Peaches are scientifically called Prunus persica and are native to northwest China. The benefits of peaches are numerous. They can enhance skin health, boost immunity, and promote vision. This article discusses the many other ways peaches can benefit your health. Continue reading to know more.

Did You Know?The Romans called the peaches “Persian Apples” after the country that introduced peaches to the West.

In This Article

18 Amazing Benefits Of Peaches

Are Peaches Good For You?

In addition to being beautiful, fragrant, and delicious, peaches possess an impressive assortment of nutrients to support good health, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and bioflavonoids.

Health Benefits Of Peaches

Besides its refreshing taste and aroma, peaches are rich in many essential nutrients that offer a variety of health benefits. Check out here some of the best peach benefits.

 1. Peaches Are  Rich In Antioxidants

There wouldn’t be a soul in this modern world who wouldn’t have heard of antioxidants. And peaches are replete with these. As per a Brazilian study, peaches could be great sources of antioxidants. They also contain chlorogenic acid, another potent antioxidant that has health-promoting advantages (1).

Peaches also contain phenolic compounds, which, as per another study, contribute to the fruit’s antioxidant activity greater than vitamin C or carotenoids (2).

Peaches are also rich in other antioxidants like lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin – all of which play important roles in healthy aging and disease prevention (3).

Related: 15 Benefits Of Antioxidants And Their Best Sources

2. Aid Weight Loss

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As per a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, starting the day right goes a long way in helping one lose weight. One of the ways of doing that is to reduce the amount of cereal and make room for some fruits like peaches – this helps one feel full and consume fewer calories (4).

Peaches are also good sources of fiber, and fiber, as we know, promotes satiety and contributes to weight loss (5). An American study states that including dietary fiber with fruits could be a critical step in curbing the obesity epidemic (6). In fact, something as simple as consuming 30 grams of fiber a day can contribute to weight loss in a big way. It also helps curb the other undesirables like high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Fiber intake has numerous other benefits too (7).

Fiber intake has received so much attention in the recent years. One report published by the University of Massachusetts Medical School has stated fiber intake as the one simple change that can be effective when it comes to diet (8). As per the report, including fiber in the diet could be a reasonable alternative for those individuals who find it hard to adhere to a complicated diet.

[ Read: Superfoods For Weight Loss ]

 3. Help Prevent Cancer

Cancer is a killer. Oh yes, medical technology has advanced, and the treatments are far more successful – still, preventing the dreaded disease is as important. And one of the ways to do so is by consuming peaches.

One American study states that the polyphenols found in peaches can inhibit the multiplication of breast cancer cells (9). The same was observed in the case of human colon cancer cells (10).

Peaches also contain another compound called caffeic acid, which, as per a Swedish study, offers protection against breast and colon cancers by reducing the cancer growth (11), (12). And in yet another study, the peach compounds inhibited not only the growth of breast cancer cells but also the secondary growths in the lungs (13). The two major components responsible for this anti-cancer property of peaches are chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids – these help kill the cancer cells without affecting the healthy ones (14).

4. Peaches Benefit The Skin

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Peaches, as we already discussed, are rich in vitamin A, which promotes skin health (15). The fruit also adds color to your complexion (16).

The vitamin C in peaches also helps in this regard. It is a superb antioxidant that can help reduce wrinkles, improve skin texture, and protect the skin from the sun and pollution (17).

As per a French study, vitamin C was also found to treat photodamaged skin and prevent sun-induced skin aging (18). The vitamin can also make corrections to the severe structural changes to the skin that occur as a result of the aging process (19).

Related: Top 35 Anti-Aging Foods That Keep Your Skin Youthful

5. Good For The Heart

Peaches contain a unique combination of bioactive compounds that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a study, replacing sugary drinks with fresh fruit juice rich in polyphenols (like peaches) can help lower the cardiovascular risk factors (20).

The fiber, vitamin C, and potassium in peaches also support heart health. Peaches are also one of the important components of the much-acclaimed DASH diet – which is focused on reducing hypertensionⁱ  XHigh blood pressure; a reading of over 140/90 indicates that the force of blood flow against the artery walls is past normal. (21).

6. Promotes Digestive Health

 The dietary fiber in peaches helps regulate and improve digestion (22). And in addition to being good for digestion, the fruit also acts as a diuretic – it helps cleanse your kidneys and the bladder (23).

[ Read: Healthy Foods That Help Digestion ]

 7. Good For The Eyes

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The presence of antioxidant phytonutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin make the fruit ideal for eye health (24). Another study states that the two phytonutrients protect the eye from potential damage caused by light striking the retina (25). Lutein has also been found to lower the risk of developing common age-related eye diseases (26).

Lutein and zeaxanthin are also instrumental in protecting the macula, ultimately preventing the incidence of age-related macular degenerationⁱ  XA condition of the eyes that affects a portion of the retina and causes loss of vision or blurriness. (27). As per one study, people suffering from age-related macular degeneration, who consumed lutein alone or with other antioxidants, experienced less vision loss (28).

Related: 15 Best Foods To Improve Eyesight Naturally

8. Peaches Detoxify Your System

Detoxification is something that doesn’t receive much attention. But, it is as important as anything else you undertake to keep yourself healthy. According to a report published by the University of Minnesota, peaches contain vitamins A, C, and E and selenium – all of which act as antioxidants and aid detoxification (29).

