“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, is a very familiar expression, we all have come across ever since our childhood. But, is it really a fact? or, are we just dwelling on fiction? While the phrase was first coined in 1913, it was based on a Pembrokeshire proverb that originated in 1866. Notes and Queries magazine was the first to publish the original quote: “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”
Apples come in a variety of shapes, colors, and flavors and provide a range of nutrients that can benefit many different aspects of a person’s health. Apples are a popular fruit, containing antioxidants, vitamins, dietary fiber, and a range of other nutrients. Due to their varied nutrient content, they may help prevent several health conditions. European settlers brought apples with them to the Americas. They preferred them to North America’s native crabapple, a small, tarter fruit. Although eating apples isn’t a cure-all, it is good for your health.
A few things that apples actually provide us with are as follows:
1. Whiter, healthier teeth
Apples would not replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple can stimulate the production of saliva in your mouth and reduce tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.
2. Gets you a healthier heart
An extensive body of research has linked high soluble fibre intake with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in arteries. The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease. Due to the presence of flavonoids found in apples, which are the compounds associated with reducing inflammation, they protect heart health.
3. Beats diarrhea and constipation
Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fibre found in apples can help. Fibre can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.
4. Controls your weight
Many health problems are associated with being overweight, such as heart diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. To manage weight and improve overall health, doctors recommend a diet rich in fibre.
5. Decreases your risk of diabetes
Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples. According to the Ontario Apple Growers, this fruit is extremely high in pectin which is a soluble fibre and is the key to blunting blood sugar swings.
6. Avoid Alzheimer’s
Apple juice may help preserve acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that can decline with age. Low levels of acetylcholine are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. A study on the benefits of apples shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. The mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.
7. Curbs all sorts of cancer
Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 percent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon, and breast. Their earlier research found that extracts from whole apples can reduce the number and size of mammary tumor in rats. Meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has recommended a high fibre intake to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Although eating more apples may not literally be associated with fewer visits to the doctor, apples are rich in nutrients and offer several benefits for disease prevention and long-term health. Also, in addition to apples, many other fruits and vegetables provide a similar set of nutrients and health benefits.
