benefits of apples

The apple tree, which originally came from Eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, has spread to most temperate regions of the world. Over the centuries, many hybrids and cultivars have been developed, giving us the 7,000 varieties in the market today.

Yellow and green apples with a slight blush are best. Your preference for a sweeter or more tart fruit and whether you plan to enjoy your apples raw or cooked will guide your choice of variety. Just remember that Red and Golden Delicious are among the sweetest apples. Braeburn and Fuji apples are slightly tart, and Gravenstein, Pippin, and Granny Smith apples are the most tart, but retain their texture best during cooking.

Apples can be stored for relatively long (34 months) periods of time. Cold storage at low refrigerator temperatures (3540F/24C) is able to help minimize loss of nutrients. In addition, its helpful to maintain some moisture in the cold storage area, for example, by inclusion of damp cheesecloth in the crisper bin of a refrigerator.

The skin of the apple is unusually rich in nutrients, and even if the recipe youve chosen requires peeled apples, consider leaving the skins on to receive the unique benefits found in the skins. choose organic apples to avoid problems related to pesticide residues and other contaminants on the skins. If you cannot obtain organic apples, and you are willing to accept some level of risk related to consumption of residues on the apple skins, we believe that it can still be a good tradeoff between nutrients and contaminants if you leave the skin of the apple intact and eat the apple unpeeled.

Grown apples are among the top 12 fruits and vegetables on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found. Therefore, individuals wanting to avoid pesticideassociated health risks may want to avoid consumption of apples unless they are grown organically.

The nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an indepth nutritional profile for Apples is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.

Apple polyphenols are standout nutrients in this widely loved fruit. These polyphenols include flavonols (especially quercetin, but also kaempferol and myricetin), catechins (especially epicatechin), anthocyanins (if the apples are redskinned), chlorogenic acid, phloridizin, and several dozen more healthsupportive polyphenol nutrients. Apple is a good source of fiber, including the soluble fiber pectin, and its also a good source of vitamin C. Apple nutrients are disproportionately present in the skin, which is a particularly valuable part of the fruit with respect to its nutrient content.

Apples have been found to protect neuron cells against oxidative stressinduced neurotoxicity and may play an important role in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimers disease.

Eating apples is associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, an association thats thought to be related to their content of antioxidant flavonoids.

Apples also provide a source of copper, an essential mineral that contributes to healthy skin. Copper helps you make melanin, the brownblack pigment that colors your skin. Melanin in your skin protects you from the suns ultraviolet rays, so being able to produce melanin provides natural sun protection. Melanin also makes up an essential part of other tissues, including your eyes and hair.