Top Health Benefits of Apples

Do they really keep the doctor away?

Apples come in a variety of shapes, colors, and flavors and provide a range of nutrients that can benefit many different aspects of a person’s health.

For example, they may help reduce the risk of cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and several other conditions.

In this article, learn more about the nutritional content of apples and how they may benefit a person’s health.

During the fall season, apples become a popular fruit. Recipes and storage suggestions are all over the internet. It makes you wonder what the health benefits of apples are, and weather they have the power to keep the doctor away.

Is it Good To Eat an Apple A Day ?

FUN FACT ABOUT THE PHRASE:

For your amusement, the original phrase was first recorded in Wales in 1866, and goes, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread”.

It later evolved to become, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”.

Top Health Benefits

According to Medical News Today, apples are an abundant source of antioxidants, fiber and flavonoids. Their goodness is believed to be beneficial for:

• Neurological Health
• Reducing The Risk Of Stroke
• Lowering Bad Cholesterol
• Decreasing The Risk of Diabetes
• Helps Preventing Breast Cancer
• Fighting Obesity

What are the Health Benefits of Apples ?

Eating Foods With Fiber, Including Apples, Can Aid Digestion

You’ve likely heard that fiber is good for digestion — and what you’ve heard is true!

According to Harvard Health Publishing, both types of fiber (soluble and insoluble, which means it can’t be absorbed in water) are important for digestion. And apples have both types.

Soluble fiber helps slow down digestion, allowing you to feel full, and also slows the digestion of glucose, which helps control your blood sugar. Meanwhile, insoluble fiber can help move food through your system and aid with constipation and regularity. Just be sure eat the apple skin, which contains much of the apple’s insoluble fiber.

Are Apples Good for Your Immune System?

Apples Can Support a Healthy Immune System

Who doesn’t want a stronger immune system going into autumn? 

Apples are great sources of fiber and natural sugars—but you knew that already. What you might not know is that apple skins contain quercetin, a type of plant pigment flavonoid that helps boost your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Apples contain immune-boosting Vitamin C. Research showed that this vitamin plays a key role in helping the immune system function. It is beneficial in strengthening the epithelial (a type of tissue) barrier against pathogens and guarding against environmental oxidative stress, such as pollution to radiation.

Are Apples Good For Weight Loss?

Eating Apples Can Support Healthy Weight Loss

Fresh and crunchy apples are packed with healthy flavonoids and fibres that may help burn belly fat. They are particularly rich in pectin fibre that breaks down slowly. The fibres present in apple promote satiety. If you feel full, you would naturally eat less.

It is best to eat apples in the morning right after you get up or as a snack between meals to get its maximum benefits which include nutrients, weight loss, good skin, great digestion and a healthy body in the long run.

Can eating apples help lower cholesterol?

Apples May Lower High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

One potential reason for why your apple intake could lower blood pressure is its potassium content as this is helpful in controlling blood pressure.

Another reason apples could be good for your blood pressure is fiber as it slows digestion, you feel fuller longer and thus eat less overall. Plus, that apple you’re eating might also help lower your cholesterol as a result of its pectin content that lowers the “bad cholesterol”.

Apple Cider Vinegar, also known as ACV is a detoxifier that can enable your body to ward off sicknesses and discharge free radicals that wreak devastation on your body regularly, which adds in a roundabout way can lessen the circulatory strain.

It’s even utilized in the control of body weight by helping flush out more fats in the body and giving a person’s digestion the lift it needs. A spoonful or two of vinegar on a daily basis may support your levels of good cholesterol. 

Cautions for Consuming Apples

Appleseeds contain cyanide, which is lethal in high enough doses. However, the amount in one apple core is unlilely to harm an individual. Still, it is advised to avoid chewing or swallowing the seeds to be safe.

Other concerns with apples are related to pesticide sprays used during growing and wax coatings. For this important reason, consuming only organic apples is recommended.

Washing apples well before eating is best if you want to obtain the nutrients in the peel.

Another good way to remove those pesticides is using a fresh fruit and veggie wash. I use one from Norwex and our fruits come out amazingly clean.

Tips for Adding Apples to Your Diet

Apples are an incredibly versatile food. Try some of these ideas to add them yo your daily menu:

• Whole as a snack
• Sliced with cheese
• An ingredient in baked goods
• As applesauce
• Baked with Cinnamon
• Added to smoothies
• A topping for salads
• Grated in coleslaw
• As a cider drink
• Added in oatmeal

Use your imagination to come up with tasty ways to get your apple a day. You can include them in any meal from a quick snack, to an entree, to dessert.

Apples are a nutritious addition to a healthy diet. Eating one each day may not guarantee to keep the doctor away, but it will certainly aid to stack the ods in your favor.