It is interesting to discover the benefits of various foods. Today I want to look at the plain old apple. The saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ has been passed on for generations. I can remember my grandmother saying it. But is it true?
An apple has numerous health-boosting benefits to rival even the super fruits- Kathryn Borg
In recent years, berries such as blueberries, goji berries and pomegranates have been given column inches in terms of their health benefits, and I am not taking away from the fact that berries are excellent for health.
However, there is new evidence to show that an apple has numerous health-boosting benefits to rival even the super fruits.
An Italian study involving around 7,600 people who ate one apple, or more, every day, was associated with a reduced cancer risk when compared with eating less than one apple a day.
The highest reductions were seen in cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, colon/rectum and oesophagus (Ann. Oncol., 2005).
A study in Hawaii found a 40 to 50 per cent lower lung cancer risk in people who had the highest intake of apples, onions and white grapefruit compared with those who ate the lowest, or none, of these foods.
The decreased risk in lung cancer was seen in men and women in almost all ethnic groups (J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 2000).
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that people who ate an apple 15 minutes before having lunch consumed 15 per cent fewer calories than those who ate nothing beforehand. They also ate less than those who had apple juice or apple sauce before the meal; and they reported feeling fuller.
Tests showed that it was the actual eating of the apple, rather than drinking the juice that gave the satiating effect (Appetite, 2009). In another test, 411 overweight women with high cholesterol were asked to eat either an apple, pear or oat cookie three times a day for 12 weeks.
The results showed that those who ate the apple or the pear had significant weight loss after 12 weeks. Those eating the cookies showed no weight loss. In addition, the fruit eaters also had significantly lower blood glucose levels compared with the cookie eaters (Nutrition, 2003).
A study by Utrecht University in The Netherlands suggested that women who ate apples during pregnancy may be able to protect their children against developing asthma.
More than 1,200 children and their mothers completed the study, which assessed the consumption of fruit, vegetables, fruit juice, dairy products and fat spreads during pregnancy.
The researchers found that apples were the only food to offer protection against asthma.
The mothers who ate the most apples were significantly less likely to have a child with asthma or wheeze than those who ate the least, or no, apples (Thorax, 2007).
It is largely thought that the high levels of antioxidants in apples and pears are responsible for the anti-asthma effect.
There is no doubt that various fruits are beneficial for diabetes sufferers. In a study of more than 200,000 men and women, the researchers came to the conclusion that the antioxidant compounds in the fruits (in this study blueberries, pears and apples were included), such as catechins, beta-carotene and vitamin C, could be responsible for the positive results.
In another study, women eating one or more apples each day had a 28 per cent lower risk of having type 2 diabetes when compared with those who didn’t eat apples.
Apples may also play a role in keeping the heart healthy.
In a study where one group ate dried apples and the other ate dried plums (prunes), the results were assessed after six months.
Total cholesterol levels were significantly lower, as well as ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, inthe group who had eaten the dried apples (J. Acad. Nutr.Diet, 2012).
Other research suggests eating apples may help prevent strokes.
Which apple is the best to eat? According to research, some apples may do a better job than others. Two important compounds in apples, which appear to be important for health, are flavonoids and phenolics. Different varieties of apples vary greatly in the amount of these compounds.
Researchers at Cornell University found that Fuji apples had the highest total phenolic flavonoid compounds, followed closely by Red Delicious, Northern Spy and Gala.
Cortland and Empire apples were among the varieties with the lowest amount of phenolics and flavonoids.
They also found that the apple with the highest level of phenolics also had the highest level of antioxidants (Nutr. J., 2004).
Some of these varieties are not available in Malta. So it is clear that when buying apples care should be taken to buy thehealthier ones.
According to a review of all the relevant studies, the apple may even help guard against Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis and gastro-intestinal problems (Adv. Nutr., 2011).
kathryn@maltanet.net