Increasing the amount of fruit you eat can improve your diet, and peaches can be a good choice. You can get fresh peaches in the summer or frozen peaches year-round and enjoy them are as a snack, in a smoothie or with your breakfast cereal. Peaches are healthy choices for most healthy individuals, and if you need help, a nutritionist can help you work them into your meal plan.
Low in Calories
Obesity increases your risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, and peaches can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight. A large peach has only 68 calories. Peaches are 89 percent water, which suppresses your hunger without providing calories, so eat them as a convenient snack instead of higher-calorie options. Peaches can also help you lower your total calories if you eat them as substitute for high-calorie desserts, such as cake or pie.
Cholesterol-Lowering Nutrients
Peaches provide 2.6 g dietary fiber, or more than 10 percent of the daily value for fiber, and 18 mg phytosterols, or a comparable amount to olive oil or vegetables. Fiber and phytosterols are plant-based nutrients, and they lower your cholesterol levels. Other good sources of fiber include other fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains, and phytosterols are also in nuts, plant oils and seeds, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Peaches are cholesterol-free, and have almost no cholesterol-raising saturated fat.
Vitamin Content
A large peach has 1.4 mg niacin, or 14 percent of the daily value for niacin, or vitamin B-3. Niacin plays a role in energy metabolism in your body. Peaches are high in vitamin C, with 11.6 mg, or 19 percent of the daily value. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and an essential nutrient for a healthy immune system and strong joints. Peaches have 570 IU of vitamin A, an essential nutrient for healthy vision.
Potassium and Sodium
Peaches can help you regulate your blood pressure because they provide 332 mg potassium each, and they are sodium-free. A high-sodium, low-potassium diet may cause high blood pressure and an increased risk for stroke and kidney disease, and most Americans need to increase potassium and decrease sodium, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most kinds of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are high-potassium, low-sodium foods.
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