Bite into a juicy, ripe peach and you're tasting summer. Peaches are one of summer's best pleasures. They are also low in calories, a good source of vitamins, phytonutrients and fiber and may even help against cancer.

A surprising new study finds that peaches are just as nutritious (and maybe more so) year-round in cans rather than the produce aisle. Researchers at Linus Pauling Institute found that canned peaches were significantly higher than fresh in levels of vitamin C, antioxidants and folate. The reason? Canned peaches are picked and packed at the peak of freshness and the canning process opens cell walls, making some nutrients more available. Results were published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

However, it's important to choose canned peaches in their own juices and avoid those packed in syrup.

The anti-cancer properties of peaches are a result of chemical compounds in the fruit that are responsible for killing cancer cells while not affecting normal cells, according to researchers. In a study published in the Journal of Biochemistry, scientists found that peach extracts slowed the growth of aggressive breast-cancer cells in mice. The amount was equivalent to a human consuming two or three peaches a day.

It's best to eat the whole peach including the skin to get the most nutrition.

Information courtesy of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.

Q and A

Q: Are calcium supplements safe?

A: A Harvard study of 75,000 female nurses has linked the supplements to a reduced risk of heart attacks. In recent years, several studies suggested that calcium pills increase the risk of coronary artery disease, which has caused some people to stop taking them. This potential risk has been much debated, however, and many other studies have not supported it. The new observational study, in Osteoporosis International, found that women who took 1,000 mg or more of calcium a day had a 29 percent lower risk of heart attack over a 24-year period than a nonuser. The study accounted for age, weight, dietary calcium, vitamin D and various cardiovascular risk factors.

Information courtesy of the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter.

Recipe

Here's a recipe utilizing summer's bounty of peaches: Blueberry Peach Cobbler from Cooking Light magazine.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

5 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

3/8 teaspoon salt, divided

6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Place peaches in a large bowl. Drizzle with juice; toss. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons flour to peach mixture; toss to combine. Arrange peach mixture evenly in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces flour (about 1 1/2 cups) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking powder in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and butter in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in blueberries. Spread batter evenly over peach mixture; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly. Serves 12; serving size 3/4 cup.

Per serving: 300 calories, 5.1 g protein, 52.2 g carbohydrate, 9.6 g fat, 58 mg cholesterol, 3.5 g fiber, 189 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @Nutrition Rd. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.