# pears and dry mouth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 20, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539 "2006-05-20T16:47:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![msdemise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f17d59/32.png) [@msdemise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msdemise)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539/1 "2006-05-20T16:47:52Z")

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Does anyone know of a pear that causes severe and instantaneous dry mouth?

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539/2 "2006-05-20T17:23:33Z")

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The skin from pears tends to be papery and dry. The fruit itself is pretty juicy in my experience, other than the so-called ‘Asian pears’, which have more of a crisp apple consistency.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539/3 "2006-05-20T17:54:40Z")

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I think the dry mouth is caused by [tannins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin) in the pear skin; the same effect as with crabapples and some types of grape. Acording to [this site](http://www.widomaker.com/~jnavia/tannins/tanngood.htm), red pears are particulary high in tannins.

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**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539/4 "2006-05-21T01:00:32Z")

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> [@msdemise](#):
>
> Does anyone know of a pear that causes severe and instantaneous dry mouth?

Are you sure you aren’t thinking of an unripe persimmon?

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**Author:** ![msdemise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f17d59/32.png) [@msdemise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msdemise)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pears-and-dry-mouth/357539/5 "2006-05-24T00:52:35Z")

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> [@Squink](#):
>
> I think the dry mouth is caused by [tannins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tannin) in the pear skin; the same effect as with crabapples and some types of grape. Acording to [this site](http://www.widomaker.com/~jnavia/tannins/tanngood.htm), red pears are particulary high in tannins.

I thank you for the tip on tannins. It really made sense.