AN APPLE A DAY…
 
…keeps the doctor away – Benjamin Franklin.
 
I must have been around seven years old when my grandma gave me that bit of information, and although I didn’t take the message too much to heart at the time, something must have clicked because I don’t remember a day during the seventy-one years since then that I didn’t eat an apple. And I believe that my daily habit did me a world of good, especially during several decades of heavy smoking, until around fifteen years ago when things went pear shaped – sorry, I couldn’t resist. What went wrong then was due to many things, but it had nothing at all to do with eating apples.
 
We all know of the famous superfoods like dark leafy greens, blueberries, garlic, salmon and avocados et al, but I don’t remember ever seeing apples on a superfood list, so they’ve remained the ‘humble apple’ sitting quietly in the background while the aforementioned step proudly up to accept their accolades. Well it’s time for that to change. It’s some years since I was involved in sales and marketing, but I’m now going to do my best to sell you on the apple.
 
The pitch
 
Apples have been eaten since the beginning of time, though Eve would have been well advised to listen to God rather than to a badass snake with evil intentions, though that’s another story. But the fact that we’ve been eating them for many thousands of years should tell us something, and it does. So, let’s look at exactly why apples should be elevated to superfood status.
 

1. Apples are rich in a type of fibre that is rich in pectin, which is something your microbiome love to eat. If your microbiome is happy and healthy, so are you.

 

1. Apples are rich in vitamin C and potassium, both of which are good for your heart.

 

1. They also contain small but useful amounts of the essential minerals manganese and copper, plus vitamins A, E, B1, B2 and B6.

 

1. They’re quite filling yet low on the glycaemic index – between 29 and 44 depending on size and variety. This may explain why several studies indicate that they help with blood sugar control. One study suggested that an apple a day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by twenty-eight percent.

 

1. They’re rich in the antioxidants quercetin, catechin and chlorogenic acid, which are anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer. They also protect the lungs from oxidative stress. The quercetin in red apples is said to strongly support your immune system and reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk.

 

1. The fibre content helps you avoid constipation and the health problems that that creates.

 

1. They’re helpful in detoxifying the liver.

 

1. In a mouse study, apples were found to boost acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter that slows down cognitive decline. 

 

1. Chewing apples stimulates saliva production that in turn reduces tooth decay.

 

1. They’re rich in polyphenols (mainly in the skins), and the phytonutrients anthocyanins (red apples only), dihydrochalcones, flavanols and hydroxycinnamic acid. To delve deeply into the benefits that these nutrients provide would take a book rather than a short post, so I’ll just say that numerous studies suggest that they lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers, including colon, lung, breast and pancreatic – one study suggested a twenty-three percent risk reduction in the latter.  

 
I could mention numerous further studies indicating the health benefits of apples, but the above is enough to convince me, as I hope it will convince you. So, I hereby make this unilateral pronouncement – Apples can hold their heads up high because they ARE a superfood. I’m not, of course, suggesting that an apple a day will cure whatever ails you, but then neither will dark leafy greens, blueberries, garlic, salmon and avocados et al. However, the process of regaining or maintaining your health is like completing a large jigsaw puzzle, which is different for each individual. These foods are very useful pieces that will fit somewhere in such a puzzle.
 
Finally, I’m sorry to bring some wet lettuce to the party, but there is one piece of bad news Most of the apples you’ll find at your local supermarket will have been sprayed with pesticides to within an inch of their lives, and possibly heavily waxed, too. Washing will help but I’m not convinced that it’ll be one hundred percent effective. Peeling works, but the peel is where many if not most of the above-mentioned benefits reside. So, if you can, go organic. Organic apples aren’t much more expensive than non-organic. But if, for whatever reason, you can’t go organic, don’t panic – there are still plenty of benefit even without the skin.