While you are probably in no need of reasons to eat apples beyond their incredible tastiness, it’s simply astonishing how beneficial and empowering they are for your health. These reasons only scratch the surface of all the real advantages you can reap by eating just a single apple a day.
Today, they’re everywhere; they’re quite possibly the easiest to obtain fruit in most parts of the world. And they’re quite inexpensive at that. What all this means is that there are no reasons for you to continue postponing their introduction into your diet. If you’re already consuming them, then keep doing so, and read about the various ways you’re bettering your health.
1. Hydration at Its Best
Apples, besides being such incredible blessings of nature, are filled with water. Most fresh apples are 80-84% water, making them a great contributor to our most deeply rooted need – hydration.
Aside from all the nutritious and tasty elements, you’ll also sate your need for water. Furthermore, your concentration will improve, and you’ll also reap all the other (endless) benefits of being properly hydrated.
Alternatively, applesauce also contains a lot of water, but avoid the ones with too much sugar in them.
2. Fight Diabetes
Since diabetes is at an all-time high and one of the most common diseases of the 21st century, it deserves a special mention here. Apples can help!
Thanks to a high concentration of fiber (four grams per an average-sized apple), most of which is pectin, eating an apple a day significantly reduces the chances of Type 2 diabetes developing. It will slow down the absorption of carbs so that your blood sugar levels don’t skyrocket. Moreover, this fiber will also slow down the cholesterol absorption and could help your arteries stay clean and keep blood flow regulated.
Since this disease hits all age groups today, it’s become increasingly important, now more than ever, to include at least a single apple in your diet every day.
3. You Get to Smile More
While apples probably won’t make your teeth whiter on their own, they will help you produce more saliva, which in turn reduces the number of bacteria in your mouth.
After publishing their study which compared toothbrushing and eating an apple, scientists made a big discovery. Although toothbrushing won over apples, it became apparent that “apple[s] [produce] an immediate reduction in salivary bacterial vitality, similar to that achieved with tooth brushing. [On the other hand] in terms of plaque index and bacterial vitality, apple is associated with greater plaque regrowth than toothbrushing over a period of at least 24 hours.” (Rubido 2018)
4. Keep the Doctor Away
You’ve probably heard this phrase countless times already, and it applies to more than just dentists.
The reason why apples provide such incredible benefits to our health and keep doctors at bay is due to their stores of polyphenols that act as antioxidants and provide protection against chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, and even some types of cancer, and other conditions that are generated by oxidative stress and inflammation (Biedrzycka & Amarowicz 2008).
Phloridzin, quercetin, catechin, and chlorogenic acid are phytochemicals found in apples, all of which are strong antioxidants. Based on several epidemiological studies, apple consumption was associated with reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and type 2 diabetes, as well as increased lung function and increased weight loss (Boyer & Liu 2004).
5. Give Your Brain a Boost
Not only can you reap incredible benefits for your physical health by eating apples, but you can also give your mental capabilities a boost.
When you eat apples, especially the skin of an apple, you take in valuable quercetin, which apples provide in abundance. This powerful antioxidant has been proven to slow the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Moreover, research published in Stroke in 2011 outlines the importance of white-fleshed fruit in stroke and heart attack prevention (Oude Griep et al. 2011).
The next time you’re enjoying a delicious, juicy apple, just remember what an enormous favor you’re doing for both your physical and mental health. And make sure to eat the skin.
Closing Thoughts
As you have probably deduced by now, apples go hand in hand with the main goal of modern medicine – prevention. The best we can do for our health is to think about it now before it’s already too late, and we’ve passed the threshold where heavy medication becomes a necessity. Apples are simply too beneficial, readily available, and all-around awesome to pass up, so stock up on them on your next visit to the grocery store, and take an important step in bettering your overall health. Do keep in mind that both the skin and flesh of an apple are equally important, so don’t waste any of it!
Additional Resources:
- The Health Benefits of Apples
- 15 Surprising Health Benefits of Apples That’ll Have You Eating One (Or More) A Day
- An Apple A Day: Why Apples Are So Good For Your Skin
- 10 Impressive Health Benefits of Apples
- Apples: Health benefits, facts, research
