This One Ingredient May Improve Your Eyesight and Naturally Cleanse Your Kidneys
Everyone knows how delicious a ripe pear is on a hot summer day, but how many people know that pears have actual health benefits? Among other things, a steady diet of pears can improve eyesight and cleanse your kidneys. Here’s how:
What’s In the Skin
The skin of pears is usually so thin that the fruit doesn’t need to be peeled. This is a good thing because the skin is rich in substances called phenolic phytonutrients. These are antioxidants, which against damage from free radical molecules. This alone is enough to support healthy eyesight and healthy kidneys. But these phytonutrients are also anti-inflammatories. Though some inflammation helps the body heal when it’s injured, too much can be damaging.
Carotenoids For the Eyes
Pears are also surprisingly rich in carotenoids, the same substances that give carrots their orange color. Carotenoids tend to concentrate in the macula of the eye, which is the very center of the retina. They are sometimes so concentrated that they give the macula a yellow color. Scientists believe that the carotenoids protect the macula, which is necessary for sharp, central vision. Carotenoids are also antioxidants.
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Pears and the Kidneys
Pears are good for the kidneys because they naturally help to lower high blood pressure, which is devastating for people with kidney disease. Pear juice also helps to prevent kidney stones because it is low in oxalates, which contributes to the formation of kidney stones. Pear juice mixed with pure water and the juice of other fruits and vegetables such as kale, cranberries and wheatgrass makes for an excellent kidney cleanse.
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What Types To Buy
All of the pears on the market in the United States are members of the Pyrus communis species, but some have more health-giving substances than others. These pears include the red-skinned pears such as the red Anjou, the red Bartlett, and the Starkrimson. These are the pears that contain the most carotenoids, such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene.
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How To Serve
Pears, of course, are perfect to eat out of hand, but experts also recommend juicing pears. The juice is best because it retains a lot of the pulp, which is rich in phytonutrients.
Pears are delicious, available everywhere and inexpensive. Now, it is known that they greatly support the health of the eyes, kidneys and other bodily systems as well.
