Nectarine: a peach without the fuzz, and the science is all peach

Almost nothing on this page was measured in a nectarine. A nectarine is a peach without the fuzz, one species, Prunus persica, and the human trials in our corpus fed people peaches. Twelve papers name nectarine at all, and none of them is a trial. The fruit itself is 89 percent water, 39 kcal per 100 g, with 1.5 g of fibre and 131 mg of potassium, and the numbers move more than a label suggests. Across 8 USDA reference samples beta-carotene ran from 114 to 331 micrograms per 100 g, and the British table gives 0.7 mg of niacin where USDA gives 1.12. What the peach trials found is small and specific. In 10 young men, whole peaches and the same peaches blended into water left fullness no different across three hours, and at 20 minutes the blended drink actually rated fuller, while the whole fruit pushed the glucose peak about 10 minutes later. The one big number here, a 41 percent lower risk of estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer in women eating peaches or nectarines at least twice a week, comes from a questionnaire cohort that could not tell the two fruits apart, and its own authors call it exploratory. The most practical thing on the page is an allergy. In people who react to lipid transfer proteins, sensitisation usually starts with peach, which is the same species as nectarine. The protein responsible sits in the skin and survives cooking, and peeling the fruit is on the Italian consensus list of ways to live with it.

The numbers, per 100 g

How much is actually in it

• Across 8 USDA reference samples of raw nectarine, beta-carotene ranged from 114 to 331 micrograms per 100 g and copper from 0.021 to 0.175 mg, and the British table gives 0.7 mg of niacin where USDA gives 1.12. — raw nectarines, USDA Foundation Foods FDC 327357 (7 to 8 analytical samples) and CoFID 14-380 Nectarines, flesh and skin, raw (n = 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Beta-carotene mean 199 microgram, range 114 to 331; copper 0.082 mg, range 0.021 to 0.175 (7 samples); soluble fibre 0.6 g, range 0.2 to 1.0; niacin 1.12 mg (USDA) vs 0.7 mg (CoFID), a 38 percent gap

What a real portion looks like

• Whole peaches, the same species as nectarine, and the same peaches blended into water gave no difference in 3-hour satiety in 10 young men. The blended drink rated fuller at 20 minutes, and its glucose peak came about 10 minutes earlier. — 10 healthy men, mean age 21, BMI 22, crossover, whole peaches plus 750 ml water vs peach blended in water, matched for energy, weight and volume (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Fullness at 20 min 85 vs 73 mm (blended higher, p<0.03); glucose and insulin peaks at 20 to 30 min blended vs 30 to 40 min whole; AUCs not different; insulin higher after whole fruit at 40 min
• One nectarine as eaten weighs 140 g in the US survey measure, a slice or chunk 20 g, and a cup of pieces 155 g. — US household measures, FNDDS 2021-2023, Nectarine, raw (fdc_id 2709245) (n = FNDDS 5,432 foods and 22,046 household measures) Evidence E source
  1 fruit 140 g; 1 slice/chunk 20 g; 1 cup 155 g; quantity not specified defaults to 140 g

What your body absorbs

• A peach shake raised blood glucose less at 15 minutes than a drink of the same sugars in 26 healthy adults. — 26 healthy adults, randomised crossover, peach shake meal vs aqueous solution of the same sugars; 16 abstained from fruit and vegetables the evening before (n = 26) Evidence B source
  Glycaemia lower at 15 min (p < 0.01) with lower average glucose excursion; free fatty acids fell more, IL-6 rose less; the shake carried 0.06 mg salicylic acid per 100 g

What cooking and storage change

• In lipid transfer protein allergy sensitisation usually starts with peach, the same species as nectarine: Pru p 3 sits in the fruit skin, survives heat and digestion, and peeling the fruit is one of the management strategies named in the Italian consensus. — adults with IgE-mediated nsLTP allergy; consensus of the Italian allergy association AAIITO Evidence E source
  NsLTP is heat- and pepsin-stable; found in Rosaceae fruit skin; sensitisation usually starts with peach then spreads to other Prunoideae; strategies include avoidance, adrenaline, cofactor awareness and peeling fruits

What it does to your health

• Postmenopausal women eating at least 2 servings of peaches or nectarines a week had a 41 percent lower risk of estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer over 24 years, a result the authors call exploratory. — 75,929 US women aged 38 to 63 at baseline, followed up to 24 years, 792 ER-negative cases (n = 75929) Evidence C source
  2 or more servings/week of peaches/nectarines vs less: RR 0.59 (0.37 to 0.93); berries per 2 servings/week RR 0.82; other fruits and vegetables null

