We've all seen those hard-as-rock pears at the supermarket, picked well before their prime. Well, here's a reason you might want to pass on them.

Or at least let them ripen on your kitchen counter before you bite. A pear (or an apple) at its peak offers something extra -- a special kind of antioxidant that only develops once it's ripe.

Do It Ripe
We know fruits like apples and pears are chock-full of flavonoids. Now, research shows that when ripe, these fruits contain additional potent disease fighters: NCCs (short for nonfluorescent chlorophyll catabolites -- say that three times). As fruit ripens, chlorophyll breaks down and forms NCCs. And it turns out NCCs pack quite the antioxidant wallop! (Find out what other fruits gain antioxidant strength from sitting around some.)

Fruit "To Do's" for Your Health
Here are some other ways to get the most from your favorite fruits:

• Give me some skin. The peel's the place for antioxidants. And this important nutrient.
• Opt for whole . . . especially when it comes to apples vs. apple juice. (Here's why.)
• Slice it yourself. You'll get more of this essential vitamin.

Colorless tetrapyrrolic chlorophyll catabolites found in ripening fruit are effective antioxidants. Muller, T. et al., Angewandte Chemie 2007;46(45):8699-8702.