You know the famous kids jingle that goes like this “I like to eat-eat-eat Apples and Bananas?” Wasn’t it a catchy song! Imagine if it was actually the case. What would happen if the diet of an average adult or child does include eating apples every day! This is infact true to some extent too since statistically apples were the highest consumed fruit in USA alone in the year 2019.
Nevertheless, our societal eating habits have changed tremendously over the past few decades. No matter how much you enjoy eating a certain food (read fruit) the sheer economic pressure and work load tends to deviate from healthy eating habits.
Doctors recommend eating any seasonal fruit atleast twice or thrice a week. There is substantial research data available that prove the benefits of eating healthy fruits. Irrespective of your age or gender; you need to keep reading to find out why apple is the missing golden ingredient from your diet.
Before we go into “why’ you must include apple in your daily diet; here is “what” actually is in an apple.
Healthy constituents of an average medium sized apple are:
Top 5 benefits of eating an apple:
Apples are the next anti-ageing:
Believe it or not; skin doesn’t lie. With time it will reveal everything (good or bad) you did to it. The simple mantra is ‘eat good-look good’. But eating good is not all about that expensive ‘quinoa salad’. Instead, it’s the minor yet consistent habits that make the most difference.
Same is the case with this amazing fruit. If bad skin is putting down your confidence; then try to incorporate apple in your diet atleast once a day. you’ll be surprised for sure. Here’s how apple can help with skin improvement:
Apple will help with your Anxiety:
Do you remember the scene in snow white when the stress-stricken snow white is offered an apple and she eat it? Okay hang on. Don’t get all anticlimactic on us just yet. The point is that apples can offer solace against stress and anxiety. Although it wont magically treat it altogether. But daily intake of apple can help diminish the frequency and strength of any anxiety episode. This is due to:
- Apples contain a high proportion of quercetin. This is no ordinary antioxidant. Infact, it helps reduce neuronal inflammation and sensitivity that leads to anxiety.
- It also helps rejuvenate the dying neurons and thus improve overall neuronal health.
So, start incorporating an apple in your breakfast routine and have a healthier happier day ahead.
Apple can help with your Anemia:
Let’s face it! No one likes to eat those nasty smelling iron tablets. The nausea vomit and disturbed stomach caused by iron capsules is inevitable. But what to do if you have been diagnosed with Anemia? Anemia is the deficiency of Iron in blood. This leads to lower blood Hb value and subsequent issues such as hyperventilation, shortness of breath, fainting, weakness of limbs, body aches etc. Based on severity of the anemic state; you can treat and prevent anemia by eating iron rich foods.
Apple is an excellent source of iron comprising upto 0.3 to 0.5mg in an average medium apple. Although it is not a Heme based iron (such as in red meat); but the quantity is still wothwhile if consumed every day.
Apples are good for Diabetes:
Diabetes management is a long tedious process. And whilst there are many viable and workable treatment options available out there in medicine world. Yet health professionals still emphasize on diet-based management to minimize the drug load on the body. Diabetes management is largely dependent on the fact that intake of any certain food item does not immediately spike the blood sugar.
Apple play a long-lasting beneficial effect in this regard by:
- The overall calorie count is low in apple (upto 90-95 calories in a 100g of apple). This means that even if you consume a whole apple at a time it will not rise the blood sugar exponentially such as in the case of mango and other fruits. The fibrous part of apple also lowers the absorption of carb, thus leading to delayed rise in blood sugar.
- The fruit is rich in polyphenols Esp. in the peel. When eaten these polyphenols can also lower the rise of blood glucose. This is because apples have very low glycemic index (GI) value.
- The phlorizin present in apples can help lower the digestion and absorption of carbs and other sugar derivatives.
- Detailed research conducted on the anti-diabetic effect of Apple Polyphenol Extract (APE) suggest that:
- Polyphenolic extract of apple fruit can improve insulin sensitivity in both type I and type II diabetics
- Apple polyphenolic extract also works alongside with Insulin to inhibit the muscular reuptake of glucose thus lowers overall Glycemic Load (GL).
- Apple consumption before a meal also have shown lower postprandial Hyperglycemia.
Apple is great for Hypertension:
Who doesn’t like to binge on snacks while watching their favorite seasons! The problem with this is that by the time you are done with your season; your body has been pumped with tremendous amount of junk food that can cause high blood pressure a.k.a. Hypertension and Cardiovascular diseases (CVS). All of these are potentially fatal conditions. Nevertheless, our bodies deserve to be treated right. This is why health professionals particularly nutritionist largely recommend on daily intake of certain fruits to maintain and treat chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, gout etc. Fruits such as prunes, apples, apricots, citric fruits re particularly useful in this regard.
Apples contain a good quantity of potassium and soluble and insoluble fibers. It also contains prebiotics such as pectin. All these constituents result in improved digestion and thus removal of toxic waste.
A study published in 2019 showed amazing results after consumption of atleast a 100g of apple in a day
| Factors | Overall Reduction Observation |
| Thrombotic stroke | 25% |
| Hypertension | 9% |
| Aortic calcification | 24% |
| Serum CRP conc. | 37% |
Conclusion:
No amount of research and medically proven data can persuade a mind into making meaningful lifestyle and dietary modifications. This must come from within. But bear in mind that either you accept it or not; the fact does not change. We all must make a conscious effort to include such food items in our diet that will in long term not only prevent; but also treat chronic and cute diseases. So now run to your nearest farmers’ market; grab a dozen of nice and sweet apples and begin the change you want to see.