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a 25-year-old woman with recurrent anaphylaxis, nectarine gave a 4 mm prick-by-prick wheal and peach 6 mm, and the diagnosis was food-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis linked to lipid transfer proteins. — one 25-year-old woman with recurrent anaphylaxis after various foods eaten with cofactors (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Prick by prick: peach 6 mm, nectarine 4 mm (histamine 4 mm); peach-specific IgE 0.55 kU/L; ISAC positive for Pru p 3 and other LTPs; open peach challenge plus exercise positive
• A meta-analysis of toxic-element surveys put the total hazard quotient below 1 even for infants and judged fresh and processed fruit safe on this count, while reporting that the risk pattern differs between countries. — published surveys of arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, nickel and iron in fresh and processed fruits worldwide Evidence C source
  Peach highest Fe among fruits; highest As, Cd, Pb in pineapple, mango, cherry; TTHQ in infants below 1
• A 2023 US Listeria outbreak traced to one grower's peaches, nectarines and plums sickened 11 people in seven states, put all 10 with records in hospital and killed one. — US consumers, illness samples collected August 2018 to August 2023, outbreak declared over January 30, 2024 (n = 11) Evidence E source
  11 cases, 7 states, 10 of 10 hospitalised, 1 death (California); all 7 interviewed had eaten peaches, nectarines or plums; whole genome sequencing matched Listeria in peaches to patients

What people believe that the data does not support

• In 187,382 US health professionals, 3 extra weekly servings of peaches, plums and apricots gave a hazard ratio of 0.97 for type 2 diabetes that did not reach significance, while blueberries, grapes and apples did. — 66,105 women (NHS), 85,104 women (NHS II) and 36,173 men (HPFS), 3.46 million person-years, 12,198 cases of type 2 diabetes (n = 187382) Evidence C source
  Peaches, plums and apricots per 3 servings/week: HR 0.97 (0.92 to 1.02); blueberries 0.74; apples and pears 0.93; fruit juice 1.08

Who this works differently for

• Among 55 adults allergic to airborne allergens, 27 percent reported food hypersensitivity, mostly oral allergy syndrome, and nectarine was among the eight foods most often blamed, next to apple, carrot, cherry, peach, hazelnut, walnut and celery. — 55 randomly selected Polish patients aged 18 to 72 with airborne allergy, retrospective chart review with skin prick tests (n = 55) Evidence C source
  15 of 55 (27.2%) reported food hypersensitivity; mainly oral allergy syndrome; mostly patients with rhinitis sensitised to grass and tree pollen

The bottom line

Eat a nectarine the way you would eat a peach, because as far as the evidence goes it is one. Whole or blended made no difference to fullness across three hours in that trial of 10 men, and at 20 minutes the blended drink rated fuller, so nothing here says eat it whole to feel full. The one difference that held was timing: the whole fruit delayed the glucose peak by about 10 minutes. A second small trial in 26 adults found a peach shake raised blood glucose less at 15 minutes than a drink of the same sugars, so the sugar in the fruit did not behave like the same sugar in water. That was one meal, and a shake. We found no glycaemic index measurement for nectarine, and no measurement of what canning or cooking takes out of it reached our corpus, so we cannot tell you either. The diabetes story is thinner than the fruit aisle suggests. In 187,382 US health professionals, three extra weekly servings of peaches, plums and apricots gave a hazard ratio of 0.97 for type 2 diabetes, which did not reach significance, while blueberries and apples did. One nectarine as eaten weighs 140 g in the US survey measure, and a cup of pieces 155 g. Who should be careful is the part our cards answer best, and also the part where they stop. In one Polish clinic sample of 55 pollen-allergic adults, 27 percent reported food reactions and nectarine was among the eight foods they named most often. Those reactions were self-reported rather than challenge-proven, and they were mostly oral allergy syndrome, an itching mouth that is usually mild. The skin protein Pru p 3 is a different and more serious problem. It survives heat and digestion, so cooking does not remove it, and in one 25-year-old woman a peach eaten before exercise brought on anaphylaxis, with the diagnosis food-dependent, exercise- induced anaphylaxis. If a stone fruit has ever made your throat tighten, that is a question for an allergist, and peeling is a strategy for people who already have a diagnosis. In 2023 a US Listeria outbreak traced to one grower's peaches, nectarines and plums sickened 11 people in seven states, put all 10 with records in hospital and killed one. That was a packing event rather than a property of the fruit. A meta-analysis of heavy-metal surveys put the screening hazard quotient below 1 even for infants and judged fresh and processed fruit safe on that count, while its own authors say the pattern differs from country to country. A screening index is not a measured harm. Beyond allergy, our cards say nothing about pregnancy, children, kidney disease or any medicine taken with nectarine. We looked and found no study, which is a gap in the science we could reach, and we would rather name it than fill it.