9. Peaches Have Anti-Aging Properties

One of the best beauty benefits of peaches. Peaches possess health-boosting flavonoidsⁱ  XA class of natural plant metabolites with antioxidant and cell signaling actions that may benefit health. that help slow down aging as well (30). A South Korean study also likens the consumption of vitamin C to anti-aging effects (31).

 10. Help Reduce Stress

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As per a report published by the University of Kentucky, peaches act as good stress relievers. They also help reduce anxiety (32). In fact, peach is called the ‘fruit of calmness’ in Hungary.

11. Promote Brain Health

Peaches are good sources of folate that promotes brain health (33).

12. Is Beneficial During Pregnancy

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Wondering, what are the benefits of peaches during pregnancy? Well, peaches are a nutritional powerhouse and a great way to take care of the nutrient needs of you and your baby.

During pregnancy, the related hormones can slow down the movement of your intestines. This can lead to constipation. Peaches, being rich in fiber, can help solve this issue (34).

Peaches are also rich in folic acid that is crucial for the development of a healthy baby. It helps prevent serious birth defects (35).

Peach Nutrition Facts

Check out here the nutritional value of peaches in detail.

How To Eat A Peach

Here are a few ways you can include peaches in your diet:

• You can add peach slices to hot or cold cereals or yogurt. This will make for a peachy breakfast!
• You can toss fresh (or frozen) peaches into a blender with some milk. You can also add bananas and ice. A delicious smoothie is on the way!
• Add some fresh or frozen peaches at the bottom of the tumbler before pouring your everyday morning beverage.
• For a delicious snack, warm a few peach slices and add a little cinnamon. Post which you can include it in your meal.

And now, for some recipes …

Peach Recipes

1. Creamy Vegan Peach Ice Cream

What You Need

• 5 ml each of sweetened and unsweetened coconut milk
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 2 to 3 medium-sized ripe peaches

Directions

1. Keeping the peaches aside, combine the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk to blend.
3. Stir in the peaches gently.
4. Pour the mixture into your ice cream freezer.
5. Freeze until it achieves an ice cream-like consistency.
6. Scoop and serve.

2. Strawberry Peach Green Smoothie

What You Need

• 1 cup of chopped peaches
• 1 cup of whole strawberries and ½ cup of sliced ones
• 2 cups of Swiss chard of spinach
• ½ cup of clean water

Directions

1. In your blender, layer the peaches, strawberries, and greens.
2. Cover all the ingredients with clean water.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour into a glass and enjoy.
5. Peach Berry Crumble

What You Need

• 1 cup of quick-cooking oats
• ½ cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup of packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• ¼ cup of sliced almonds

For the filling, you can have the following:

• 4 to 5 ripe peaches
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup each of fresh blueberries and raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 175 o Take a pie plate and slightly butter it.
2. In a bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the butter until it is crumbly. Toss in the nuts.
3. For the filling, boil a large pot of water. You must also have a large bowl ready filled with ice water. Cut an X into the bottom of the peaches using a sharp knife. Blanch them until their skins begin to wrinkle. Remove them and place them in ice cold water. You can remove the skins with your fingers. Remove the pits and slice the fruit into wedges.
4. In another bowl, add the peaches along with sugar, salt, flour, and the berries. Leave it as it is for 5 minutes, and then transfer to the pie plate. Sprinkle with the toppings, place it on a baking sheet, and bake until the topping is golden. This should take about 50 minutes.
5. Place it on a wire rack and let it cool. Serve it warm. You can relish it along with vanilla ice cream.

4. Tomato Peach Salad With Basil

What You Need

• 2 cups of fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
• 4 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for about 15 seconds, or until the leaves wilt and turn bright green.
3. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
4. While the blender is running, add the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
5. On the serving platter, spread the basil puree. Arrange the peaches and tomatoes on the top.
6. Sprinkle lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.
7. Garnish with whole basil leaves and serve.

Stylecraze TriviaThe world’s largest peach cobbler is made annually in Georgia. It measures 11 feet by 5 feet.

Now you know what to do with a bunch of peaches. But, how do you buy them? And what about the storage?

How To Select And Store Peaches

Selection

• Ensure you smell the fruit before selecting it. A peach must ideally have a pleasingly sweet fragrance as it belongs to the rose family.
• Look for peaches that are creamy gold or yellow. A red peach doesn’t mean it is ripe – it simply means it is of another variety.
• The fruit must be soft to touch. But not mushy. Also, don’t squeeze the peaches as they bruise easily.

Storage

• If it is a firm peach, place it on the counter at room temperature for a few days. It will ripen.
• How to freeze peaches? Refrigerate the ripe peaches immediately and consume them within a week from purchase.
• Add lemon juice to sliced peaches to keep them from darkening.

And now, some frequently asked questions.

Infographic: Best 5 Health Benefits Of Peaches

Including peaches in your daily diet can help improve your health in many ways. Though we have already mentioned all its essential benefits, we discuss the most important ones in the infographic below. Check them out!

Yellow peaches are creamy and flavorful. You can have them in desserts or yogurt or even eat them fresh. Peach benefits can be attributed to their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and bioflavonoids. They may contribute to heart, gut, brain, and eye health. They are also good for your skin and may delay the early signs of aging. But though peaches have health-promoting properties, consuming them in excess may cause harm. So consume them in moderation and enjoy their benefits.