How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Drying. Dried pears have more fiber and potassium but less vitamin C than fresh pears.
One-half of a dried pear (2 ounces) has 5.7 g fiber, 405 mg potassium, and 5.32 mg vitamin C.
Fresh pears are sometimes treated with sulfur compounds such as sulfur dioxide to inactivate
polyphenoloxidase and keep the pears from darkening when they are exposed to air while
drying. People who are sensitive to sulfites may suffer serious allergic reactions, including
anaphylactic shock, if they eat these treated dried pears.
Sealed packages of dried pears may be stored at room temperature for up to six months.
Once the package is opened, the pears should be refrigerated in a tightly closed container
that will protect them from air and moisture.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Potassium replacement. Pears are a moderately good source of potassium. One 3.5-ounce
Bartlett has about as much the potassium as three ounces of fresh orange juice. Foods rich in
potassium are sometimes prescribed for people taking diuretics that lower the body’s level
of potassium, which is excreted in urine. However, there is some question as to whether
potassium gluconate, the form of potassium found in pears and other fresh fruit, is as use-
ful to the body as potassium citrate and potassium chloride, the forms of potassium given
to laboratory animals in the experiments which showed that people taking diuretic drugs
would benefit from potassium supplements.
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Sulfite allergies. See How other kinds of processing affect this food.
Food/Drug Interactions
Pears