But now, health experts claim eating pears could stave off hangovers, as long as the fruit is consumed before a drinking session.
Researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national health science agency, said the Asian or Korean pear is capable of saving merrymakers from the grim after-effects of a heavy drinking session.
The Asian or Korean pear is a crunchy version of the fruit that has disappointed me with flavour. Last time I bought some, I ended up slicing them into fruit salad.
Now the science agency are testing to see if the Western version of a pear has the same properties as its Asian cousin, which is commonly used as a hangover beater in the Far East.
Scientists said that eating a pear, or swigging pear juice, before downing alcohol could prevent the worst symptoms of a hangover, which, apart from a throbbing head, include a poor concentration span and an unreliable memory.
To pear down the after-effects of alcohol overindulgence you should drink 220ml of juice, the optimal dose. Source: The Mirror.
I'd rather think about the other benefits of eating a pear. First, of course, there is the taste. At the moment, I'm obsessed with eating summer fruit like juicy peaches and the tangy nectarine. But the taste and texture of a perfectly ripe pear rivals the seasonal summer fruits.
Along with apples, pears are part of the rose family, and like apples, many of the health benefits of pears can be found in the fruit’s skin. Since their yellow or green or blushed jacket provides about half of the pear's total dietary fibre as well as its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, it is best to not peel the fruit but eat the entire pear.
This anti ageing fruit gives your skin a big beauty boost too.
Experts claim the fibre slows the release of sugar into your blood, a good thing because repeated sugar spikes can damage collagen, a protein that keeps your complexion plump and smooth. Pears also have vitamin C, which fights free radicals.
So crunching into on a Williams or Bartlett a day may help keep the wrinkles away, as well as a hangover at bay.
Which is your favourite type of pear?