Apples – Avoultra

Apples

The Incredible Health Benefits of Apples

A Quick Background on Apples

Apples are a popular snack. They’re often thought of as delicious, versatile, crunchy, juicy, and sweet. When people think of American cuisine, apple pie often comes to mind; apples being a staple of many American diets. However, apples originated in the mountains of Kazakhstan from the Malus sieversii tree, the ancestor of the modern-day apple. This ancient apple tree still grows even to this day- (1).

Europeans brought apples to America during the 17th century. Cultivating and growing apple trees and orchards was successful from the beginning. By the 1800s, apples were found all over the United States and in many varieties and by 1905, the USDA noted found that there were nearly 14,000 apple varieties all over the world- (2).

There are approximately one hundred varieties of apples grown in the United States today, according to the U.S. Apple Association- (3).

Cooking with Apples

The apple is incredibly versatile. Apple sauce is a popular lunch snack for children all across the United States and apple juice serves as a popular staple for the school lunch as well. Apples can be made into a warm or cold cider, or for a sweeter twist as the main ingredient for various cobblers and pies. You can slice an apple and sprinkle a little salt on it for a savory option. You can slice an apple and toss into a salad or cut one up and use it in a slaw. Apples, at their core (pun intended), have so much potential and are an easy and healthy addition to your diet.

Historical Uses for Apples

A Mesopotamian tablet from around 1500 B.C. showed something interesting—a deed of sale of for an apple orchard traded in exchange for three sheep. Three thousand years late, 1665, Sir Isaac Newton observed an apple falling to the Earth, sparking within him his idea about the properties of gravity- (4).

Health Benefits

Apples contain a great deal of vitamin C- (5), a nutrient that you should get from your diet and not just a supplement. Studies have shown that vitamin C may help regulate blood pressure. Vitamin A is also found in apples and helps benefit both male and female reproductive health as well as the growth of an embryo- (6). Apples are rich in folate, which is a nutrient that may help reduce the risk of neural tube (brain, spine, or spinal cord) defects in fetuses- (7). By increasing folate intake during pregnancy, may help reduce the risk of congenital heart defects in newborns- (8).

By including more vitamin A in your diet, you may be helping boost the functionality of your immune system, and therefore helping your body resist infection. Apples are also high in dietary fiber, which has been known to inhibit LDL cholesterol- (9) (basically the kind of bad cholesterol), which then helps enhance cardiovascular health. Eating two or more apples per day can dramatically decrease the risk of a stroke and can help prevent breast, prostate, colon, liver, and lung cancer. Apples are important to the liver and may support liver health. Apples have been known to be beneficial for neurogenerative issues like dementia as well as bronchial problems like asthma- (10).

Iron, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium are all minerals found in apples and are also crucial in helping regulate blood pressure- (11). The pectin, a gel-like fiber, in apples is known to clean out debris from the colon and can bind with radioactive or toxic heavy metals like mercury and lead and then safely remove them from the body- (12).

Pro-tip: One of the most pesticide-contaminated foods in America happens to be apples. Because of this, it’s best to buy certified organic apples to ensure your safety and health- (13).

Scientific Studies Showing the Health Benefits of Apples

There is research that shows a connection between eating apples and a reduced risk of colorectal cancer because apples are rich flavonoids—one of the most important naturally occurring phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables—that release antioxidants into the body- (14).

There is also a study that shows that the nitrates and flavonoids in apples could very well help lower blood pressure, therefore protecting against cardiovascular disease- (15).

There are olyphenols found in apples that may have health benefits as well: lowered inflammation, reduced aspirin-related gut damage, and improved muscle endurance- (16).

If you want to truly get the most out of your apples from a health benefits standpoint, then make sure to eat the peel. Research has shown that the peel contains the highest concentration of antioxidants when compared to the rest of the fruit- (17). Again, be sure to eat only organic apples to safeguard your health and to prevent pesticide contamination.

References:

· 1 National Geographic, July 22, 2014

· 2 Brooklyn Botanic Garden, June 2, 2005

· 3 US Apple Association, “Popular Varieties”

· 4 “Heritage Apples: A New Sensation”, March 19, 2013

· 5 The World’s Healthiest Foods, “Apples”

· 6 Nutrients, 2011 Apr;3(4):385-428

· 7 Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira, 2016 Jan-Feb;62(1):90-100

· 8 Nutrients, 2013 Nov;5(11):4760-4775

· 9 Current Opinion in Biology, 2011 Feb;22(1):43-8

· 10 Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid

· 11 Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2018 Feb;62(3)