Health Benefits of Eating Apples

Apples are easy to carry in a lunchbox and easy to serve for a quick snack. You may buy apples because they store well and are often cheaper than other types of fruit. But are you aware of their health benefits? Take a look at the many health benefits of eating apples, and learn the best way to add apples to your diet plan.

Apples Are Weapons Against Disease

Apples are rich in phytochemicals, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. Furthermore, apples are full of antioxidants for your health--especially when you eat the peels. Apple peels offer you so much health protection. The same photonutrients that protect the apple from disease are the antioxidants that protect apple eaters from disease too. Since apples are one of the most popular fruits eaten by Americans, that makes apples a main source of antioxidants in the diet.

Apples Are a Great Source of Fiber

Apples should occupy an important place in any diet plan. In addition to antioxidants, apples have no sodium, no fat or cholesterol, and apples contain only 80 calories--cored and unpeeled. The fiber in apples is both soluble and insoluble. Pectin, a soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels and reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Soluble fiber consumption helps with weight loss and fiber helps maintain regularity. The soluble fiber in apples also helps regulate blood sugar--good news for diabetics.

Know Your Apple Varieties

Now that you know how good apples are for you nutritionally, how do you get more apples into your diet? Some people feel that apples are about as close to eating cardboard as you can get. Others are turned-off by how sour or mealy apples are when they do eat one. Knowing your apples and grabbing the best ones for snacking are important if you want to be motivated to eat apples for health and enjoyment. Some of the best snacking apples are the Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden and Red Delicious.

Consume Your Apples Raw

It's best to get most of your fruits and vegetables in raw form. You may not seek out a whole apple, but once you cut it into segments, it becomes even more appetizing--especially with a nut-based dip like raw almond butter and real maple syrup. What's more, since we eat with all our senses, it makes sense to create an appealing-looking apple snack on a plate. You will be more apt to eat a delicious, highly nutritious apple when it looks so delectable.

If you've ignored the apple in your diet or you eat it maybe once per week, why not make the apple a once-a-day snack? You know what they say about the apple-a-day keeping the doctor away. There's a lot of truth and health to the old proverb.

Reference:
Apple Health Benefits, Wikipedia