The famous saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is true
Apple picking season is here! There are numerous reasons you’ll want to fill up a basket of apples this year. Apples are an exceptional fruit with many health benefits. The nutrition and antioxidant content vary slightly from one apple to another, but to maximize the benefits of an apple, you’ll want to make sure to eat both the skin and flesh.
*Note that the apple skin is very nutritious.According to Healthline, raw apple skin contains up to 332% more vitamin K, 142% more vitamin A, 115% more vitamin C, 20% more calcium, and up to 19% more potassium than a peeled apple.
Apple Health Benefits
Healthline notes that in a large study published in Advances in Nutrition Journal, eating an apple a day was linked to a 28% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than not eating any apples. Even eating a few apples per week had a similar effect. The polyphenols in apples help to prevent tissue damage to beta cells in your pancreas.
According to Everyday Health, apples can potentially play a role in preventing cancer. Research shows the antioxidants in apples may limit cancer growth. A 2016 study published in Public Health Nutrition found that eating apples is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal, oral, cavity, esophageal, and breast cancers. Another 2016 study published in Pediatrics found that women who ate more high-fiber foods, such as apples, while they were young, had a lower risk of breast cancer later in life.
Medical News Today states that a medium-sized apple provides 13-20% of a person’s daily fiber, 9-11% of a person’s daily vitamin C, and 4% of a person’s daily potassium needs. Fiber helps to manage blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C boosts the immune system and helps defend the body from disease. Potassium relaxes the blood vessels, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular complications.
Risks
It’s important to keep in mind that too much of anything can be bad for you. WebMD points out that apples are fruits with high pesticide residues because bugs and diseases are more likely to affect them. Be sure to wash your apples before eating them. There is also always a chance of negative interactions. Apple juice can interact with the allergy drug Allegra, making it harder for the medicine to absorb in your body. Some people may also have an allergic reaction after eating apples. If you experience hives, swelling, or difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention right away.
Yum!
There are dozens of apple varieties found in the United States and innumerable ways you can eat them. Cut a raw apple up for snacking, bake an apple pie for dessert, blend an apple in a smoothie, pair some cooked or raw apples with cheese or peanut butter for that sweet/salty, crunchy/creamy combo. The possibilities are endless.
The extensive list of health benefits that this superfood has to offer is hard to ignore. Get out there this apple-picking season and enjoy all the amazing benefits that apples have to offer. You can feel good knowing you’re fueling your body with vitamins, antioxidants, and all the other nutritional goodies that apples supply.
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