Health Benefits of Apples

Introduction

From Top Red (my favourite), Golden Delicious to Granny Smith. These apples are a tasty and effortless way to add nutrients to your diet.

Where did apples Originate From?

Research indicates apples originated in the mountains of Kazakhstan, in Central Asia. Apples are members of Rosac. The Rose family includes pears, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, and peaches. 

South Africa produces various apples for local consumption. Apples such as Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Braeburn, and Granny Smith.

But, South Africa has a variety of apples for export. The Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Granny Smith, Cripps Pink, Pink Lady®, Top Red, Starking, Fuji, Cripps’s Red, Joya®, and Braeburn. We get the leftovers from the export market.

Apples come in assorted colours depending on the variety, from pale yellow and green to deep red. Their taste and texture vary, too, from juicy to firm and sweet to tangy.

Due to the large variety available, you can buy apples from Woolworths, Pick n Pay, and Shoprite all year round. But are apples healthy?

There are concerns about their high sugar content. Also, their pesticide exposures and the production of genetically modified varieties. So, how good are apples for you? Do their benefits outweigh any risks they may present? Let us examine the apple types, their nutrition facts, and their benefits.

Type of Apples

More than 7,500 types of apples are available worldwide. But South Africa has apples for export, especially in Northern Europe and the United Kingdom.

South Africa produced 856 6 thousand metric tons of fresh apples in 2018/19.

The most popular cultivated apple types in South Africa include:

· Big Buks

· Braeburn

· Cripps Red

· Cripps Pink

· Early Red One

· Fuji

· Fuji Red

· Gala

· Golden Delicious

· Granny Smith

· Jazz

· Kanzi

· Kiku

· Mahana Red

· Pink Lady

· Royal Gala

· Starking

· Sundowner

· Top Red

There are also rare apples that may be black or purple on the outside, sometimes with red or pink flesh. They even taste like roses, lemons, or honey.

Rarer apples are expensive and are scarce in supermarkets. The Tibetan Black Diamond apple is dark purple and grows in remote Tibet.

You will visit Tibet someday and enjoy this rare apple.

Apple Nutrition

All apple varieties contain beneficial nutrients. These nutrients include fibre, vitamin C, potassium, and various antioxidants. They also contain phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, and chlorogenic acid.

The fibre found in apples is pectin. Pectin is a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibres. Soluble fibre helps feed the microbiome and also lowers high cholesterol. So, insoluble fibre helps keep your intestines clean and healthy.

Apples are a reliable source of simple natural sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Still, they have a low glycemic index (GI) of approximately thirty-six.

Apples do not spike your blood sugar much after eating them. Apples’ high fibre and polyphenol content help prevent glucose spikes. Fibre and polyphenols slow down how fast your body breaks down carbohydrates. 

One small apple (100g) contains approximately:

• Energy 51 kcal/215 KJ

• Protein 0.6 g

• Fat 0.5 g

• Carbohydrates 11.6 g

• Fiber 2.5 g

• Potassium 100 mg

• Vitamin C 6 mg

You may be asking yourself whether it is safe to eat the skin of an apple. Remember that there are valuable nutritional components in the apple peel/skin, so it is best to eat them washed and unpeeled.

Apple Health

Apple’s nutrition benefits help in weight loss, are suitable for blood pressure and can help with constipation. The following are the significant health benefits you can get by eating apples.

Apples Lower the Risk of Dementia and Protect Brain Health

Eating a fruit-rich diet like apples may help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

Include flavonoid-rich food in your diet and help your body reduce Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Reduce the Risk of Stroke

Apples have vital nutrients to help lower the risk of stroke.

Studies found that consuming the most fibre reduces the risk of heart-related disease and stroke.

Apples and High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Apples consist of pectin, a natural fibre found in plants. Soluble fibre can help inhibit cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessels. Pectin helps in lowering the incidence of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Further research shows that eating apples or pears is associated with a fifty-two per cent lower stroke risk. 

Apples and Heart Health

Are apples heart-healthy? As you put your teeth on a juicy apple, this might be the question on your mind. Yes, indeed, apples tend to lower the risk of heart health.

The primary reason may be that they contain soluble fibre. Soluble fibre in apples can help lower your blood cholesterol levels.

Also, apples are rich in polyphenols and protective plant compounds, one of which is a flavonoid called quercetin.

Research by the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition found that people with higher quercetin levels had a lower risk of heart diseases, including other non-communicable conditions. 

Apples and Diabetes

It is incredible, considering how sweet apples are. Yet, a growing body of research suggests that eating apples may help lower blood sugar and protect against type 2 diabetes.

