When it comes to ranking healthy snacks, the apple is well placed. This staple food that your mother packed in your school lunch is really good for your health. It is abundant in vitamins, has a very long shelf life compared to other fruits, is easy to carry and, most importantly, delicious....CONTINUE READING
Eating just one apple will give you 14% of your daily value of vitamin A and 11% of your daily value of vitamin C. Antioxidants present in the food help prevent excessive free radical damage, and avoiding these radicals can reduce ageing and the risk of disease. All this for just 95 calories a unit.
But, remember that you will only reap most of these benefits if you keep the peel of the fruit, so avoid peeling it. You just have to be careful with the cleaning: wash and scrub, if necessary, with the help of a sponge. If you opt for organic versions, the better.
Plus, the high fibre content means they offer a healthy dose of prebiotics (indigestible fibre that the ‘good’ bacteria in your gut eat). Prebiotics can improve gastrointestinal health as well as boost calcium absorption.
Helps control weight
A study in the US journal Journal of Functional Foods found that regular apple consumption has been associated with lower lipid levels and a reduced risk of obesity. Eating fibre-rich foods increases satiety and therefore can decrease your total calorie intake during the day. Both of these factors mean that their consumption can help with weight management.
Researchers from Washington State University, in the United States, analysed seven varieties of the fruit, and the green apple, especially the Granny Smiths type, was shown to have the highest content of fibre and polyphenols – antioxidants with anti-inflammatory action and, therefore, capable of preventing inflammatory processes associated with obesity.
It is cardioprotective
Apples are rich in quercetin compounds, which has been shown to be effective in reducing inflammation in people struggling with heart disease and hypertension.
It boosts immunity
In a large study in JAMA Internal Medicine, participants who ate at least one small apple a day required fewer doctor visits, hospital admissions and prescription medications than those who did not eat apples.
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