Apple is the most attractive and pleasing fruit, gifted by nature. Apples are taste delicious on their own or when added to dishes but they come loaded with health benefits. Apples have been linked to numerous health benefits, including improved gut health and reduced risk of stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and some cancers.
So here are some of the amazing health benefits of apples which help to grab more apples when you by fruits.
1. Support Immune System
Including apples in your diet may help to boost your immune system. Studies conclude that a diet high in dietary fiber may help to protect from flu. Apples contain immune-boosting vitamin C, which help to boost immunity such as by strengthening the epithelial (a type of tissue) barrier against pathogens and guarding against environmental oxidative stress, such as pollution to radiation.
2. Diabetes
The fructose and antioxidant polyphenols in apples improve the metabolic balance and slow the rate at which sugar is absorbed in the body. This property of apples is especially effective for diabetics, who have to keep their blood sugar spike in check. Experts have also suggested that apples lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes because of a class of antioxidants called Anthocyanin, that is also responsible for red, purple and blue colors in fruits and veggies.
3. Help Fight Asthma
Apples are rich in antioxidants, which may help our lungs from oxidative damage. A large study in more than 68,000 women found that those who ate the most apples had the lowest risk of asthma. Eating about 15% of a large apple per day was linked to a 10% lower risk of this condition.
Apple skin contains the flavonoid quercetin, which can help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. These are two ways in which it may affect asthma and allergic reactions.
4. Bone Health
Eating fruit is linked to higher bone density, which is a marker of bone health. Researchers believe that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in fruit may help promote bone density and strength. Some studies show that apples, specifically, may positively affect bone health.
In one study, women ate a meal that either included fresh apples, peeled apples, applesauce, or no apple products. Those who ate apples lost less calcium from their bodies than the control group.
5. Smoother Digestion
A number of health benefits of apples are derived from the wonder fibre pectin it contains. This soluble fibre works wonders for your digestion. Pectin a form of soluble fiber, draws water from your digestive tract and forms a gel, helping to slow digestion and pushing stool through your intestines. Apples also contain malic acid, which is again a useful digestive aid.
6. Protect Your Brain
Apples may have benefits for age-related mental decline. Most people concentrate the benefits of the peel and flesh of apples but apple juice may help preserve acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that can decline with age. Low levels of acetylcholine are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
That said, whole apples contain the same compounds as apple juice — and it is always a healthier choice to eat your fruit whole.
7. Stronger Gums
Apples a great source of water and fiber that act as cleansing agents. It contains malic acid that boosts saliva production, hence removing bacteria from the mouth. They are also packed with vitamin and minerals that promote healthy teeth. The fibrous texture of apples also helps improving the health of your gums.
8. Protects Your Heart
Multiple studies show apples are good for your ticker-in multiple ways. Their high fiber content has been shown to help improve cholesterol levels (lowering bad LDL cholesterol and increasing good HDL cholesterol). A new small clinical trial found subjects who ate 2 apples a day for 8 weeks had significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels than those who didn’t eat the fruit. The researchers cite apples’ fiber, but also polyphenols—you benefit from whole fruit’s nutrients working together.
9. Fights Cancer
Apples’ cancer-fighting antioxidant activity is nearly tops among fruits (second only to cranberries). Eating an apple a day (or more) is linked with lower risk of several cancers, including colorectal, breast and prostate. In fact, an analysis of several Italian studies found that eating one or more servings of apples a day helped lower the risk of colorectal cancer more than eating any other fruit. Other studies in humans have found that eating apples can be helpful in preventing lung and prostate cancer. Don’t toss the peel, though, that’s where most of the cancer-fighting antioxidants are found.
10. Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Savor a juicy apple and you may help keep your ticker healthy in the process. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel like material, which helps prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, therefore lowering the incidence of atherosclerosis (restricted blood flow in the arteries due to plaque buildup) and heart disease. It can also help lower blood pressure levels.
