Why Are apples healthy?
You probably would have heard about the saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”. But do you know why you have heard this old saying? Apples contain a much larger nutritional value, whilst containing antioxidants, fibre, a low Glycemic Index, Potassium, Vitamin C, essential mineral, B vitamins, and no fat, cholesterol or salt. Apples also help weight control and also help with your breathing.
So what are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are natural chemicals found each in your body and within the food you eat. Antioxidants act somewhat like anti-rust by helping neutralise or disarm dangerous free radicals – extremely reactive and unstable chemicals created by your body as a part of its normal metabolic processes. Infections, cigarette smoke, environmental pollutants, are a source of free radicals.
Apples are a potent source of antioxidants with over seven times the antioxidant capacity of bananas and over more than that of an orange. Antioxidants are widely considered to be a measure of a food’s disease fighting potential and apples are really rich source.
Apples have...
The Nutritional Values
Helping the Weight
Eating a whole apple as a snack and the hunger can stay away longer than if you grabbed a juice, according to the research. Add a whole apple to your meal and you are more likely to eat less over all, is the message from another study.
Solid fruits, like apples, are low in kilojoules and contain the type of texture that means they take time to eat. This, coupled with their low GI, is believed to be the reason for their ability to increase satiety (make you feel satisfied and less inclined to want to eat more) and reduce the amount of kilojoules you consume.
Helping you breathe
A regular apple habit might virtually assist you to breathe easy with an increasing body of research drawing a link between eating apples and healthy lungs and airways. Apples are high in antioxidants and it's thought that these powerful compounds - specially the presence of polyphenols – might give a protecting benefit for our lungs and breathing. This might mean less sneezing and fewer runny noses for those vulnerable to spring-time pollen.
So what are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are natural chemicals found each in your body and within the food you eat. Antioxidants act somewhat like anti-rust by helping neutralise or disarm dangerous free radicals – extremely reactive and unstable chemicals created by your body as a part of its normal metabolic processes. Infections, cigarette smoke, environmental pollutants, are a source of free radicals.
Apples are a potent source of antioxidants with over seven times the antioxidant capacity of bananas and over more than that of an orange. Antioxidants are widely considered to be a measure of a food’s disease fighting potential and apples are really rich source.
Apples have...
- The highest antioxidant content of Australia’s most popular fruits
- More than twice the antioxidants of a cup of brewed tea
- Ten times the antioxidant content of goji berry juice
- More antioxidant power than a 1500mg mega dose of vitamin C3.
The Nutritional Values
- Dietary Fibre: according to the world Health Organisation, high levels of dietary fibre can help prevent weight gain and apples are rich in fibre - containing additional fibre per serve than some leading breakfast cereals.
- Low Glycemic Index: carbohydrate foods with a low GI (glycemic index) unleash sugar into the blood gradually to supply longer lasting energy. Because apples have a low GI of 38, they provide a sustained supply of energy for the body.
- Potassium: The Australian Government has advised that we attempt to increase the amount of potassium in our diet because it will help control blood pressure and apples definitely build a decent contribution.
- Vitamin C: very important for healthy skin and a strong system - plus vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant
- Essential Minerals: Apples also contain calcium for healthy bones and teeth, iron to assist transport oxygen within the body and zinc for the immune system.
- B vitamins: very important for the discharge of energy from food - the B group vitamins are required within the diet every day and they can be found in apples.
- No fat, cholesterol or salt: it's reassuring to know that while apples contain such a large amount of nutritional advantages they do not have the things we do not need.
Helping the Weight
Eating a whole apple as a snack and the hunger can stay away longer than if you grabbed a juice, according to the research. Add a whole apple to your meal and you are more likely to eat less over all, is the message from another study.
Solid fruits, like apples, are low in kilojoules and contain the type of texture that means they take time to eat. This, coupled with their low GI, is believed to be the reason for their ability to increase satiety (make you feel satisfied and less inclined to want to eat more) and reduce the amount of kilojoules you consume.
Helping you breathe
A regular apple habit might virtually assist you to breathe easy with an increasing body of research drawing a link between eating apples and healthy lungs and airways. Apples are high in antioxidants and it's thought that these powerful compounds - specially the presence of polyphenols – might give a protecting benefit for our lungs and breathing. This might mean less sneezing and fewer runny noses for those vulnerable to spring-time pollen.