Health Benefits of Peaches

Fruit and vegetables are good for you. That's what you've always been told. The reasons for this are many. Various fruits and vegetables have been touted as key to longevity, heart health, digestive health, and even cancer prevention. When discussing the benefits of fruits such as peaches, there are many clear health points in their favor. Of course they are a good source of fiber and generally provide many vitamins and nutrients the body needs. Also, peaches have an antioxidant effect on the body. First let's look at fiber. Any nutritionist will tell you that a good amount of daily fiber is fundamental to your health. Dietary fiber is essential for the proper function of the digestive system. Peaches do provide a source of dietary fiber, however, they have a relatively small amount of Fiber when compared to leafy greens or other high fiber foods. The bigger health benefit from peaches is their antioxidant effects. Antioxidants help clean toxins from the body and may even play a role in cancer prevention. Studies have found that peaches can provide a good source of antioxidants. Not all peaches are equal, however. A 2002 study comparing antioxidant effects of different fruits found that different varieties of peaches contain different levels of antioxidants and carotenoids. The study found that yellow flesh peach cultivars show a lower antioxidant capacity than white flesh cultivars. Regardless of the variety, Peaches do contain many elements which promote overall health; just in different amounts. For example, according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, levels of ascorbic acid in a peach can vary from 112mg to 202mg in the fruit and 48mg to 65mg in the flesh. Ascorbic Acid (also known as Vitamin C) is important for many reasons. Commonly credited with boosting the immune system, Vitamin C is popular in the prevention and treatment of colds. Also, Ascorbic Acid plays an important role in protein metabolism and the biosynthesis of collagen, and is a key antioxidant in the blood which also has been found to regenerate other antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol or Vitamin E. In addition to Vitamin C, Peaches are a good source of â-carotene. â-carotene is a Carotonoid which has strong antioxidant properties and is thought to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health as well as slowing the aging process. So overall, with a good supply of Vitamin C, fiber, and an anti-oxidant kick, Peaches hold health benefits impacting digestive health, immune support, cardiovascular health, and longevity.