NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium

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Peach

Prunus persica

Juicy stone fruit rich in skin polyphenols

Mixed evidence 🍎Fruits
Evidence tier
Mixed
Research weight
Citations
9 verified / 9
Classification
Fruits
What the evidence says. Conflicting results across studies; benefit uncertain.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium (150 g)

150gSERVING
  • Water 133.5 g89%
  • Sugars 12.6 g8%
  • Fibre 2.3 g2%
  • Other carbs 0 g0%
  • Protein 1.4 g1%
  • Fat 0.4 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C11%Fiber8%Potassium6%Vitamin E7%Niacin (B3)8%Copper11%Vitamin A3%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
59 kcal1.4 g protein2.3 g fiber0.4 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C9.9 mg11%
Fiber2.3 g8%
Potassium285 mg6%
Vitamin E1.1 mg7%
Niacin (B3)1.2 mg8%
Copper0.1 mg11%
Vitamin A24 mcg RAE3%
Vitamin K3.9 mcg3%
Total sugars13 g25%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Peach?

Peach (Prunus persica) is a fruit used for contributes to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk as part of high fruit/vegetable intake (cohort-level, not peach-specific). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Mixed. Direct human trials on peach alone are scarce, so most evidence is indirect, drawn from large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses of total fruit intake. Pooling ~95 prospective studies (Aune 2017), each 200 g/day of fruit and vegetables is associated with roughly 8% lower cardiovascular disease (RR 0.92) and 10% lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.90), with benefit plateauing near 800 g/day. In three large US cohorts (Muraki 2013, >187,000 adults), whole fruit intake was modestly protective against type 2 diabetes overall, but the peach/plum/apricot group specifically was non-significant (HR 0.97, 0.92-1.02 per 3 servings/week) while fruit juice raised risk. Peaches are a meaningful dietary source of hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols and carotenoids, and laboratory and animal work documents antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, but these mechanistic findings have not been confirmed by peach-specific clinical endpoints. The main limitations are confounding in observational data, the absence of randomized peach trials, and the fact that benefits attributed to "fruit" cannot be cleanly assigned to peach. Overall the human evidence supports peach as a healthful, low-energy, nutrient- and polyphenol-containing fruit but does not establish disease-specific therapeutic effects.

Purported Benefits

Contributes to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk as part of high fruit/vegetable intake (cohort-level, not peach-specific)
Neutral-to-favorable association with type 2 diabetes risk when eaten as whole fruit; the peach/plum/apricot group itself was non-significant
Provides hydration and dietary fiber (including pectin) supporting satiety and digestive regularity
Skin- and flesh-derived polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, catechins) show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in animal models
Carotenoids and vitamin C contribute to antioxidant defenses
Low glycemic load, making it a reasonable lower-energy substitute for refined-sugar snacks

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1-2 medium fresh peaches (about 150-300 g) as a serving; whole fruit is preferable to juice.
Active Compounds
Hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid)Flavan-3-ols (catechin, procyanidin B1)Flavonols (quercetin-3-O-glucoside, -galactoside, -rutinoside)Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, concentrated in red skin)Carotenoids (beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin)Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and potassiumSoluble and insoluble fiber including pectinCyanogenic glycosides (amygdalin, prunasin) concentrated in the kernel/seed, not the flesh

Safety & Cautions

Generally very safe as a whole fruit. The flesh is fine, but the kernel/pit contains cyanogenic glycosides (amygdalin) that release cyanide if crushed and eaten in quantity, so seeds and "laetrile"/bitter-kernel supplements should be avoided. Peach is a known cause of oral allergy syndrome (cross-reactivity with birch pollen, and via the Pru p 3 lipid transfer protein), which can rarely cause systemic reactions; peeling reduces skin-bound allergen. Those with fructose intolerance or IBS may react to its sorbitol/fructose content. Canned peaches in syrup add substantial free sugars. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Peach with any medicine.

