What Are Nectarine Fruits?
Nectarines are orange-yellow creamy fruits that are rather similar to and often confused with peaches. Peaches however are covered with a lot of fuzz. Nectarines on the other hand have really thin and smoother skin that helps in differentiating them from peaches. Nectarines also possess firmer flesh inside ie., the fruity part with a typically tart or sweetish tinge. It is not uncommon to see that peaches and nectarines are commonly interchanged in cooking or baking recipes despite their distinctive and different flavors. Nectarines are fruits that possess high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, and also are additionally nutrient loaded apart from being a low-calorie fruit that can improve systemic metabolism, and digestion, and also has cardioprotective (protecting the heart) properties.
What Is the Nutrition Content of Nectarine?
The following nutrition information has been enlisted by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for one medium nectarine that measures approx two and a half inches in diameter or around 142 g (grams). DV stands for the daily requirement of a specific nutrient.
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Carbohydrates 15 g.
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Fiber 2.4 g (9 % DV).
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Fat 0.5 g (1 % DV).
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Sodium 0 mg (milligrams).
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Sugars 11 g (n/a).
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Protein 1.5 -1.7 g (3 % DV).
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Magnesium 12.87 mg (3 % DV).
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Vitamin C 7.7 mg (9 % DV).
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Calories 63.
According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), when one consumes nectarines regularly, they can provide a healthy daily proportion that matches up with the reference daily intake (RDI) of the following nutrients:
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Vitamin B3 (niacin): 6 % of the RDI.
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Vitamin A: 9.4 % of the RDI.
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Vitamin C: 13 % of the RDI.
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Copper: 4 % of the RDI.
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Potassium: 4 % of the RDI.
The carbs in nectarines are mostly derived from simple carbs and not complex carbohydrates. In nectarines, fructose is a major sugar that accounts for more than one-third of the simple sugars present in this fruit while the remaining two-thirds are from the glucose and sucrose sugars. Nectarines have a moderate glycemic index (GI) of around 43. They can be compared to a single cup of unsweetened cereal or bran or approximately the sugar content present in around one slice of wheat bread. Any fruit or vegetable below the value of 55 is considered a low GI index food, hence nectarines can also be consumed by diabetics. Nectarines also deliver more amounts of fiber around nearly 2.4 grams of fiber in a single serving, with less than a half gram of little fat in a serving without any cholesterol, these fruits are heart-healthy because even the small amounts of fat found are from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
What Are the Health Benefits of Nectarines?
Nectarines also offer loads of antioxidants including beta-carotene which is a main precursor to the formation of vitamin A for systemic metabolism. Additionally, it also yields tryptophan which is a precursor to niacin or vitamin B3. Compared to peach fruits, nectarines have high amounts of these antioxidants that are plant-based and called polyphenols. Four polyphenolic groups that are present in nectarines give the added advantage of a systemic immunity boost through nectarine consumption. These polyphenols are anthocyanins, chlorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives, and catechins. Nectarines with this potent polyphenol content in them are capable of several systemic health benefits:
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They can reverse the symptoms of patients suffering from metabolic syndrome (a group of conditions increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes) and are commonly recommended by health experts or nutrition experts for this condition.
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Polyphenols can lower or regularise blood sugar levels.
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They are known as cardioprotective fruits because of polyphenols as they can reduce both vascular inflammations associated with the hardening of the arteries which is the major pathology behind cardiovascular disease or atherosclerosis specifically. Additionally, they also prevent the oxidation of bad or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Who Should Avoid Nectarines?
Certain sensitized individuals suffering from OAS or oral allergy syndrome would possibly develop cross-reactive symptoms soon after eating nectarines. Individuals with tree or grass pollen allergies can also experience allergic symptoms to nectarines. If there is any itching of the skin or mouth, swollen or numb lips, or other symptoms like a scratchy throat or runny nose, then one must immediately report the issue to the healthcare provider.
Other contraindications majorly to nectarine fruit consumption are for individuals who are on potassium-restricted diets. For example, with certain systemic medications like potassium-sparing diuretics like Aldactone, these fruits should be avoided. This is to avoid the risk of condition hyperkalemia (increased potassium level in plasma), especially in people with kidney disorders.
What Are the Different Varieties of Nectarines?
Nectarines would be mainly of two varieties either the freestone or the clingstone variety. While the freestone nectarines usually have easy-to-excavate or remove pits and can be eaten out of the hand, the clingstone fruits have very hard pits indeed. This hardness of the pit retains the fruit shape, so these fruits are used for cooking or canning usually, not for direct fruit consumption. These fruits are at their peak season in July or August every year globally.
How to Eat Nectarines?
They would be wonderful additions to salads, icecreams, hot cereals Greek yogurt, or even pancakes. Nectarine can also be healthily paired with cottage cheese. Always try extracting the stone of nectarines easily by first washing and then drying it with a paper towel. Then place it on a cutting board and insert a deep cut along the central line of the fruit and continue to scoop the seam of the fruit. One can also twist or cut it into two halves.
What Are the Factors to Be Considered While Purchasing Nectarines?
When purchasing the nectarine fruit, always choose the fruit that has a good aroma and is free of all types of dents, blemishes, cuts, bruises, soft spots, or wrinkles. The skin of the fruit should be bright creamy yellow to an orange-yellow color which signifies its ripeness. Frozen nectarines are equally nutritious just as freshly plucked nectarines. But if one is purchasing canned nectarines, choose the products after reading the back label and avoid the products that have added sugar or other fruit juices in them that can lessen the nutrition content of the original nectarine fruit. Nectarines are best consumed in their fruit form or one can cook them or pair them up in between meals with a handful of nuts or seeds that can be very satiating to the appetite.
Conclusion
Nectarines, the fiber-loaded and low-calorie super fruits are thus rich in antioxidants that can really boost systemic health and also add a fruity flavourful punch either way when consuming them as fruits or when cooking or adding them anyway to the meals.
