By Tisha Boston
Many of you may have heard the saying, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away”. So let’s explore what makes this statement so true. Apples help promote a healthy lifestyle for they are fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free. Four main nutrients that make apple an ideal part of your diet are Vitamin C, carbohydrates, fiber, and potassium. Apples also contain other nutrients such as calcium and iron, but they are found in lesser amounts.
Apples are a rich source of vitamin C. Vitamin C has several roles in your body. It is used to form a protein that makes skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels, it is used to heal wounds and form scar tissue, and it is used to repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants are responsible for neutralizing damaging free radicals that play a role in cancer, heart disease, and conditions like arthritis. Eating vitamin C- rich foods like apples protects cells and helps lower your risk of chronic diseases.
Your diet should always include a high percentage of carbohydrates because this nutrient helps to fuel your body for its daily activities. Fortunately, the majority of calories found in apples come from carbohydrates in the form of fructose (fruit sugar). Simple carbohydrates, like fructose, break down easily and render immediate energy for your body.
One apple provides nearly 20% of the fiber you need each day. It is a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion. Soluble fiber binds with water and slows digestion while insoluble fiber stays intact and pushes out waste thus, allowing your stool to be soft and regular. The inside part of the apple contains the soluble fiber while the outside part, the skin, contains the insoluble fiber. Pectin, the soluble fiber found in apples, help to prevent cholesterol build up that can lead to heart disease.
Potassium is an electrolyte, a mineral that helps electricity flow through your body. Your body uses potassium to help sustain the steady electrical flow for heart rhythm and muscle contraction. Hence, eating an apple a day helps you to maintain a normal heart rhythm by increasing your potassium intake.
*Source: USDA Household Commodity Fact Sheet
When purchasing an apple, select one that has a bright color and a smooth skin with few bruises. An apple with too many bruises suggests that it may rot soon. Even if you bought apples in a sealed bag and they look clean, always remember to rinse apples in cool water and pat dry before eating. Eating apples without peeling the skin is highly recommended because it increases the intake of the insoluble fiber content, and almost half of the vitamin C content is found just underneath the skin. If you are not ready to eat your apples, try to store them in a refrigerator. Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated; therefore, storing apples at room temperature will cause them to get mushy more quickly. In addition, raw, sliced apples may darken. In order to prevent them from browning, dip them into a fruit juice such as lemon, orange, grapefruit or pineapple.
5 Interesting Facts about Apples:
• The science of apple growing is called pomology.
• Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
• Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet high and live over 100 years.
• Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first.
• The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.
*Source: University of Illinois Extension
