Raw pears relieve dry cough, while cooked pears moisten the lungs.

Pears are known as the "natural mineral water" for their fresh, tender, and juicy nature, containing 85% water, a pleasant sweet and sour taste, and being rich in vitamins and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and iodine. Since ancient times, they have been honored as the "king of all fruits." In autumn, the air is dry and there is less moisture. Persisting in eating a certain amount of pears daily can have an unexpected effect in combating autumn dryness.

There are many varieties of pears, with the most common ones on the market mainly including Crown Pears, Tianjin Ya Pears, fragrant pears, sand pears, Gong Pears, and crystal pears. Professor Tian Zhengjian from the Respiratory Department of Internal Medicine at Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine introduced that different ways of eating pears can produce different effects. There is a folk saying that "raw pears clear the heat of the six fu-organs, while cooked pears nourish the yin of the five zang-organs." Professor Tian said that eating raw pears can significantly alleviate symptoms such as dryness, itching, and pain in the throat, hoarseness, constipation, and dark urine in patients with upper respiratory tract infections. Pressing pears into juice, or boiling them with a little rock sugar, plus ingredients like Pangdaihai (Sterculia lychnophora), melon seeds, and rock sugar, has the effect of moistening the throat and replenishing body fluids. Cooking or steaming pears, such as steaming them with rock sugar, can play a role in nourishing yin, moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, and reducing phlegm. It also has preventive and therapeutic effects on gout, rheumatism, and arthritis, and is even more effective for treating lung-heat coughs and sore throats. The world-famous pear syrup candy is made by simmering pears with honey and has a significant therapeutic effect on patients with chronic lung-heat coughs.

Chuanbei Snow Pear

Professor Tian especially reminded that although pears are a fine fruit, due to their inherently cold nature, they should not be eaten in excess. People with wind-cold cough, chronic enteritis, stomach cold, diabetes, and postpartum women should avoid raw pears and must eat them steamed or in soups. People with blood deficiency, aversion to cold, and cold hands and feet should also not eat too many pears to prevent the worsening of damp-cold symptoms. It is worth noting that the degree of coldness varies among different types of pears. For example, the cold nature of Tianjin Ya pears, fragrant pears, and Gong pears that we often eat is similar, while coarse-skinned sand pears and imported Bartlett pears are even colder.