The Miraculous Disease Fighting Fruit

CBN.com –Fresh apples signal the fall harvest—bright red with an amazing aroma.

We have heard the saying “an apple a day,” but with exotic fruits getting the headlines, what are the benefits of the ordinary apple? According to research, apples may have beneficial effects for diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and asthma.

The emerging data on apples is impressive and should have a profound impact on making healthy eating choices. Apples are packed with powerful phytonutrients that can support the body’s healing and disease-fighting ability. That’s why apples are a star ingredient in the recipes and meal plans of our book, The Fat Resistance Diet.

Apples are a rich source of beneficial antioxidants such as flavonoids, like quercetin, as well as carotenoids. These compounds are thought to help protect the body against oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is believed to contribute to aging and disease, so apples may help us stay more youthful and healthy. Apples also contain vitamin C, boron, and fiber.

Apples and Diabetes In the Women’s Health Study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, apple consumption was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. According to the study, apples were the only flavonoid-rich food significantly associated with lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Apples and Heart Disease In a study conducted in Finland, apple consumption was associated with lower incidence of coronary mortality for both men and women.

Apples and Asthma Apple consumption was associated with a lower incidence of asthma, a study in England found. The study speculated that apples could have protective properties with respect to asthma, based on their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Apples and Cholesterol Apples are a good food source of pectin, a type of dietary fiber. Soluble fiber from food sources produces short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestine. SCFAs have a number of positive effects on the body: they nourish the cells of the large intestine, stimulating healing. When absorbed from the intestine, they travel to the liver and can decrease the liver's production of cholesterol, lowering blood cholesterol levels.

How to Get the Benefit of Apples To get the most nutrition, stick with the whole fruit, rather than the juice. Why? Processing apples into apple cider or juice can remove 90-97 percent of the antioxidants.

Apple varieties can also have an impact on nutrition. One laboratory test found that among the 10 most popular varieties in the U.S., Fuji apples were the champ, with the highest flavonoid and phenolic content. Red Delicious were also ranked high in beneficial nutrients. Studies also showed that apples held up well to cold storage, retaining nutritional values.

With the exciting health benefits coming out of this research, an apple a day sounds like a great idea.

Get a free one-day meal plan and recipes at Dr. Galland’s Web site www.fatresistancediet.com/trial/.

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Dr. Leo Galland is a board-certified internist who received his education at Harvard University and the New York University School of Medicine. He has held faculty positions at New York University, Rockefeller University, the State University of New York, and the University of Connecticut. Interviews with Dr. Galland and articles about his work have been featured in Newsweek, Reader's Digest, Self, Bazaar, Men's Fitness, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications. He has written three highly acclaimed popular books, The Fat Resistance Diet, Power Healing, and Superimmunity for Kids.

Jonathan Galland is a health writer for newspapers, magazines, and major news Web sites. He is frequently interviewed as a weight loss and health expert on the radio and has appeared on Martha Stewart Living Radio. His work has been featured on the cover of Fitness, Glamour, and Women's World and in publications such as The Washington Post, Body and Soul, Self, and The Wall Street Journal. Jonathan is co-author of The Fat Resistance Diet, with his father Leo Galland, M.D. Their book has been translated and published in Italy as La Dieta Galland and in Japan as Dr. Galland’s Metabolic Diet.

This article is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice or counseling, the practice of medicine or the provision of health care diagnosis or treatment, the creation of a physician-patient relationship, or an endorsement, recommendation, or sponsorship of any third party product or service by the sender or the sender's affiliates, agents, employees, or service providers. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your doctor promptly.

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Thank you for posting this article on the apple.

It is amazing how many common sense health knowledge has been lost in such a short time.

Apple tip: If you cut them up, sprinkle a little lemon juice on them. It will keep them fresh (from browning)longer.

My mom and dad have an apple orchard and year before last I picked several bushels. They are organic and pesticide free. Anway, I made apple butter from them along with a little bit of jelly for my granddaughter. Homemade apple butter is packed full of fiber and, except for the sugar content, probably very healthy. There is nothing like old-fashioned apple butter! YUM! My recipe is several decades old and uses the whole apple, including the peel. All you cut out are the core and seeds.

I actually do it in two parts. First I make jelly and I use the pulp from the jelly for the apple butter. I don't waste anything. :-)

To make pulp for apple butter:

3lbs apples

Select about one-fourth firm ripe and three-fourths fully ripe tart apples. Sort, wash, and remove stem and blossom ends; do not peel, pare or core. Cut apples into small pieces. Add water, cover and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until apples are soft. Use juice to make jelly or apple juice if desired. Use pulp for apple butter.

Apple Butter

2 quarts cooked apple pulp, 4 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

After cooking as directed above, push pulp through colander, sieve or food mill. Measure pulp. Add sugar and spices. Cook until the flavors are well blended, about 15 minutes. To prevent sticking, stir frequently as mixture thickens. Pour hot into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

To make apple jelly from juice that you extracted.

Measure 4 cups apple juice into a kettle. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 cups sugar. Stir well. Boil over high heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water (use candy thermometer) or until mixture sheets from spoon (old-fashioned way). Remove from heat, skim off foam quickly. Pour into sterilized hot jars and seal.

Like I said, these are old recipes that don't use anything artificial. I've been doing it this way since I was a teenager on the farm.

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