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Peaches are a popular fruit amongst Americans, with many recipes adding peaches into various pastries, salads, and snacks.

It’s estimated that the United States produced 617,760 tons of peaches in 2020, with California leading production at 468,000 tons.¹

Many Americans enjoy peaches as a staple of their diet and will incorporate this fruit into various recipes. Here are 5 health benefits you can get from eating more peaches in your everyday diet.

5 Health Benefits of Peaches

Peaches Can Aid in Digestion

One health benefit of eating peaches is that they are able to aid your body in digestion. One medium-sized peach contains about two grams of fiber, with half of it being soluble while the other half insoluble.² Insoluble fiber helps the digestive system by moving waste through the excretory system. Soluble fiber creates a gel that improves the body’s digestion, which can help improve your body’s glucose levels and reduce blood cholesterol.³

In addition to peaches, peach flowers have been found to help improve gut health. Peach flowers were used in ancient China as herbal medicines to help improve digestive health. A study found that peach flowers can improve the gut contractions that contribute to the digestive system’s overall ability to push food through the body.⁴

Peaches Have Vitamin C

One peach contains 13.2% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C. That makes peaches a great source of this vitamin because our bodies cannot naturally produce it.⁵

Vitamin C is important because it can help your body produce collagen, which is a protein that helps the body build skin, bone, and teeth. Collagen plays a role in repairing wounds and keeping skin youthful. Vitamin C has also been linked to lowering blood pressure because it can help remove excess salt and water in the body, thus relaxing the blood vessels.⁶

Adding peaches into your diet can help you reach the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and aid in healthy skin and stable blood pressure levels.

Peaches Can Improve Your Heart

Heart disease is one of the biggest threats to the health of Americans because it is the cause of 1 in every 4 deaths.⁷ In one Chinese study, peaches have been proven to improve heart health because they can help lower your body’s cholesterol and blood pressure levels.⁸

One peach contains 247 milligrams of potassium, or roughly 5% of the recommended daily intake.⁵ Potassium is a mineral that contributes to heart health because it can help reduce blood pressure as well as help the body manage its blood sugar levels.⁹

Another correlation between peaches and heart health is peaches have been found to bind to bile acids, which are produced by your liver from cholesterol. Peaches can help move the bile acids out of your system, which can improve the body’s overall cholesterol levels.²

Peaches Can Lower Cancer Risk

There are studies that link peaches to a lower risk of cancer. One study found that the compounds inside peaches can slow breast cancer cell growth. Some of the compounds acted as antioxidants and protected the body against various forms of cancer.¹⁰

One reason why peaches may help fight against cancers is they contain carotenoids and caffeic acid, both of which are antioxidants that prevent cancer. Peaches also contain polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have been found to neutralize cancer cells and prevent cancers from growing.²

Peaches Can Improve Eyesight

Peaches contain the beta carotene, which is a carotenoid compound that gives peaches their red-orange pigment. The body is able to process beta carotene and turn it into vitamin A, which can contribute to eye health.¹¹

Several studies have found that having high levels of carotenoids can reduce the risk of macular degeneration, which causes vision loss, by up to 35%. Another study from Korea found that those who ate foods with beta carotene reduced the risk of macular degeneration in smokers.¹²

Vitamins & Minerals in Peaches

One medium peach contains:⁵

• 59 Calories. This makes peaches a great low-calorie snack to add to your diet.
• Vitamin C. Vitamin C keeps your skin, bones, and teeth healthy.
• Vitamin A. Vitamin A supports eye and immune system health.
• Magnesium. Magnesium supports your muscles and energy production.
• Folate. Folate helps with cell growth and red blood cell function.

How to Eat More Peaches

With all of these great health benefits in mind, you may be looking to add more peaches to your diet. Here are some ways you can incorporate peaches into your meals:

• Eat peaches for a snack
• Make peach cobbler
• Bake a peach pie
• Make a fruit salad and include peaches
• Blend peaches into smoothies
• Create homemade peach jam for your toast
• Make a fruit kebob and add peaches to it
• Eat yogurt with peaches in it
• Bake peach muffins for breakfast
• Try a cookie recipe that uses peaches
• Add peaches into your granola
• Put peaches into your ice cream
• Have peach pancakes for brunch
• Add peaches to your oatmeal
• Try creating a peach coleslaw
• Grill peaches for a snack
• Use peaches to flavor your meats

Are You Adding Peaches To Your Plate?

Adding peaches into your diet is a great way to help improve your overall health while enjoying a sweet treat. If you are able to, try to purchase peaches from local farms in your community while they’re ripe to get the best taste while supporting your local growers.

Here at Saber Healthcare, our culinary department works to develop and create meals that meet all our residents’ daily nutritional needs. Our teams work hard each day to cook meals that both delight our residents while providing health benefits. To learn more about our company and the services we offer to our communities, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

Sources

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2. Petre, Alina. “10 Surprising Health Benefits and Uses of Peaches.” Red Ventures, Healthline Media. 17 January 2019. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peach-fruit-benefits
3. Norris, Taylor. Olsen, Natalie. “What’s the Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber?” Red Ventures, Healthline Media. 1 March 2018. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.healthline.com/health/soluble-vs-insoluble-fiber
4. Han, Wei et al. “Prokinetic activity of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch flowers extract and its possible mechanism of action in rats.” BioMed research international vol. 2015 (2015): 569853. doi:10.1155/2015/569853
5. Mikstas, Christine. “The Health Benefits of Peaches.” WebMD, Nourish. 25 June 2020. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-peaches-health-benefits#:~:text=Just%20one%20medium%20peach%20has,they%20can%20damage%20your%20cells.
6. “5 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Vitamin C.” Saber Healthcare Group. 4 September 2020. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/5-vitamin-c-benefits
7. “10 Interesting Heart Facts You May Have Not Known.” Saber Healthcare Group. 22 February 2022. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/facts-about-the-heart
8. Li, Guilan et al. “Estimated daily flavonoid and stilbene intake from fruits, vegetables, and nuts and associations with lipid profiles in Chinese adults.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 113,6 (2013): 786-94. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2013.01.018
9. Ware, Megan. Rose-Francis, Kim. “Everything you need to know about potassium.” MedicalNewsToday. Last Updated 10 March 2021. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287212#benefits
10. Sorensen, Eric. “Research: Peach extract slows breast cancer growth, spread.” Washington State University. 26 March 2014. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2014/03/26/research-peach-extract-slows-breast-cancer-growth-spread/#:~:text=%E2%80%93%20A%20Washington%20State%20University%20food,and%20their%20ability%20to%20spread.
11. “All the Health Benefits of Eating Peaches.” Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials. 26 August 2021. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-peaches/
12. Brennan, Dan. “Health Benefits of Beta Carotene.” WebMD, Nourish. 13 October 2020. Accessed 8 April 2022. Link: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-beta-carotene#:~:text=Beta%20Carotene%20is%20a%20compound,heart%2C%20lungs%2C%20and%20kidneys.