Pear
OTHER NAME(S): Asian Pear, Korean Pear, Nashi Pear, Pears, Peral, Poirier, Poirier Commun, Poir, Pyrus communis, Pyrus asiae-mediae, Pyrus balansae, Pyrus bourgaeana, Pyrus domestica, Pyrus elata, Pyrus medvedevii, Pyrus serotina, Pera, Poire
Overview
Pear is a tree. The pear fruit is used to make medicine.
People use pears for many conditions, including indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting, and liver scarring (cirrhosis), but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
In foods, pears are eaten as fresh or preserved fruit, and used in cooking.
Pear fruit contains a substance called pectin, which might help reduce diarrhea.
Pear fruit contains a substance called pectin, which might help reduce diarrhea.
Uses
Insufficient Evidence for
- Athletic performance. Early research shows that taking a carbohydrate supplement obtained from pears before and during a long-distance cycle ride seems to improve overall cycling time in athletic men.
- Hangover. Early research shows that drinking Korean pear juice 30 minutes before drinking alcohol seems to help reduce hangover symptoms 15 hours later by a small amount.
- Obesity. Early research shows that eating pears 3 times daily between meals while on a calorie-controlled diet might help reduce weight by a small amount over 12 weeks.
- Cancer.
- An infection of the intestines that causes diarrhea (cholera).
- Constipation.
- Diarrhea.
- Fevers.
- Fluid retention.
- Indigestion.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Liver scarring (cirrhosis).
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of pear for these uses.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Pear is LIKELY SAFE for most people when eaten in normal food amounts. But, there isn't enough information to know if pears are safe when used as medicine or what the possible side effects might be.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Pear is LIKELY SAFE for most people when eaten in normal food amounts. But, there isn't enough information to know if pears are safe when used as medicine or what the possible side effects might be.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Pears are LIKELY SAFE when eaten in amounts found in food. There isn't enough information to know if pears are safe in larger, medicinal amounts. Stay on the safe side and stick with food amounts if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Pear overview.
Dosing
The appropriate dose of pear depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for pear. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
References
- Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physician's Guide to Herbal Medicine. Terry C. Telger, transl. 3rd ed. Berlin, GER: Springer, 1998.
- Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
- Conceição de Oliveira M, Sichieri R, Sanchez Moura A. Weight loss associated with a daily intake of three apples or three pears among overweight women. Nutrition 2003;19:253-6.
- Nieman DC, Gillitt ND, Sha W, et al. Metabolomics-Based Analysis of Banana and Pear Ingestion on Exercise Performance and Recovery. J Proteome Res 2015;14(12):5367-77. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00909.
- Lee HS, Isse T, Kawamoto T, Baik HW, Park JY, Yang M. Effect of Korean pear (Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Shingo) juice on hangover severity following alcohol consumption. Food Chem Toxicol 2013;58:101-6. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.04.007.