An Apple a Day…
…keeps the doctor away!” or so it is often said.
Did you ever wonder just how much truth there is to this old Welsh proverb? How could people make that claim so long ago—way before scientific researchers had donned white coats and entered into laboratories? Maybe it was simply anecdotal. Possibly the members of society seen around town often munching on crunchy apples were the ones in better health, the ones who outlived their peers.
Can “an apple a day” truly improve one’s physical health in measurable ways? I had to find out for myself.
As it turns out, researchers have discovered three exciting, health-improving things about apple-eating which just may get you and I to eat more of these fruits than we currently are accustomed to!
Did you know that consuming apples can actually help regulate your blood sugar? Phytonutrients, such as flavonoids, found in apples have been shown to inhibit the enzyme activity involved in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. With this buffering effect on simple sugar quantities, blood sugar spikes can be moderated. This benefit can protect us against the onset of metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes.
Another fascinating fact about apples is that they can decrease the amount of bad cholesterol circulating in your blood stream. A group of researchers at The Florida State University believe that apples are truly a “miracle fruit”. Their study found that older women who ate apples everyday had 23% less bad cholesterol (LDLs) and 4% more HDLs–the good cholesterol after just six months. This wonderful effect is due to the Creator’s perfect combination of pectin and phytonutrients found within this fruit.
Finally, study participants who ate one small apple (which contains about 100 calories) 15 minutes before a meal tended to eat an average of 15% less calories during the meal that followed. This added up to a net calorie reduction of 85 calories/meal! Now I know I would find the readings on my scale more satisfying if I were to cut my calorie intake by 15%—even once a day! How ‘bout you?