PEACH FRUIT

Peaches or Prunus persica are small fruit with a fuzzy, velvety peel and sweet, juicy white, yellow or orange flesh. They belong to the genus Prunus, with close relation to plums, apricots, almonds and cherries, in the Rosaceae family. They are also known as drupes or stone fruits due to the fact that their flesh surrounds one large seed, that tastes remarkably similar to almonds. Peaches are originally native to northwest China but are now propagated and available in different parts of the world including Italy, Spain, southern USA, Thailand and India.  They are commonly called “Aadu” in Hindi, “Pica” in Bengali, and “Peechu Pandu” in Telugu.

Beyond its refreshing taste and aroma, peaches are power-packed with essential nutrients with innumerable health benefits. It is these incredible properties and potency that have been recognized for centuries in many traditional medicines including ancient Chinese medicine and Ayurveda in treating various chronic ailments like diabetes, heart problems, skin infections as well as nervous system disorders. They are rich in powerful vitamins and minerals and are also a great source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that benefits health in numerous ways.

Benefits of Peach Fruit

• Promotes Healthy Skin: The rich vitamin C and zinc content in peach help in boosting collagen formation which helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines. In addition, the rich flavonoids and catechins presence help protect the skin against damage, ageing and help rejuvenate skin texture.
• Improves Heart Health: Peaches are an excellent fruit to help reduce bad cholesterol levels and lowers the risks of hypertension, thanks to their rich potassium and choline content.
• Manages Healthy Weight: Due to their high fibre and low caloric content, peaches offer an excellent solution to managing a healthy weight. Moreover, the bioactive and phenolic compounds in peaches, including catechins, quercetins, anthocyanins, chlorogenic acids, are clinically proven to lower obesity risks.
• Reduces Cancer Risks: The high presence of antioxidants, including vitamin C, help fight against free radicals from oxidising the healthy cells in the body, thereby preventing the development of cancer development.
• Controls Diabetes: Peaches due to their rich polyphenol antioxidants content exhibit potent hypoglycemic properties. This helps in reducing lipids, and improve blood glucose levels and insulin tolerance towards processing glucose molecules in the system.
• Promotes Digestion: Peaches are a great source of dietary fibre which helps enhance digestion, eases movements of food through the gut and also helps lower the risks of constipation and other digestive issues like IBS.
• Boosts Immunity: With high Vitamin C content, peaches are an excellent food source to help strengthen the immune system. Moreover, they also contain rutin, a potent antioxidant that possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity, thus aiding in combating infections.
• Protects the Eyes: Lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin, which are potent antioxidants in peaches, help in improving vision and protect against macular degeneration.
• Strengthens Bones: Peaches possess a good amount of phosphorous which is beneficial in maintaining bone shape and strength and in bolstering the connective tissues in the body. It also helps in reducing the risks of severe bone ailments like arthritis and osteoporosis.
• Promotes hair Growth: Peaches contain an excellent amount of nutrients like biotin and B vitamins which help in promoting strong, healthy hair growth, nourish the scalp and prevent dandruff and hairfall.

Peaches are not only sweet, refreshing and pleasing to the eyes, but they are also a storehouse of innumerable nutrients essential to health. Add these tasty summer fruits to your diet, to reap their incredible benefits.