💖 Apple: Nutrition, Health Benefits, Usage and Side Effects

Apple: Nutrition, Health Benefits, Usage and Side Effects

Apple is one of the most delicious crunchy fruit. Botanical name of Apple is “Malus Pumila” and it belongs to Rosaceae family. There are hundreds of varieties of apple fruit which are available in the world, with different size, color, and taste. The taste of apple fruit is sweet acidic. Apple is one of the healthiest fruits. There is also a proverb which says “an apple in a day keeps the doctor away”. An apple fruit contains vast amount of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and enzymes making it not only tasty but healthy also.

The most widely consumed fruit globally is apples. With over 7,000 different cultivars available to choose from there sure must be an apple for everyone! From sweet red varieties like Red Delicious or Fuji with their juicy flesh that’s just perfect when eaten fresh off the tree in autumn right through green tangyGranny Smithapples which can also go down well if you want something less tart but still crunchy on your plate at any time of year -I personally love them coupled up nicely by themselves.

Apples are a healthy, versatile fruit that can be used in many different recipes. They taste great as an ingredient or eaten raw with nut butter for breakfast.

Origin Of The Apple:

Apple fruit is a pome fruit known scientifically as Malus domestica. Apple trees are mainly cultivated for edible fruits, but some varieties can be found in ornamental settings as well. Apple also has several uses that go beyond the food industry including cider production and apple juice production.

Apple trees have been cultivated since at least 500 BC with records from ancient Rome indicating that apples were being grown there from about 50 BC. Apple trees are widely thought to originate in either Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan; however, exact details of where they originate continue to elude botanists and historians alike.

Apple fruit typically grow on apple tree (Malus domestica) plants which grow exclusively in certain parts of the world like Europe, Asia, and North America. Infact, apple fruit is made up of three different components: the flesh, core, and seeds. Apple fruits are typically eaten fresh due to their high water content but can also be used to make apple sauce or apple juice. Apple trees are generally grafted onto other rootstocks for increased stability.

Apple flowers are all insect pollinated with bees being perhaps the most popular insect for doing so. Apple trees will begin to bear fruit after about three years but do not really hit peak production until the seventh year where they will typically produce 20-80 apples per tree depending on age, variety, and growing conditions.

Apple cultivation has several positive effects on local ecosystems including attracting bees that may increase flower visitation rates by 10x that of unmanaged Apple trees. Apple trees also provide a habitat for many different types of animals including Apple tree borers, Apple leafrollers and Apple sawflies that feed on the Apple leaves and Apple fruit respectively. However Apple cultivation does pose some challenges for local ecosystems like reducing biodiversity and causing soil erosion when Apple fruit falls off the tree and rots on the ground.

Apple Nutrition:

• Apple calories – 100 gm of apple fruit with all its edible part provides 60 calories.
• It is very rich in carbohydrate. 100gm of apple fruit contains 15 gm of carbohydrate and 10gm of sugar.
• Amount of dietary fiber in apple fruit is very rich, about 2gm.
• Apple contains very less amount of fat and protein.
• Vitamins in apple – Apple fruit contains enormous amount of vitamin A (beta carotene), complete B complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9), vitamin C, vitamin K and vitamin E.
• Apple is a rich source of minerals too. It provides calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, sodium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, etc.
• Apple contains the highest amount of antioxidants and flavonoids.

Health Benefit Of Apple Fruit:

What are apples good for? This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and the answer is quite surprising. Apples are not just a delicious snack – they have a host of health benefits as well. From reducing the risk of heart disease to warding off cancer, there are plenty of reasons to add apples to your diet. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of apples, and find out why you should add them to your grocery list today.

1. Apple for diabetes:

Apple is beneficial for diabetes for the following four reasons.

• Polyphenol found in apple fruit slows down carbohydrate and glucose absorption by the gut.
• It stimulates pancreas cells to release insulin.
• Polyphenol stimulates insulin receptor cells to metabolize blood sugar.
• Apple fruit contains fewer amounts of calories.

