Food: The Many Roles That Apple Plays

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The Many Roles That Apple Plays
Monday, October 30, 2006

by Deborah Rosalind Nieto

An apple a day...makes seven apples a week.

Hey, don't worry, I'm not up for corny one-liners here. Instead, I'll be serving you some slices of apple facts which prove that this so-called forbidden fruit is a blessing from the heavens after all.

TIDBITS
Here are some short facts about apples which you may either find useful or amusing.

Natural moisturizer. Placing an apple in brown sugar helps keep the sugar moist.

An apple a day keeps the sprouts away. An apple in a bag of potatoes will keep those tubers from sprouting.

Dentist's comrade. Worried about bad breath and Mr. Oral B's not around? Try eating a raw apple. This will cleanse your mouth of more than 95% of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Freshness spells buoyancy. To find out if that apple in your fridge is still fresh, place it in water. Since air makes up 25% of its volume, a fresh apple must float.

Peel's good. Hold that peeler. Eating apples with the peel is still the best way to indulge in this tempting fruit. This is because most of its fiber and antioxidants are found in the peel.

CALOrich. A medium apple has about 80 calories. But don't worry because apples are fat, sodium and cholesterol free.

Newlyweds' relief. Tossing rice at newlyweds is not actually a very old tradition. In ancient times, people threw apples at weddings-an original custom that evolved to today's common practice.

CHUNKS
Here are some chunks of apple health benefits.

Diet darling. If you are watching your weight, you may consider adding apple to your diet everyday. Being a high-fiber fruit, it aids in digestion, thus helping people lose those extra pounds. It is said that it has more fiber than most cereals. Also, it is considered a "low energy-density food" which means it has less calories than most other fruits.

Food for thought...and memory. You may live until you're 85, but are you sure you will remember your own children's names by then? Research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's disease states that apple juice consumption may prevent age-related mental degeneration. This benefit of apple is attributed to the high levels of antioxidants present in the fruit.

Pulmonary power. Studies conducted in various institutions around the world indicated that regular apple consumption may improve the lung function of people. These studies come from University of Nottingham, University of Groningen, National Institutes of Health (in the U.S.), St. George's Hospital (in London), King's College and the University of Southampton. Some of these studies even said that with regular apple intake, people may benefit from a decreased risk of chronic cough, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma and even bronchial hypersensitivity. This benefit is not surprising with the high levels of fiber and antioxidants like flavonoids in apple.

Eat and drink to your heart. Researches have found that both fresh apples and apple juice have significant effects in lowering bad cholesterol and therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Scientists attribute this property of apple to the phytonutrients present in it. Also, it was found that catechins, a member of the flavonoid family, which is found in apples, may prevent the incidence of ischemic heart disease.

The striking truth about stroke. Your brain will be glad to know that apples can actually prevent thrombotic stroke. Apples' phytonutrients and flavonoid quercetin, are found to contribute to the reduction in thrombotic stroke risk.

Apple skin for human skin/Radiation-resistant. Are you planning to hit the beach for an afternoon swim? Well, you may want to bring not just your sunblock lotion, but a few apples. Yes, that's right, apples may actually give you that natural sun protection. No, I'm not talking about rubbing them all over your body, but actually eating them to ingest phenols, those antioxidant compounds which are highly present in apple. Researches indicated that Granny Smith and Braeburn apples accumulate UV-B protective quercitin glycosides in their skin. Braeburns are shown to be better, resisting the UV-B radiation brought about by the sun.

Long live the lungs! Smokers may find it hard to quit their addictive habit but they should think twice about going past that apple shelf in the grocery store. Several studies showed that the hefty dose of quercetin found in apples has a significant contribution in decreasing lung cancer risk.

Growth inhibitor. Read on before you thrash those apples for your kid's lunch. I don't mean apples inhibit kids from growing, but instead, they prevent the growth of colon cancers cells. A research published in a Molecular Nutrition and Food Research issue showed that an extract of an apple juice, which is rich in polyphenol, have inhibitory effects in the growth of human colon cancer cells. Another study conducted in Cornell University proved that the phytochemicals found in the apple's skin may prevent the reproduction of colon cancer cells by 43%.

Breasts' bosom buddy. In a study published in an issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, apples are shown to have the power to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Through animal testing, the researchers found that apples worked in a dose-dependent manner, meaning the greater the apple consumption,the higher the protection against breast cancer.

Liver's lover. It may sound funny to hear that apples love your liver. A Cornell University research indicates that phytonutrients found in apple play a vital role in preventing the growth of liver cancer cells. While it is true that most of the apple's phytonutrients are present in the skin, phytonutrients are also contained in the apple flesh.

Bladder's buddy. Tobacco smokers may smile upon knowing that apples may save them from the risk of bladder cancer. French researchers reported that by ingesting dietary phenolics, smokers are partially protected from the dangerous effects of tobacco carcinogens in their bladder. Aside from onions, lettuce and red wine, apples are found to be an important source of dietary phenolics.

Prostate's patron. Men shall never look at apples the same way again once they find out that these supple fruits are actually terrible fighters of prostate cancer. Studies report that quercetin, which are highly concentrated in apples, have the power to reduce or prevent prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Digestive cancer contender. Not to be outdone by its fellow systems, the digestive system also benefits from the nutrients provided by apples. Professor Ian Johnson of U.K.'s Institute for Food Research reported that keeping a diet rich in micronutrients, fiber and plant-based phytonutrients may have a significant effect in decreasing the risk of digestive cancer. While several fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and nutrients, apples are among fruits which are rich in dietary fiber, plus it is one of the leading phytonutrients sources.

So next time you plan to buy from the grocery store, make sure to put apples on the top of your list. With the countless benefits they can give your body, you may never have to schedule a doctor's appointment again.

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