Fruit (apples) and your health

Martin Luther once said, “even if I knew that
tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I
would still plant my apple tree.” New research
gives more reasons than ever to plant apple
trees and enjoy their delicious and nutritious
fruit. Here are ten surprising reasons to sink
your teeth into an apple today:
1. Research found that when healthy adults
consumed an apple fifteen minutes before
eating a meal, they ate 15 percent less at the
meal. This simple habit can result in weight
loss for anyone looking for an easy and
healthy way to lose weight.
2. In other studies, apples have been shown to
significantly alter the amounts of the bacteria
Clostridiales and Bacteroides in the large
intestine, conferring gastrointestinal health
benefits.
3. Thanks to their phytonutrient content,
apples have been show to lower the risk of
asthma and lung cancer in numerous studies.
4. In a study funded by the USDA,
postmenopausal women who ate dried apples
daily experienced a 23 percent reduction in
LDL cholesterol (the one known as “bad
cholesterol”) and a 4% increase in HDL
cholesterol (“the good cholesterol”) within six
months.
5. In a British study published in BMJ,
researchers found that eating an apple a day
was as effective as statin drugs to lower
cholesterol levels, without the harmful side-
effects. They also found that if 70% of the
British population simply ate an apple on a
daily basis, 8500 lives would be spared every
year from heart attacks or strokes.
6. Researchers at Tufts University found that
catechin polyphenols found in apples speed
abdominal fat loss by 77 percent and double
weight loss in overweight individuals.
Catechins also improve the body’s ability to
use insulin, thereby preventing wild blood
sugar fluctuations that effect energy, mood,
and cravings.
7. Apples contain flavonoids (including
catechin polyphenols and quercetin), which
have been shown to interfere with the
development of cancer cells and preventing
their ability to multiply.
8. Research in the journal Nutrition Reviews
found that a diet that’s too low in magnesium
increases the risk of cancer. Apples are a
good source of magnesium.
9. According to research in the International
Journal of Biological Macromolecules
scientists found that apple oligosaccharides
showed an ability to inhibit human colon
cancer cells. Oligosaccharides are complex
carbohydrates. The apple compound induced a
process known as apoptosis, which is the
body’s mechanism to kill damaged or
cancerous cells. They also found that the
apple oligosaccharide stopped the growth of
new cancer cells. They concluded: “Apple
oligosaccharide is a potential
chemoprevention agent or anti-tumor agent
and is worthy of further study.”
10. Apples contain a natural compound known
as malic acid, which helps improve energy
production in the body. It has been found to
aid fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
syndrome.