2. Apple for blood pressure:

Rich antioxidants and high amount of soluble and non-soluble fiber make apple fruit a good choice to lower down the blood pressure. Apple’s fructose, metabolized by liver produces uric acid, which is key factor for heart health. Uric acid maintains heart healthy and prevents blood vessel from damage.

3. Apple for cholesterol:

Non soluble and soluble fiber of apple inhibits cholesterol absorption from gut. Researchers have found pectin in its fiber that lowers the rate of cholesterol absorption.

4. Apple for cancer:

Worldwide researchers have concluded that eating apple reduces the risk of cancer. Breast, lung, stomach and esophagus cancer are more specific. Flavonoid is main key factor. It binds with cancerous free radical and washes out it through the stool.

5. Apple for brain power:

Studies, conducted on mice, have produced the result that apple fruit decreases the rate of aging of brain cells. Quercetin, a powerful antioxidant found in apple fruit skin, improves brain memory; it also produces acetylcholine-like neurotransmitter. Hence, it also reduces chances of Alzheimer and percussion.

6. Apple for liver:

Minerals and vitamins found in apple fruit makes liver healthy. Acid content of apple stimulates liver to secret bile, decreases amount of cholesterol absorption and also keeps liver healthy.

7. Apple for weight loss:

Fiber takes longer time to digest and absorb. A good fiber diet makes you feel full stomach and reduces excessive food intake. It is advisable to take an apple before meal. In long term, it will produce effective result.

8. Apple for constipation:

With unknown pathophysiology, apple is beneficial for diarrhea and constipation both. Its non soluble fiber absorbs excessive water from gut, hence reduces excessive motion of intestine. Apple also increases quantity of stool. It is very good fruit for irritable bowel syndrome where episodes of constipation and diarrhea happens.

9. Apple for bone health:

Apple contains calcium and phosphorus both. These are two main factors for bone density.

10. Apple for skin:

Apple is beneficial for skin. On external application, it works as a natural bleaching agent. Vitamin C found in apple, binds with collagen and reduces wrinkles and aging effect.

11. General weakness:

Complete package of mineral, vitamins and antioxidants makes apple a good choice for recovery of patients.

12. Apple for pregnancy:

Apple is safe throughout the pregnancy. Excessive amount of apple can cause constipation due to fiber. So consumption of safe amount is advisable.

Side Effects Of Apple Fruit:

• Diabetes: Apple has good amount of carbohydrate, sugar, and fiber. Excessive amount of apple can increase blood sugar and weight gain.
• Liver problem: Like all the other fruits, apple has fructose. Unlike glucose, fructose metabolizes only in liver. Hence it puts excessive burden on liver.
• Gout: Apple produces a serious side effect for the patient of gout. As metabolism of apple produces uric acid, which is the main causative factor of gout, it may aggravate suffering of Gout patients.
• Apple seed: Whole apple is healthy except seeds. Apple seeds are naturally poisonous because it contains cyanide. Regular consumption of seeds can cause serious health issues.
• Apple allergy: Some people are naturally allergic to apple. Cause is not known, but it is very rare.
• Weakness of tooth enamel: Apple vinegar is acidic in nature hence excessive and undiluted use of it can cause weakness of tooth enamel.
• Damaged bones: People suffering from osteoporosis should minimize the uses of apple cider vinegar. Because it causes low level of potassium in blood and in bone.

How To Eat Apple Fruit?

• Apple fruit: Apple skin has many important antioxidants so it should be eaten with skin.
• Apple juice: Apple juice is acidic in nature, so don’t keep it in metal utensil. Fresh juice is more beneficial as market juice has preservatives.
• Apple cider vinegar: It should always be diluted, don’t consume it in excessive amount as it has its own of side effects.

