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An Apple a Day

October 12, 2004

There’s truth in the time-honored adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Enjoy a crunchy, medium-sized apple with its peel on, and get the benefits of about 4 grams of dietary fiber in just 80 calories. That’s about 15 percent of the amount advised daily for adults. An apple’s mostly soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol levels by binding to fatty substances and promoting their excretion. Its insoluble fiber helps waste move through your intestinal tract faster.

Other sweet benefits? Apples, especially their peels, are loaded with quercetin. A powerful antioxidant, quercetin may reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells, and help promote heart health by protecting your blood vessels from fatty deposits. What’s more, tannins in apple juice may help keep your gums healthy.

Another “a-peeling” fact: aroma and flavor mostly come from fragrance cells in the peel. Vitamin C is just underneath.

Enjoy apples to celebrate National Apple Month in October.

• Toss in some apple crunch: Add chopped sweet red or tart green apple to a garden or chicken salad or tuna salad sandwich.
• Tuck in an apple: Pack a whole apple, dried apple slices or canned apple juice in your briefcase or backpack.
• Spread chunky applesauce on your morning French toast pancakes, or waffles, instead of syrup.

Source: 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association (Wiley 2004), Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS

To view previous Daily Tips, click here.

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