Why Eating Pears With the Skin Can Benefit Gut and Heart Health

Peeling a pear before eating it means throwing away some of the fibre that makes the fruit a useful addition to a balanced diet. Keeping the skin on is a simple way to retain more of that benefit.

Pears provide dietary fibre that supports normal bowel function. Fibre helps keep stools moving through the digestive tract and can contribute to regularity.

Their fibre also has a role in heart-friendly eating. Soluble fibre, found in pears and other plant foods, can help lower LDL cholesterol as part of a balanced diet.

The skin is not the fruit’s only source of fibre, so a peeled pear still has nutritional value. However, eating both the flesh and skin preserves more of the whole fruit’s fibre.

Wash pears thoroughly under running water before eating them, including when leaving the skin on. For people who tolerate it comfortably, the unpeeled fruit is an easy way to add fibre to everyday meals and snacks.