Quince Fruit Nutrition and Health Benefits

Quince fruit is a fruit rich in health benefits, it is high in fiber and low in calories, indeed this fruit is not often encountered but if you see it in a shop, then buy Quince fruit because of the great health benefits.

This fruit acts as a mild laxative and prevents constipation. Apart from that, it also helps to give a boost to regular elimination of wastes, useful for relieving heartburn, curing acid, and fever symptoms.

Quince fruit has a sharp taste and is best made as jams, jellies, pies or as a dessert. Ok, sounds very useful doesn’t it, let’s have a look at more about Quince fruit health benefits and nutrition facts.

What Is Quince Fruit?

Quince fruit scientific name is cydonia oblonga, round shape and yellow color. At first glance, the Quince fruit is a cross between an apple and a pear.

They also belong to the same family, the rose family. Quince fruit is a fruit that comes from Greece, Iran and Turkey as well as the Crimean peninsula. The plants have been cultivated since ancient times and were used as medicine. Quince trees can grow up to 10 or even 20 feet in height.

The flowers are white or pink, and the time of harvest is in late autumn to early winter.

In America, this plant is also grown in California, Oregon, and in Washington.

The flesh of the fruit is tough, woody, and creamy white in color with an astringent, making it difficult to eat when unripe.

When cooked, it is easier to eat, the meat becomes soft, not too sour, and can be included in various dishes.

When ripe, Quince fruit turns pink. This pink is formed from anthocyanins, natural pigments that give vegetables and fruits their color. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants, so cooked Quince fruit can provide many health benefits thanks to its richness in antioxidants.

Quince Fruit Nutrition

For one Quince usually weighs 92 grams, and this one fruit provides the following nutrients:

Carbohydrates: 14.1 grams
Calories: 52.4
Fats: 0.1 grams
Protein: 0.4 grams
Vitamin C: 13.8 milligrams, or you can get 23 percent of the daily requirement
Dietary fiber: 1.7 grams
Copper: 0.1 milligrams, or get 6 percent of the daily requirement
Iron: 0.6 milligrams, or 4 percent of the daily requirement
Potassium: 181 milligrams, or you get about 5 percent of the daily requirement
Phosphorus: 15.6 milligrams, this amount has reached 2 percent of the daily requirement
Magnesium: 7.4 milligrams, or 2 percent of the daily requirement

Quince Health Benefits

From the nutritional content alone, we know that Quince fruit has many benefits. We have summarized some of the benefits of consuming Quince fruit.

1. Relieves constipation

Quince is a constipation remedy, if you struggle with this then try eating quince fruit. This fruit has been used for a long time in treating digestive problems.

Quince is a fruit that is rich in fiber, so it can move the intestines and facilitate the elimination of waste.

Quince fruit as a source of pectin, this is a soluble fiber that can soften stools and increase the ease of defecation. Quinces are a great source of sorbitol, a sugar alcohol and it acts as a natural laxative.

Quince seeds have been used as medicine for digestive problems for a very long time before modern medicine existed. The Greeks and Romans believed that quince seeds had medicinal properties and were used to treat diarrhea and constipation.

Recently many people use the seeds as a remedy for diarrhea, constipation and other digestive disorders.

A laboratory study on Quince seeds, states that this seed extract is proven to increase muscle relaxation in the intestines and can activate certain receptors in preventing constipation.

To confirm these findings, further research is needed on this matter. But one thing you should know is that Quince is full of vitamins, minerals such as potassium, magnesium, all of which are great for promoting gut health.

2. Rich in antioxidants

Besides being good for the intestines, Quince fruit is also rich in antioxidants, this is a substance that can delay damage to body cells and it protects cells from free radicals. What are free radicals? It is an unpaired electron molecule that causes cell damage.

These molecules are relative and act as destroyers of body cells and cause disease. Antioxidants work with one of their electrons to free radicals and then neutralize them.

Quince fruit is rich in caffeoylquinic acid, this is a strong phenolic antioxidant and is useful in counteracting free radicals so that it can provide protection for cells, reduce inflammation and prevent the formation of new free radicals.

Antioxidants are also proven to cure various chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, all of which are diseases caused by free radicals and inflammation.

Quince’s health benefits are also inseparable from the content of vitamin C, this is another form of antioxidant that can boost the body’s system, boost immunity and fight infections.

3. Prevent infection

Maybe you think that quince is not the only fruit to fight infection, but you should know that this simple fruit actually contains strong anti-bacterial so it is easy to fight bacteria.

Quince fruit contains several components that are said to be capable of fighting bacteria, including among these compounds are pectin, quercetin, and kaempferol. These compounds can inhibit the growth of bacteria from within the body.