Key Studies

Systematic review & meta-analysis (RCTs) Ramli 2021 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of RCTs: green coffee extract delivering 180-376 mg chlorogenic acid lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure and triglycerides, supporting cardiometabolic activity of the CGA class abundant in peach.
Systematic review & meta-analysis Aune 2017 ✓ Full text
Dose-response meta-analysis of 95 prospective studies: each 200 g/day of fruit+vegetables associated with ~8% lower CVD (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.90-0.95) and 10% lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.90, 0.87-0.93), with risk reductions plateauing near 800 g/day.
Compositional analysis Khomich 2019 ✓ Full text
Peach nutrient profiling: hydroxycinnamic (chiefly chlorogenic) acids, plus dietary fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin E, potassium and copper highlighted among the principal minor bioactives.
In vitro + animal safety study Yang 2024 ✓ Full text
Semen persicae (peach-seed) extract with 4.95% amygdalin showed moderate in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH 51.8%, ABTS 57.2%) and no observed toxicity up to 2000 mg/kg in rats over 28 days.
Prospective cohort (3 cohorts) Muraki 2013 ✓ Full text
Across 3 US cohorts (187,382 adults), greater whole-fruit intake lowered type 2 diabetes risk; the peach/plum/apricot group HR was 0.97 (0.92-1.02, non-significant) per 3 servings/week, while fruit juice raised risk.
Animal (zebrafish) model Zhang 2021 ✓ Full text
A UV-absorbing phenolic/amino-acid fraction from young peach fruit significantly reduced inflammatory cell migration in a CuSO4-induced transgenic zebrafish model.
Analytical / lab study Zhao 2015 ✓ Full text
In 17 Chinese peach cultivars, chlorogenic acid and catechin were the predominant phenolics in both peel and pulp; peel extracts had higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity than pulp.
Animal (rat) study Elshamy 2019 ✓ Full text
Nectarine (P. persica var. nucipersica) kernel extract reduced carrageenan-induced rat paw edema by up to 47% at 1 h and showed analgesic/antipyretic effects in rats.
In vitro mechanistic study Kim 2013 ✓ PubMed
Cyanogenic and phenolic glycosides isolated from Prunus persica seed suppressed histamine release and inhibited TNF-alpha and IL-6 in human mast cells, indicating anti-allergic/anti-inflammatory activity in vitro.

Common questions about Peach

What is Peach used for?

Peach is most often taken for Contributes to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk as part of high fruit/vegetable intake (cohort-level, not peach-specific), Neutral-to-favorable association with type 2 diabetes risk when eaten as whole fruit; the peach/plum/apricot group itself was non-significant, Provides hydration and dietary fiber (including pectin) supporting satiety and digestive regularity, Skin- and flesh-derived polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, catechins) show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in animal models. Juicy stone fruit rich in skin polyphenols

Does Peach work — what does the evidence say?

Mixed evidence. Conflicting results across studies; benefit uncertain. Direct human trials on peach alone are scarce, so most evidence is indirect, drawn from large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses of total fruit intake. Pooling ~95 prospective studies (Aune 2017), each 200 g/day of fruit and vegetables is associated with roughly 8% lower cardiovascular disease (RR 0.92) and 10% lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.90), with benefit plateauing near 800 g/day. In three large US cohorts (Muraki 2013, >187,000 adults), whole fruit intake was modestly protective against type 2 diabetes overall, but the peach/plum/apricot group specifically was non-significant (HR 0.97, 0.92-1.02 per 3 servings/week) while fruit juice raised risk. Peaches are a meaningful dietary source of hydroxycinnamic acids, flavan-3-ols and carotenoids, and laboratory and animal work documents antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, but these mechanistic findings have not been confirmed by peach-specific clinical endpoints. The main limitations are confounding in observational data, the absence of randomized peach trials, and the fact that benefits attributed to "fruit" cannot be cleanly assigned to peach. Overall the human evidence supports peach as a healthful, low-energy, nutrient- and polyphenol-containing fruit but does not establish disease-specific therapeutic effects.

What is the typical dose of Peach?

1-2 medium fresh peaches (about 150-300 g) as a serving; whole fruit is preferable to juice.

Is Peach safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally very safe as a whole fruit. The flesh is fine, but the kernel/pit contains cyanogenic glycosides (amygdalin) that release cyanide if crushed and eaten in quantity, so seeds and "laetrile"/bitter-kernel supplements should be avoided. Peach is a known cause of oral allergy syndrome (cross-reactivity with birch pollen, and via the Pru p 3 lipid transfer protein), which can rarely cause systemic reactions; peeling reduces skin-bound allergen. Those with fructose intolerance or IBS may react to its sorbitol/fructose content. Canned peaches in syrup add substantial free sugars.

How many studies support Peach?

NutriDex cites 9 sources for Peach, graded "Mixed".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Peach (Prunus persica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/peach

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_peach,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Peach (Prunus persica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/peach},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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