10 Reasons to Eat an Apple a Day

As it turns out, an apple a day will keep the doctor away. Apples are a quintessential food for health that are low in fat and calories and are an enzyme-rich energy food that helps break down and digest other foods. ChicagoHealers.com practitioner Melody Hart, ND, PhD suggests buying organic, unwaxed apples that are not treated with fungicides or pesticides and shares how nutrient-rich apples have been found to help fight the following diseases:

• Bone protection: French researchers determined that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect postmenopausal women from developing osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

• Asthma help: One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.

• Alzheimer's prevention: A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

• Lower cholesterol: The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16%.

• Lung cancer prevention: According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50% lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.

• Breast cancer prevention: A Cornell University study found that rats that ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17%. Rats that were fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39%, and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44%.

• Colon cancer prevention: One study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43% lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

• Liver cancer prevention: Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57% lower risk of liver cancer.

• Diabetes management: The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body, lowering the body's need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

• Weight loss: A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting.

Apple Nutrition Facts (One medium 2 1/2 inch apple, fresh, raw, with skin)
Calories: 81
Carbohydrate: 21 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Calcium: 10 mg
Phosphorus: 10 mg
Iron: 0.25 mg
Sodium: 0 mg
Potassium: 159 mg
Vitamin C: 8 mg 
Vitamin A: 73 IU
Folate: 4 mcg

*The nutritional value of apples will vary slightly depending on the variety and size

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