As proof, quince fruit is proven to fight Helicobacter pylori. These are the bacteria responsible for causing digestive problems like ulcers. Quince fruit is proven to fight pylori bacteria, only by making juice from quince fruit and drinking it, it is known that there is a reduction in Pylori bacteria in the intestine.

Other studies have shown that extracts from quince seeds can protect against other bad bacteria, including against Enterobackters Aerogenes, klebsiella, Escherichia coli and S, aureus.

4. Promotes heart health

The next health benefit of quince is to improve heart health. There are several reasons why quince is good for the heart, including:

Quince is rich in powerful antioxidants which have been shown to protect the heart from damage caused by free radicals.

Then, quince contains pectin, this is a soluble fiber that can lower bad cholesterol and maintain heart health. Not only that, but quince is also rich in compounds called ellagitannins which are rich in anti-inflammatory properties.

Inflammation is a big factor in heart disease, and these compounds lower the risk of heart disease.

Furthermore, recent research has found that extracts from quince leaves and fruit are beneficial for lowering blood pressure.

5. Prevents GERD

The health benefits of quince can also cure Gerd. GERD is a condition where stomach acid rises to the esophagus, this liquid is stomach acid and digestive juices and can eventually cause heartburn, belching and pain in the chest.

Even though there are many drugs for stomach acid or GERD, quince is one of the natural medicines that is rich in pectin and this pectin in its function as a soluble fiber can absorb stomach acid and reduce inflammation.

Quince is also rich in water content which can dissolve stomach acidity and can reduce irritation that occurs in the stomach.

Eating quince is not only beneficial for relieving stomach acid but can also prevent stomach acid in the first place.

The best way to treat GERD with quince fruit is to eat it on an empty stomach. You can eat about 30 minutes before a big meal. You can eat it fresh, cooked or preserved.

6. Supports wound healing

The benefits of quince fruit also appear to heal wounds. Since ancient times this fruit is used in healing wounds. This has been proven as it is done in animals.

But in humans until now research is still limited. But the ointment from the quince extraction is said to be very strong in healing wounds.

Quince fruit is rich in vitamin C which can act in the formation of skin collagen. Collagen is a useful protein that helps strengthen blood vessels, skin tissue, reduces inflammation and speeds up the healing process.

Quince fruit contains other vitamins that are also beneficial for wounds such as flavonoids, anti-inflammatory compounds and rich in antioxidants. Flavanoids are useful in protecting cells from damage and can promote healing.

Also, quince fruit contains vitamin E, zinc, vitamin A all of which help wound healing.

The anti-bacterial and anti-infection properties make the wound heal faster and not get infected.

Uniquely, to heal wounds, you can apply quince flesh directly to the wound, you can also take supplements from quince regularly.

7. Increase immunity

Immunity is the level of strength of the body in preventing disease. A person has a high immune system, he is not easily attacked by bacteria or viruses. However, if the body’s immunity is low, then a person is very easy to get sick. One way to increase immunity is to consume quince fruit.

Quince fruit is proven to increase immunity and make the body stronger in fighting disease.

There are several reasons why quince can strengthen the immune system, including:

Contains antioxidants which can prevent cell damage which in turn prevents damage to the body due to diseases and infections.
Secondly, quince fruit contains good vitamin C. Vitamin C is very important and protects cells from damage and helps the production of white blood cells, so vitamin C is important in increasing body immunity.
Quince fruit is also rich in other nutrients that help cure and prevent diseases such as zinc, iron, and is also rich in folic acid.
Third, quince fruit contains pectin or soluble fiber which plays an important role for intestinal health. In addition, pectin also helps increase good bacteria in the gut that can fight bad bacteria.

Is Raw Quince Edible?

Actually you can eat it, but there are several reasons why we do not recommend eating raw quince.

Firstly, the quince fruit is tough and fibrous, it is difficult to bite and even more difficult to digest. In addition, quince fruit tastes very sour when eaten raw. Thus, the best way to eat it is by adding it in other dishes, this will help to mellow out the taste.

In addition, raw quince fruit contains compounds called seanogenic glycosides. If this substance is swallowed it can release cyanide, if the amount is large it will be very dangerous. So, you should be careful with quince fruit, eat it when it’s cooked.

Check out more:

How To Cook With Quince

There are many ways to cook quince, here are some of the most popular recipes for cooking them.

1. Pies and tarts

The best way to use quince is in quince pies and cakes. This will result in a sweet quince cake with the addition of a tempting pastry crust.

2. Baked quinces

Sliced quince and toasted sprinkled with cinnamon, this is great for a healthy snack. Served with ice cream, it tastes great and sprinkled with cinnamon powder.

3. Add cooked quince to salads

This is not raw quince, but quince that you have cooked, add to your pasta. This will be a healthy meal for fall and winter. The taste is very delicate, goes well with vegetables, nuts and cheese.