A Pinch Of Thoughts

The Unexpected Health Benefits Of Eating Apples

Apples are among the most popular fruits in the entire world and after we take a look at all its associated health benefits, it is very easy to understand why. Apples are exceptional fruits. They are healthy and they have some pretty clear benefits, all research-backed.

Let’s just talk about those that are very impressive.

Apples Are Highly-Nutritious

One medium apple, which means one with a diameter of around 7.6 cm is equal to 1.5 cups of fruit. When on a medium 2,000 calories diet, you are recommended to consume 2 cups of fruit every single day. This practically means that just one medium apple is close to all the fruit you need during a day. An 182 grams apple includes the following nutrients:

  • Carbs – 25 g
  • Calories – 95
  • Vitamin C- 14% of RDI (Reference Daily Intake)
  • Fiber – 4 g
  • Vitamin K – 5% of RDI
  • Potassium – 6% of RDI

Also, apples are a great source of polyphenols, which give you a lot more help than you might think.

If you want to take advantage of all these nutrients, make sure to eat your apples with the skin on.

Apples Might Aid With Weight Loss

Apples are really filling because they are very high in water and fiber. A study showed us that those that eat apple slices before meals feel fuller when compared to those that do not consume apples, or consume apple juice or applesauce. The exact same study showed us that the apple slices led to people eating 200 fewer calories when compared with those who did not do this.

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There are various other studies that showed us that apples can help us increase weight loss. This is especially the case when you are overweight simply because you end up eating less since you feel much fuller.

Many researchers believe that apples are very filling due to the fact that the fruits are not energy-dense, all while delivering volume and fibers. In addition, it includes natural compounds that might promote natural weight loss.

Apples Make Your Heart Stronger

Research showed us that apples are linked to lower heart disease risks. One of the reasons why this may be the case is that apples include a high quantity of soluble fiber, exactly the kind that is capable of lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Apples also include polyphenols. These are great because of their antioxidant effects, with most of these being concentrated inside the peel. Flavonoid epicatechin is one of them. It has to be mentioned since it is capable of lowering blood pressure.

We now know that increasing intake of flavonoids helps our body as stroke risk is reduced by 20%. These substances prevent heart disease through the lowering of blood pressure. Bad LDL oxidation is reduced and flavonoids act as strong antioxidants.

Besides flavonoids, apples also include polyphenols. These compounds lower stroke risk and blood pressure.

Apples May Reduce Diabetes Risk

Many studies showed us that consuming apples can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For instance, we know that one apple consumed every day can lower the risk of this disease by up to 28%, which is quite a lot. A few apples every week help us get a very similar protective effect.

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The main reason why this is gained is that apples include polyphenols, which do help prevent the appearance of tissue damage in the pancreas beta cells. These beta cells are responsible for producing insulin and tend to be very damaged when people have type 2 diabetes. If you need any reason to consume more apples, this is a very strong one.

Apples Might Prevent Cancer

In test-tube studies, it was shown that there is a link between a lower cancer risk and the plant compounds found inside apples. Also, a study that was done only on women showed us that apples were linked to lower death rates from being affected by cancer.

Apples have very strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Because of this, it is highly possible that the humble apples are cancer-preventive. The naturally occurring components help our body to be stronger when it is time to fight cancer.

Apples Promote Stronger Gut Bacteria

Another great substance we find in apples is pectin. This is a fiber that acts as a very strong prebiotic. This practically means that it is really good for the body since it feeds the gut’s good bacteria.

The small intestine is not capable of absorbing fibers during the digestion process. Fibers go to the colon and good bacteria growth is promoted. Also, other compounds are helped by the body.

With brand new research we now know that apples help promote very good gut bacteria, which might actually be why apples protect against type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity.

Apples Might Help You Fight Asthma

Apples are rich in antioxidants so it is very possible that they protect lungs from being affected by oxidative damage.

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A pretty large study that was done with over 68,000 women showed that the women who ate more apples had lower asthma risk. In fact, just 15% of one large apple consumed every single day leads to a lower asthma risk by 10%. This is much more than you might gain with other options. In apple skins you find quercetin, which is a flavonoid. This helps regulate your immune system while reducing inflammation. As a result, both allergic reactions and asthma are improved.

Apples Promote Bone Health

When you eat more fruit, your bone density is increased. This is paramount for proper bone health. Researchers showed us that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds inside fruit help increase bone strength and density.

If you are a woman and you eat one meal that includes fresh apples every day, you lose less calcium in your bones when compared with not consuming any apples.

Final Thoughts

We all heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. But few of us realize how accurate this actually is. The more we learn about this tasty fruit, the more obvious it is that we should seriously eat more.

When did you have your last apple? Hopefully the answer is today!