Sources

1. nec-c1-10 · reference dataset
   USDA Foundation Foods 327357 Nectarines, raw — Carotene, beta 199.0 UG, range 114.0–331.0 (median 184.0), 8 samples · Copper, Cu 0.082 MG, range 0.021–0.175 (median 0.047), 7 samples · Fiber, soluble 0.6 G, range 0.2–1.0 (median 0.6), 8 samples · Niacin 1.12 MG, range 0.812–1.39 (median 1.09), 8 samples · CoFID 14-380 Nectarines, flesh and skin, raw — Niacin 0.7 mg per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30; CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0) · checked 2026-09-23
2. nec-c1-03 · randomised crossover trial
   In a cross-over design, ten male subjects (age = 21.1±3.9 y, BMI = 22.4±1.2 kg/m(2)) consumed a solid (CS, whole peaches +750 ml water) and liquefied carbohydrate (CL, peach blended in 500 ml water +250 ml water) lunch. ... Fullness ratings were higher in the CL (85±5 mm) compared to the CS condition (73±8 mm) at 20 min (p<0.03). Glucose concentrations peaked 20 to 30 min after the start of the lunch in the CL condition, and 30 to 40 min after start of the CS condition. ... AUC or condition x time interactions were not different comparing the CL and the CS condition.
   PLoS One, 2012 · checked 2026-09-23
3. nec-c1-11 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2709245 Nectarine, raw — 1 fruit 140 g · 1 slice/chunk 20 g · 1 cup 155 g · Quantity not specified 140 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-23
4. nec-c1-04 · randomised crossover trial
   In a randomized-crossover study, 26 healthy subjects received a peach shake meal (PSM) (SA: 0,06 ± 0,001 mg/100 g) and a mixed sugar meal (MSM), consisting in an aqueous solution with the same sugars found in the peach shake. ... Glycemia increased less after PSM at 15 min (p < 0.01) with a lower average glucose excursion (p < 0.05). Insulin peaked at 45 min with both meals but decreased less rapidly with PSM. Free fatty acids decreased more (p < 0.01), and interleukin-6 increased less (p < 0.05) with PSM.
   Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2012 · checked 2026-09-23
5. nec-c1-05 · consensus statement of a professional allergy association
   nsLTP is heat- and pepsin-stable due to its 3D structure, causing severe allergic reactions, even anaphylaxis. ... Found in Rosaceae fruits' skin, it's categorized into nsLTP1 (9 kDa) and nsLTP2 (7 kDa), representing 93% and 7% of the molecules described to date, respectively. Pru p 3 (nsLTP1) from peach is a primary sensitizer, binding more epitopes than other homologs. ... Sensitization hierarchy usually starts with peach, then expands through Prunoideae, Rosaceae, and other foods. ... Strategies involve avoidance, self-injectable adrenaline, verification through in vivo and in vitro testing, considering cofactors, and peeling fruits.
   Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol, 2024 · checked 2026-09-23
6. nec-c1-01 · prospective cohort study
   Also, the RR for consuming at least 2 servings of peaches/nectarines per week was 0.59 (95 % CI = 0.37-0.93, p = 0.02). Risk of ER- breast cancer was not associated with intakes of other specific fruits or vegetables. In conclusion, higher intake of berries and peaches was associated with lower risk of ER- breast cancer among postmenopausal women. These results are considered exploratory and need to be confirmed in further studies.
   Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2013 · checked 2026-09-23
7. nec-c1-07 · case report
   Prick by prick tests were positive for the peach - wheal diameter - 6 mm, nectarine - 4 mm (histamine 4 mm, negative control 0 mm). Increased levels of asIgE were found for allergens of peach (0.55 kU/L).Open challenge test with one mid-size peach combined with the physical exercise challenge test was positive. ... The patient was diagnosed with food-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis associated with an allergy to lipid transport proteins (LTPs).
   Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol, 2018 · checked 2026-09-23
8. nec-c1-08 · systematic review and meta-analysis of food contamination surveys
   Regarding trace elements, peach and cucumber represented the highest and lowest concentrations of Fe, respectively. ... Eventually, the non-carcinogenic risk assessment of the heavy metal in fresh and processed fruits indicated that the risk pattern was different in various countries and the calculated TTHQ level in infants was below 1. Overall, the consumption of fresh and processed fruits is safe and does not pose a risk to the health of consumers.
   Biol Trace Elem Res, 2023 · checked 2026-09-23
9. nec-c1-09 · surveillance notice
   A total of 11 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria were reported from seven states ... Of 10 people with information available, all have been hospitalized. One death has been reported from California. ... Of the seven people interviewed, all (100%) reported eating peaches, nectarines, or plums.
   CDC, Investigation Update: Listeria Outbreak, Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums, November 2023 · checked 2026-09-23
10. nec-c1-02 · pooled analysis of three prospective cohort studies
    With mutual adjustment of individual fruits, the pooled hazard ratios of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week were 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.89 (0.79 to 1.01) for prunes, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit, 0.97 (0.92 to 1.02) for peaches, plums, and apricots, 0.99 (0.95 to 1.03) for oranges, 1.03 (0.96 to 1.10) for strawberries, and 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18) for cantaloupe.
    BMJ, 2013 · checked 2026-09-23
11. nec-c1-06 · retrospective cohort, chart review
    In the examined 55 patients, 15 individuals reported food hypersensitivity (27.2%), the most frequently after consumption of apples, carrots, cherry, peach, hazelnut, walnut, celery and nectarines. Clinical manifestation of food hypersensitivity was mainly oral allergy syndrome (OAS).
    Przegl Lek, 2016 · checked 2026-09-23