This fruit offers multiple health benefits. Find out what they are!
Apples are the most consumed fruit globally.
They are commonly used in recipes such as pies, cakes, muffins, jam, salads, oatmeal or smoothies, but also baked with butter and nuts. They can also be a great snack.
In addition to their culinary versatility and many colors and flavors, apples are an exceptionally healthy fruit with many research-backed benefits.
Discover the health benefits of apples and you will surely convince yourself that you need to eat them more often!
Health benefits of apples
It helps in weight loss
Apples are high in fiber and water, which makes them filling.
Eating whole apples reduces gastric emptying – the rate at which the stomach empties.
Apple intake can also significantly reduce body mass index (BMI).
Interestingly, polyphenols in apples may also have anti-obesity effects.
So apples are particularly filling due to their high fiber and water content.
Their polyphenols may also have anti-obesity effects.
They are good for the heart
Apples are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Eating 100-150g/day of whole apples is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and risk factors such as high blood pressure.
One reason may be that apples contain soluble fiber. This fiber is also associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Another reason may be that it provides polyphenols. Some of these can help lower blood pressure.
Also, eating apples with a reduced chance of stroke.
So, apples promote heart health in several ways. They are rich in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. They also have polyphenols linked to lower blood pressure and the chances of stroke.
It reduces the risk of diabetes
Eating apples may also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Eating apples and pears was associated with an 18% reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Just one serving a week can reduce the risk by 3%.
The high amount of polyphenol quercetin in apples could explain this beneficial effect.
So eating apples is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes due to their polyphenol content.
May promote gut health
Apples contain pectin, a type of fiber that acts as a prebiotic in the gut microbiome, and a healthy gut is often the key to better health.
Because dietary fiber cannot be digested, pectin reaches the colon intact, promoting the growth of good bacteria. In particular, it improves the ratio of Bacteriodetes to Firmicutes, the two main types of bacteria in the gut.
New research suggests that by beneficially altering gut microbiota, apples may help protect against chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
However, the type of fiber found in apples improves gut-friendly bacteria, which is why the fruit is thought to help protect against chronic disease.
They can help prevent cancer
Antioxidants in apples may provide beneficial effects against certain types of cancer, including lung, breast, and digestive tract cancers.
Some studies suggest that these effects can be attributed to the polyphenols in apples that prevent cancer cells from multiplying.
Furthermore, a study in women reported that higher apple intake was linked to a lower risk of death from cancer.
However, further human research is needed to better understand the possible link between apples and cancer prevention—for example, to identify the appropriate amounts and optimal timing of consumption.
So, the fiber and antioxidant content of apples has been associated with a reduced chance of certain types of cancer.
However, more human research is needed.
It could help fight asthma
Antioxidant-rich apples may help reduce airway inflammation related to allergic asthma.
Apple peel is rich in the antioxidant quercetin, which can help regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. Theoretically, this could make apples effective against the late phases of the asthma response.
Laboratory and animal studies suggest that quercetin may be suitable for allergic inflammatory diseases such as asthma and sinusitis.
However, more research is needed, especially in humans.
So apples contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help regulate immune responses and protect against asthma.
Source: healthline.com
2023-10-09 16:59:30
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