1. What happens if you eat an apple a day?

“An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This age-old adage is any fruit lover’s mantra. Apple lovers everywhere know that a regular apple a day is a delicious and simple way to promote overall health. But did you know that eating an apple can work wonders for your skin?

Apple is a common type of fruit that many people enjoy eating. Apple fruit has been known to improve gut health because it contains prebiotics and probiotics.Apple varieties are known to have many health benefits, including reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease, lowering cholesterol levels, aiding in weight loss, and preventing asthma. Apple fruit is loaded with antioxidants that fight free radicals on the body’s cells. Apple fruit can be found in a variety of colors including red, yellow, green and brown. Apple fruit is available all year round in grocery stores and supermarkets throughout the world.

An apple a day also keeps the doctor away, but only if eaten at least five times per week. If eaten daily however, this practice will not prevent illness but may help minimize the effects of some illnesses. Eating apples is very beneficial to overall health because of their nutrients that are essential for our bodies to function properly.

2. What happens if you eat too many apples?

The Apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, not exactly. Apple contains a lot of fiber and vitamin C which is why it is good for you to eat an apple a day, but there can be too much of a good thing. If you want to know what happens if you eat too many apples, keep reading!

Eating too many apples will result in diarrhea because your body does not need that much vitamin C. Apple seeds contain small amounts of cyanide-related chemicals, so don’t bite into them during digestion or you’ll be sorry. Apple juice also contains a lot of sugar, so drinking two liters of apple juice every day will result in a bad stomachache.

If you eat too many apples, you might get an upset stomach. You’ll begin to feel queasy and tired, and you can experience discomfort due to indigestion or bowel obstructiont. It is recommended that you drink a lot of water and avoid eating any more apple for at least a day or two.

3. What happens if you eat apple seeds?

What poison is in apple seeds? Apple seeds contain cyanide, which is poison to humans. Apple seeds are small enough that if you eat more than five of them, it would probably cause cyanide poisoning, which can quickly turn fatal. Apple seeds need to be chewed well in order for the human digestive system to digest the seed properly and absorb all of the good parts of an apple, so eating whole apple seeds will lead directly to cyanide poisoning because there is no way for the digestive system to break down where the cyanide has formed in between each one of these tiny cells inside the seed.

To avoid this danger, apple cores should always be cut out before eating apples. Apple cores are the biggest part of an apple, and if you don’t eat them, it leaves much less room for poison to exist. Apple seeds should be removed as well because they contain tiny amounts of cyanide that can be deadly in large concentrations – it’s not good to let any poison build up in your body. Apple seeds aren’t necessary for digestion, so removing them means less chance of accidentally killing yourself with too many apples!

It is also important to remember that there are different kinds of apple seeds – some kinds have more poison than others. Red Delicious Apples, Granny Smith Apples, Honeycrisp Apples, Golden Delicious Apples, Braeburn Apple… There are about 65 varieties which carry cyanide potential. Apple seeds with the most poison are those grown in Brazil and Central America, so try to avoid eating them – stick to local apples.

4. Can dogs eat apple fruit?

Apple for dog is good source of energy and nutrition. It contains Vitamin E which makes fur of your beloved animal silky and shiny. You should always avoid apple seed as they are poisonous for dogs as well.

5. Can cats eat apple fruit?

Apple is a great treat for cats. But it does not contain high amount of protein so should not be used as regular food for cats.

Conclusion:

Apple is a fruit that is high in fiber and low in calories, making it an ideal choice for weight loss. An apple also contains antioxidants which help to fight free radicals from the environment, leading to decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. If you have any questions about how apples can help with your health goals or if they are appropriate for your diet please contact us or your doctor.

Read more: Indian Gooseberry: 10 Reasons to Must Have In Your Diet

Disclaimer:

Above article is only for knowledge purpose. Please contact your healthcare provider before using any of above medicine or method. For any query or personal consultation according to your health condition please contact your doctor.