We have all heard about how good apples are for you.As I write this article, I would like to caution any of the cancer patients about over eating apples. Our patients at New Hope Unlimited are cautioned not eat them during treatment. My reasoning for this is simple. There are a lot of studies about how wonderful apples are to keep you healthy but there is none available to prove that apples can help treat cancer. So, to try to stay healthy is great, but if you already have been diagnosed with cancer, be careful.
When you peel an apple and let it sit for only a few seconds to minutes, what happens? The high starch content turns the apple brown. Starch turns into a certain form of glucose sugar. Science has proven 100 percent that cancer feeds off of sugar. Are you willing to take the chance of feeding the cancer? If not, try some berries such as organic blue berries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. They have been proven to be great anti-cancer foods.
So now let’s discuss the good things about apples. Just how true is the old saying, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away?” Many cultures have valued apples for their medicinal properties for thousands of years. Research from our modern day has confirmed many health benefits associated with apples, and there are hundreds of published papers showing why apples are a true super-fruit to keep you healthy.
Some reasons to enjoy the benefits of apples are:
They are nature’s perfect snack. It’s the perfect portion-controlled portable pick with only 115 calories and 5 grams of filling fiber. Vitamin C is one good source, and an apple contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol. If you leave the skin on you’ll score even more nutrition perks, as it has 2/3’s of the fiber and beneficial antioxidants. Use them in sauces, entrees and desserts. Apple cider is great, especially when spiced with cinnamon and warmed for a cold winter night. (And that is coming!!)
They might just cut your cancer risk. Some studies are showing that apples may provide protection against certain types of cancer such as the risk for oral, esophageal, larynx, lung, colon, breast, ovary and prostate cancers.
Let them whittle your middle. Having an apple or two a day and you might avoid an apple shape. Apples contain filling soluble fiber and ursolic acid, a natural compound that has been found to boost fat-burning.
Boost your brain. Apples are natural brain boosters according to researchers from Cornell University. The nutrients in apples may protect brain neurons against oxidative damage that contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. An apple compound called quercetin may be responsible for this protective effect.
They’ll help you breathe easier. You can protect your lungs against the oxidative damage that’s associated with asthma, bronchitis and emphysema from the antioxidants. Pregnant women eating apples during pregnancy reduced the risk of asthma and wheezing in their child at age five.
So grab that bag of delicious apples for your snack or dessert and skip the high calories and sugary desserts. My favorite apple is the Macintosh from Vermont, personally picked! Just look at all the amazing benefits you will reap from this choice to help you stay healthy!