If you want to add a dose of nutrition to your day, crunching on an apple is a great way to do it. Grown throughout the world, apples are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’re fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium. Eating apples is a smart way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

In Ayurveda, apples are considered to be a fruit that is beneficial for all three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), as they are said to be balancing for all three. The sweet taste of apples is said to pacify both Vata and Pitta, while the cool and moist nature of the fruit is said to pacify Kapha. Apples are also rich in antioxidants and are said to be good for the lungs, skin, and digestion. They are also believed to be useful in the treatment of anemia, asthma, and cancer. Apples are also believed to have a cleansing effect on the body, helping to remove toxins and impurities.

6 Ways Apples Are Good For You

Regulates your day

You don’t have to worry any longer about being regular. Whether you’re having trouble going to the bathroom too often or too rarely, apples can help. Dr David P. Burkitt believes one of the easiest methods to prevent all sorts of diseases is to avoid constipation, which he calls “pressure diseases.” These include appendicitis, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, hiatus hernia, and even varicose veins.

Just one apple with its skin can contain 4 to 5 grams of fibre. Fibre helps keep your bowels moving regularly. Replacing that afternoon snack of potato chips or a cookie with an apple can not only help you stop having to take laxatives but also help you lose weight. An apple has about 80 calories, while a serving of chips has 150 calories and you can eat about 200 calories from just a few cookies!

But that’s not all apples can do. They’re also good for diarrhea, thanks to an ingredient called pectin. This carbohydrate has a congealing effect in your intestines that helps firm things up and return you to normal. Applesauce is actually the best apple product for diarrhea since it’s made without the high-fibre skin. But watch out for extra sugar. Some brands of applesauce dump a truckload of sweeteners into otherwise healthy food, and too much refined sugar could make your diarrhea worse.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Apples are great for constipation and diarrhea.

Apples contain pectin which helps firm things up.

Keep your body youthful

You are probably aware that antioxidants can help protect you from many of those diseases that seem to be part of aging. In reality, so many people are taking supplements for antioxidant protection that it has become a multibillion-dollar industry. But the evidence suggests that whole foods can do far more for you than pills alone.

When scientists compared a 1,500-milligram vitamin C supplement to one small apple, the results were astounding – the antioxidant values were equal. That means a fresh apple has more than 15 times the antioxidant power of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C. And that’s just for starters. The researchers also found an ordinary apple was able to stop the growth of colon and liver cancer cells in test tubes. Unpeeled apples were especially effective. The question you need to ask yourself: Why waste money on flavourless supplements when you can get better antioxidant firepower from a sweet, crunchy fruit? Additionally, in Ayurveda, apples are believed to have a rejuvenating effect on the body, helping to keep it youthful and protect it from various diseases.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Antioxidants are essential for health.

Whole foods provide more antioxidants than supplements.

Apples are a great source of antioxidants.

It reduces your risk of heart disease

Sometimes it’s hard to remember what foods are good for what parts of our bodies. Next time you eat an apple, examine it closely. It looks like a heart, so it should remind you that apples are good for your heart.

Apples contain magnesium and potassium which help regulate your blood pressure. Quercetin, a natural antioxidant, helps protect your arteries from damage and keeps your heart pumping steadily. Adding apples to your diet lowers your risk of heart disease and lowers your bad cholesterol.

Adding foods rich in flavonoids like apples to your diet can help you reduce your risk of heart disease, according to a study of Japanese women. These women ate foods high in quecetin, a flavonoid found in many fruits and vegetables. They were less likely than other women to develop coronary heart disease and they had lower levels total and LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.

Helps to avoid strokes

Apples are a good choice for helping avoid strokes, but scientists aren’t sure which component of the apple is responsible. However, the connection between eating apples and avoiding strokes has been established. Eating apples regularly may help to reduce the risk of stroke, and in Ayurveda, the high levels of antioxidants found in apples are believed to protect the body from various diseases, including those that affect the cardiovascular system.

Protects your joints

Arthritis is a common problem in developed countries however,  in areas of the world where fruits and vegetables make up a large part of the diet, very few people get arthritis. We know in developed countries fruits and vegetables are commonly replaced with fast foods and processed foods. These changes in diet may be linked to the high incidence of arthritis in these nations. Boron, a trace mineral found in many fruits and vegetables, may play a role in this connection.

If you eat like most people you will get about 1 to 2 mg of boron a daily, mostly from non-citrus fruits, leafy veggies, and nuts. Experts think you need anywhere from 3-10 mg a day to affect the risk of arthritis. To increase your boron intake, you would have to eat more than 9 apples a day. This is probably an unreasonable amount for most people, but don’t despair. Pair an apple with other boron-rich foods like a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a large handful of raisins, and you’ll not only have a delicious afternoon snack, but you’ll make your joint-saving quota of boron at the same time.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Antioxidants are essential for health.

Whole foods provide more antioxidants than supplements.

Apples are a great source of antioxidants.

Protects your lungs

Your lungs are assaulted daily by cigarette smoke, air pollutants, pollen, and other airborne nasties. On top of that, you may suffer from asthma, empyema, or another lung condition. If all that you want to do is breathe deeply, then grab an apple!

A five-year study of more than 2,500 men from Wales found those who ate five or more apples per week were able to fill their lungs with more air than men who didn’t eat apples. Experts believe that you might be getting some protection from the antioxidant quecetin. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that you can reverse a lung condition you have already developed. But you might be able to add a new line of defence against further damage.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Eating apples can help protect your lungs from air-borne nasties such as pollution.

How To Buy and Store Apples

Buy apples that are firm, unblemished, and have good colour, take them out of their plastic bags and store them in your fridge, loose in the produce bin, or in a paper bag. They should be kept away from strong-smelling foods like garlic and onions, so they don’t absorb odours.

In summary, here are just a few reasons why I love apples:

They’re nutritious – Loaded with vitamin C, potassium, fibre, folate, manganese, copper, magnesium

They’re versatile – Eaten raw, cooked, juiced, baked into pies, cakes, muffins, breads, pancakes, waffles, salads, jams, jellies, chutneys, relishes, sauces, juices and smoothies just like the one below. 👇