What are the Health Benefits of Apples?

Many are familiar with the proverb that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. While this may not always be true, there’s some suggestion that women who eat an apple a day may keep lung cancer away. Plenty of other health benefits of apples exist because of their numerous qualities.

In broad strokes, apples can be nutritious because they are a good source of dietary fiber. A single medium-sized apple provides about 15% of fiber daily requirements, and it’s also a good source of Vitamin C, again conferring about 15% of a day’s vitamin C needs. Moreover, the average apple ranges in calories from about 80 to 100 per fruit, and it can thus provide a sweet, crunchy treat that is beneficial to the diet.

The fiber in apples is important to note, since it is not just for maintaining regularity. Higher fiber diets have shown significant impact on lowering “bad” types of cholesterol. So one of the health benefits of apples is that they can contribute to a diet that reduces cholesterol levels. The amount of pectin in apples can serve another purpose too. People having trouble with chronic diarrhea may be helped by consuming apples as part of the bananas, rice, apple and toast (BRAT) diet.

People hear much about the benefits of antioxidants, and apples are certainly full of useful ones that may promote cardiac stability and have some anti-aging benefits. These antioxidants tend to get lost when people peel their apples, so they should consider using organic or well washed conventionally grown apples with the peels on. Flavonoids, which are also mostly present in the peel, confer benefits to the heart too.

As mentioned, there is some evidence that one of the health benefits of apples may be their cancer fighting ability, particularly fighting lung cancer in women. The matter needs to be studied more, but consuming this juicy, crunchy fruit may be indicated in reducing risk of other cancers and among the whole population. Regular consumption of fiber may lower risk of colorectal cancers, and it’s worth investigating to see if apples alone may reduce risk.

Apple juice, though possibly not as beneficial as the whole apple, has also been studied. Some scientists have found that drinking apple juice may be as good for the heart as drinking wine, grape juice or tea. Darker, less purified juices are probably preferred.

If anything can be proved about the health benefits of apples, it is that people don’t necessarily need to search far to find a fruit that can give them quality nutrition. The trend is toward finding foods grown in exotic locations, and these foods may be very good. Yet the old standby for many people, the apple, can be just as important to the diet. Ignoring the familiar makes no sense, when an apple can do so much to promote health.