Nectarines: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

The nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica) is a stone fruit in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is the same species as the peach, but it has smooth skin instead of fuzz. We eat the juicy flesh and usually the thin skin, around one hard pit. This page covers only what is different from the peach page, and keeps the whole fruit apart from supplements and hype. It is information only, not a plan for what to eat.

Read this first

• Nectarine and peach are one species, so what the peach page says about peach allergy (the Pru p 3 protein) and the pit very likely applies here too. The sources we read studied peach, not nectarine, so we cannot say how often nectarine itself causes reactions. [8][9]
• For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911. See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Do not eat the hard pit or the kernel inside it. We found no source on nectarine kernels, so this is a caution only.
• Honest summary: a nectarine is a low-calorie fruit with a little fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Large studies link eating more fruit and vegetables overall with better health, but they do not show that nectarines in particular prevent or treat any disease. [3]

What is in it (USDA values)

Source: USDA FoodData Central, "Nectarines, raw", SR Legacy, item 169914 [1]. A medium nectarine (2-1/2 inch across) is a USDA household portion of 142 g. % Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage.

How it compares with a peach. In the USDA tables a nectarine has slightly more energy, fiber, potassium, copper and niacin per 100 g than a yellow peach, and slightly less vitamin C (5.4 versus 6.6 mg). [1] The differences are small and vary with variety, so neither fruit is a clearly "better" choice. See the peach page for its values.

USDA also lists small amounts of beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein plus zeaxanthin (carotenoids, yellow-orange plant pigments) in raw nectarine. [1] A 2026 study of 100 peach and 32 apricot cultivars grown side by side found that total phenolic content (a group of plant compounds measured in the lab as antioxidant activity) varied up to about sevenfold between varieties, and that it tracked ripening date only in nectarine and apricot. [4] This is lab measurement of fruit, not evidence about what these compounds do in people.

What research says

An observational study cannot prove that fruit caused the better health: people who eat more fruit often differ in other ways. [3]

What is different from a peach. Botanically, the smooth skin comes from a hairless variant of peach; a 2026 laboratory study mapped gene and chemical differences in developing peach and nectarine fruit, reporting that nectarines showed shifts in some metabolism pathways. [5] That is plant science, not a health finding.

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. Everything above is about the fruit. We did not find a human trial of nectarine powder or extract, so nothing here supports nectarine supplements. There is no herb page for this plant on this site.

How much is a normal serving

• Fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juice: forms differ in sugar and fiber. Canned fruit may be in syrup, and juice has less fiber than whole fruit. Check the label. See fruit juice vs whole fruit and fresh, frozen and canned produce.
• Cooking: we did not find a source we could read on how cooking changes the nutrients in nectarines, so we make no claim.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Allergy (likely shared with peach): a protein called Pru p 3 is the best-studied peach allergen and a common sensitizer to related plant foods. [8] In a study of 49 people referred for suspected peach allergy in Tunisia, 77.5% were confirmed allergic and Pru p 3 was the most common sensitization. [9] These abstracts do not mention nectarine, so we do not know how often nectarine causes the same reactions. Anyone with a peach allergy should ask an allergy specialist before trying nectarine.
• Medicines: the sources we read describe no medicine interactions for eating nectarines. Ask a pharmacist with a specific question; see foods and medicine interactions.
• Potassium and kidney disease: a medium nectarine has about 285 mg of potassium (6% of the Daily Value). [1] People told to limit potassium should ask their care team; see kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Sugar: a medium nectarine has about 11 g of natural sugar. [1] People managing diabetes can ask their care team how fruit fits their plan.
• Skin and pesticide residues: nectarine skin is thin and usually eaten. A 2025 questionnaire study in Croatia found that over 60% of households did not peel fruit normally eaten with the peel, such as peaches and nectarines, although nearly all washed produce. [6] We could not read the USDA Pesticide Data Program, so we do not quote residue figures for nectarines.
• Pit and kernel: we found no source on nectarine kernels. The safe course is not to eat them.
• Pregnancy: we did not find a source we could read that restricts nectarines in pregnancy; see foods in pregnancy.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Choose fruit that is not bruised or damaged; cut away damaged areas and throw out rotten fruit. [7]
• Wash under running water, even if you will not eat the skin. Do not use soap or produce wash. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. [7]
• Keep pre-cut or packaged fruit refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. [7]

Related pages

• Peaches
• Fruit juice vs whole fruit
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Foods and medicine interactions
• Observational vs trial evidence in nutrition