit native to northwest China, from where they spread to rest of the world via ancient silk route. They are a member of the stone fruit family, meaning that they have one large middle seed, along with cherries, apricots, plums and nectarines.
The inner flesh of a peach can range in colour from white to yellow or orange. There are two different varieties of peaches: freestone and clingstone, which refer to whether the flesh sticks to the inner seed or easily comes apart.
Health Benefits of Peach
Skin: The antioxidant vitamin C, when eaten in its natural form (in whole foods such as peaches) or applied topically, can reduce wrinkles, improve overall skin texture and help to fight skin damage caused by the sun and pollution. Vitamin C also plays a vital role in the formation of collagen, the support system of your skin.
Detoxification: Peaches are beneficial for cleansing and detoxifying the body and they assist in flushing out harmful toxins from the liver and kidneys. An investigative study has proven that peach extracts possess hepato-protectant elements and are valuable in treating the condition of hepato-toxicity caused as a result of prolonged therapy for various diseases like migraine, tuberculosis, and diabetes. Peaches are widely used in eastern cultures in the manufacturing of herbal detoxification products such as detox teas.
Obesity: Peaches contain bioactive components that have shown beneficial effects in combating obesity-related disorders. An investigative research study has suggested that the presence of phenolic compounds in peaches have anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties which help in fighting metabolic syndromes that can otherwise lead to serious health concerns.
Cellular Health: Peaches contain iron, which is vital for the formation of hemoglobin in red blood cells. The consumption of foods like peaches is important during all the stages of life, including childhood, adolescence, adulthood and phases such as menstruation and pregnancy.
Uses of Peach
Peach makes you feel full and keeps you from overeating.
Peach sections are a great addition to fruit salads.
Fresh fruits are being used in variety of fruit cocktails along with grapes, pineapple, cherry, and plums.
Peaches are being used in the preparation of pie, baklava, charlottes, tart, desserts, jams and jellies.
They can also be used in various traditional recipes.
Nutritional value of Peach
Peaches store a broad range of nutrients that are vital for the healthy functioning of the body. Peaches are a rich provider of vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). They are also a good source of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), vitamin K (phylloquinone), vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B-6, folate, and pantothenic acid. Peaches also offer a rich treasure of minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, phosphorous, zinc, and copper. Peaches are low in calories, contain no saturated fat or cholesterol, and are a good source of dietary fiber.
One raw medium peach (147 grams) has 50 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol and sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrate, 13 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein. It provides 6% of your daily vitamin A needs and 15% of daily vitamin C needs.
One medium peach also contains 2% or more daily value of vitamins E and K, niacin, folate, iron, choline, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and copper.