Peaches, with their soft skin and
sweet flesh, are a summertime staple. One of the largest fruit crops
grown in the United States, peaches provide a great deal of nutrients
with few calories and no fat. Peaches are a healthy way to fit in one of
your daily servings of fruit.
Weight Control
One
large peach, about 2 3/4 inches in diameter, contains just 68 calories
and no fat. Eating peaches instead of more fattening, processed snacks,
such as chips, baked goods, cereal bars and cookies, can help you
manage your weight. Peaches are naturally sweet and can replace some of
the added sugars in your diet. Use them to top unsweetened whole-grain
cereal, plain yogurt or plain low-fat cottage cheese, instead of
choosing versions of these foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup
or cane sugar.
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Vitamins
Peaches
contain 10 different vitamins. A large peach provides 570 international
units of vitamin A, important to healthy vision, and 11.6 mg of vitamin
C, an antioxidant and tissue-builder. Peaches provide lower levels of
vitamins E and K, with about 6 percent of the daily value based on a
2,000-calorie diet. Vitamin E is another antioxidant, while vitamin K is
essential to your body's blood clotting capabilities. Peaches are also a
source of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, niacin, folate and
pantothenic acid.
Minerals
A
large peach provides 333 mg of potassium. Potassium can help you
maintain healthy blood pressure as well as prevent kidney stones and
bone loss. You need about 2,000 mg of potassium daily. Peaches provide
some magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, iron and calcium as
well. These minerals work to support red blood cell, bone and nervous
system health.
Antioxidants
In
the "Journal of Medicinal Food," a study published in October 2009
reported that significant antioxidants are present in the flesh and skin
of peaches. One of the major antioxidants in peaches, chlorogenic acid,
helps scavenge free radicals -- compounds that your body acquires
through exposure to pollutants, food and the environment -- to reduce
the effects of aging and deter chronic diseases. This antioxidant may
also help ward off cancer and reduce body inflammation.
Fiber
A
large peach provides 17 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of which come from
fiber. Fiber is essential to smooth and healthy digestion, preventing
constipation and ensuring colon health. Fiber may also play a role in
regulating your cholesterol levels, helping to reduce your risk of
developing heart disease. An adult woman should try to consume 25 g of
fiber daily, and an adult man 38 g daily.
