An Apple a Day… An Healthy Fruit

In a world today where the focus tends to be on all of the trendy “superfruits” like goji berries and pomegranates, it seems like we may be overlooking our old friend the apple.  Once the poster child of fruits around the world, making frequent appearances on the desks of teachers and even the star of one of the most famous quotes about doctors, the apple now finds itself a bit of a cliché, but still making major contributions in health.

Healthy Fruits

We recently caught up with the apple (the healthy fruit) to check in on some of its recent work and to find out how it continues to hold its own when it comes to keeping us healthy.  Below are just some of the contributions the apple is responsible for.

1. Weight Loss – At just 95 calories, an apple is the perfect snack to reach for when you’re trying to lose weight.  It helps satisfy hunger and provides a pretty good supply of fiber.  People are using unsweetened applesauce as a substitute for butter or oil in cake recipes, reducing the fat and adding to the moisture of the finished product.
2. Reducing the Risk of Diabetes – A recent study concluded that when people consistently eat three servings of apples each week, they decrease their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 7%.  The polyphenols in apples helps to lower the rate of glucose absorption, thus improving the regulation of our blood sugar levels.
3. Keeping Hearts Healthy – There are antioxidants hard at work in apples that help us fight cholesterol.  In a report from the Iowa Women’s Health Study, apples were directly associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease.  Antioxidants help to protect us from the build up of fats in blood vessels.
4. Fighting Off Cancer – New research shows that the phenolic in apples may actually help prevent breast cancer.  Even more surprising it the correlation between apples and lung cancer risk reduction.  Apples are the only fruit to show reduction of lung cancer risk.
5. Healthy Hair and Scalps – Can this be true?  Evidence points to the positive effects of using apple cider vinegar when washing hair, including ridding our scalps of unwanted dandruff flakes.
6. Works Against Asthma – This one may seem a bit surprising too, but now multiple studies are showing that the anti-inflammatory nutrients in apples combined with the antioxidants help lower the risk of asthma.

These are just some of the more recent findings and reports of what apples can do for us.  We haven’t even touched on how they can help with other issues such as macular degeneration of the eye or Alzheimer’s disease. It’s obvious that apples are still a major player in the world of health.  We suggest you keep them as part of your regular diet.  And for those of you who detest doctors for whatever reason, try eating an apple every day and see what happens.