Healthy Tomorrow, Drawn with Fruits & Vegetables — Fruit & Vegetable Research Institute, Part 5
The Antioxidant Power and Health Secrets of Korean Pears
Health Benefits That May Outshine European and Chinese Pear Varieties
Korean Pears: A “Nutritional Symphony”

Korean pears are among the fruits we encounter most often, but they also stand out internationally for their rich variety of antioxidant compounds. In addition to their well-known reputation for helping relieve hangover symptoms, Korean pears have been studied for potential benefits related to respiratory health, cardiovascular protection, inflammation, and the reduction of potentially harmful compounds associated with cancer development.

Professor Oh-Ran Kwon of the Department of Food and Nutrition at Ewha Womans University explains that “among the rainbow of phytonutrients found in plants, white-colored foods are particularly common in the Korean diet. Pears are a representative white fruit.” She adds that white plant foods contain a diverse range of functional compounds and include many familiar fruits and vegetables.

These include vegetables such as napa cabbage, radishes, garlic, onions, burdock, and lotus root, as well as fruits such as pears and bananas.

According to the Korean Dietary Reference Intakes published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Nutrition Society, about 100 grams is considered an appropriate serving of pear. This serving size is based on approximately 50 calories per serving of fruit. Since a whole pear typically weighs around 400–600 grams, one serving is roughly equivalent to one or two slices after preparation.

About 80% of the flesh of a pear is water, making it a relatively low-calorie fruit at approximately 45–50 calories per serving. At the same time, pears provide dietary fiber, vitamins B and C, and alkaline minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. They also contain amino acids such as aspartic acid, along with antioxidant compounds including polyphenols, triterpenes, and glucosides.

Professor Kwon notes that Korean pears differ from Western pears in both taste and nutritional composition and are highly regarded internationally.

Pears are generally divided into three major groups: European pears, northern Chinese Asian pears, and southern Chinese/Japanese Asian pears, which include Korean varieties. Unlike European pears, which typically have thin green skin and an elongated, gourd-like shape, Korean pears are round with relatively thick brown skin. Their texture is also distinctive—crisp and slightly grainy.

This texture is largely due to the development of specialized structures known as stone cells. These are thickened plant cell walls that help protect the seeds. Their development is also associated with a higher concentration of dietary fiber and various functional compounds in the fruit.

Korean pears are particularly rich in a variety of antioxidant compounds, including polyphenols, anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, malaxin, catechins, rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol.

Research from Sookmyung Women's University and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia suggests that Korean pears contain higher levels of some of these compounds than Western pears. Studies have reported that these compounds may help promote alcohol metabolism and reduce alcohol absorption, potentially easing hangover symptoms such as nausea, headaches, heartburn, and fatigue.

A hangover occurs when acetaldehyde, a metabolic byproduct produced as the liver breaks down alcohol, accumulates in the body. Polyphenols and other compounds may support alcohol metabolism, while the high water content of pears may help counter dehydration and promote the elimination of acetaldehyde through urination. Natural sugars and aspartic acid may also provide energy needed during alcohol metabolism.

The antioxidants found in pears may also contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular health and help regulate inflammatory and immune responses. By helping neutralize free radicals produced during normal metabolism, these compounds may support the body's antioxidant defenses and help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

In animal studies conducted outside Korea, antioxidant compounds found in pears were associated with airway dilation, increased thickness of the respiratory mucosal layer, and reduced signs of respiratory inflammation.

Cohort studies have also reported that higher consumption of pears and apples was associated with fewer asthma symptoms or a lower likelihood of an asthma diagnosis. Among smokers, consuming pears or similar fruit at least once a day was associated with a reduction in the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with the reported risk level falling from 1.0 to approximately 0.70.

Dietary fiber and antioxidant compounds in pears have also been studied for their potential to help suppress inflammatory bowel responses and excessive immune reactions.

At the same time, pears have demonstrated cardiovascular-protective effects that have been compared in some studies with mechanisms associated with ACE inhibitors, medications commonly used to treat conditions such as heart failure and high blood pressure. ACE inhibitors work by relaxing blood vessels, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the heart's oxygen demand. Compounds such as chlorogenic acid and polyphenols may help protect vascular endothelial cells and support healthy blood-vessel function.

Some international studies have also reported improvements in blood cholesterol levels among nonsmokers and a possible reduction in the risk of stroke associated with higher fruit consumption.

More recently, researchers have been paying attention to the potential anticancer properties of Asian pear varieties, including their effects on lung, breast, and liver cancer cells.

One area of interest is their ability to help remove nitrite, a compound used in some processed foods as a preservative and associated with the formation of potentially carcinogenic compounds under certain conditions. Studies have reported nitrite-scavenging activity of approximately 80.7–86.7% in Asian pear varieties, higher than levels reported for onions (around 50%) and kiwi fruit (approximately 75.3–81.8%).

However, most clinical studies examining the health benefits of pears have been relatively small. Pears should therefore be viewed as part of a balanced diet rather than as a medicine or treatment. Rather than consuming excessive amounts in hopes of obtaining a specific health benefit, the most important approach is to enjoy pears regularly alongside a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other nutritious foods.

Source: 한겨레 (https://www.hani.co.kr/)

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