Also, the fibre and polyphenols in apples slow carbohydrate digestion, preventing spikes in blood sugar after eating. 

A 2021 study found that people who consume whole fruits in their diet had a lower percentage risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Apples, as a sweet snack, have more health benefits.

Lower the Risk of Cancer

The phytonutrients in apples have protective effects on cancer risk. Research suggests that apple polyphenolic compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and apoptosis-inducing characteristics for cancer.

In October 2016, Public Health Nutrition published a review showing that eating apples reduces cancer risk. Cancer risks include colorectal, oral cavity, oesophageal, and breast cancers.

The fibre in apples may provide cancer-preventing properties. 

Are Apples Good for Your Weight Loss

Apples are low in calories and high in fibre, which can help you feel full and eat fewer calories throughout the day. A medium-sized apple contains four grams of fibre. 

Researchers have proposed that including apples in a healthy, balanced diet may encourage weight loss. 

Apples are also rich in antioxidants such as catechins, chlorogenic acid, and fibres like quercetin. These antioxidants help regulate blood sugar levels, improve digestion, and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Do Apples Aid Digestion?

 The School of Public Health, Harvard T. H. Chan contends that apples have both types of fibre, soluble and insoluble. Apples contain soluble and insoluble fibre, which are essential for digestion.

So, yes, apples are nutritious fruits that could help with digestion. They contain vitamins and minerals good for digestion, such as vitamin C and potassium. 

Apples contain an excellent source of pectin, a non-starch polysaccharide that humans cannot digest. It provides food for colonic bacteria that convert it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids. These acids maintain the health of healthy gut bugs and the cells lining the colon.

Are Apples Good for Your Immune System?

Who has yet to see an array of medications to help build a more robust immune system at Dischem or Clicks? 

Besides medication, apples can be valuable in your immune-supporting tool kit.

 Vitamin C in apples is also known as ascorbic acid. This essential dietary nutrient has many vital functions in your body and is critical for boosting the immune system.

Apples are also a rich source of phytochemicals, like quercetin, known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that help regulate immune responses.

May Improve Lung Health and Asthma Symptoms

Eating fruits and vegetables has a positive influence on lung health. 

Apples are good for lung health and asthma symptoms. 

Potential Health Risks

Do Apple Seeds Contain Cyanide

Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide. Yet, the human body can detoxify cyanide when ingested in small doses.

Apple flesh and peel do not have cyanide.

 It will take chewing hundreds of apple seeds for anyone to get cyanide poisoning.

Contain a High Number of Pesticides

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its Dirty Dozen Guide to pesticides in produce. Apples always make the list. According to EWG, apples contain four pesticide residues, some in high concentration.

Buying organic apples whenever possible is wise. Thus decreasing your concern about ingesting pesticides in apples.

Apple Allergy

Some people have an allergy to the protein in apples. This allergy results from a reaction called oral allergy syndrome (OAS), which is common in many fresh produce.

A person may experience itchy lips and tongue. Thoroughly washing and cooking apples will remove the culprit protein.

Apples are High In Sugar

Apples contain fructose like other fruits. However, the sugar content in an average apple is approximately 19 grams. Further, apples are low on the glycemic index.

Hence, it would be rare for apples to impact people with diabetes. Nonetheless, you must be vigilant when consuming apple juice as it contains high sugar.

Apple Storage Tips

Understanding how to store apples is critical. Apples release a compound called ethylene gas. Ethylene gas hastens the ripening of other fruits and vegetables.

Store apples away from other fruits, usually on the countertop of your fridge.

If you are storing apples for a more extended period, your temperature range must be -1° C to 1.5° C.

Package small amounts of apples in perforated plastic bags or cover them with a damp paper towel.

The Best Way to Eat Apples

To enjoy your apples, understand their texture and choose how to eat them. Some apples are firmer, and others have thinner skins.

The way you use them depends entirely on the type of apple. Here are the uses of apples as per type:

• Gala: The Gala apple is sensitive to health, and you can eat it raw or cut and tossed into fruit salads.
• Fuji: The Fuji apple is sturdy and can withstand baking and roasting, making it ideal for
• Crispin: Crispin is versatile and works well, baked in apple pies or made into applesauce.
• Granny Smith: Granny Smith is a tart, high-acidity variety and is tasty raw, or you can use it in pies, tarts, pancakes, soups, or stuffing.

Irrespective of what type of apples you eat, you can use them in various ways. Enjoy them.

Conclusion

Apples are a versatile fruit. They are a delicious addition to whole foods, plant-based diet. 

Apples have properties that can have an impact on preventing chronic diseases. One apple a day should be your mantra – enjoy your apples.