Apples are among the world’s most popular and most consumed fruits, Not only do apples taste delicious on their own or when added to dishes, but they come loaded with health benefits, Main benefits of a apple include improved gut health, reduced risk of stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and some cancers.
Apple Nutritional Facts:
The nutrients in a one medium size apple (about 7-ounce or 200 grams) are:
| Calories: | 104 |
| Carbs: | 28 grams |
| Fiber: | 5 grams |
| Vitamin C: | 10% of the Daily Value |
| Copper: | 6% of the Daily Value |
| Potassium: | 5% of the Daily Value |
| Vitamin K: | 4% of the Daily Value |
| Vitamins E (fat-soluble antioxidant) | 2–5% of the Daily Value |
| Vitamins B1 (thiamine) | 2–5% of the Daily Value |
| Vitamins B6 | 2–5% of the Daily Value |
Apples are also rich in polyphenols, an important group of antioxidants that protect against the development of chronic conditions, like heart disease and cancer
What is the Glycemic Index of Apple?
Apples are mainly composed of carbohydrates and water, where carbohydrates constitute about 14% and they’re mainly simple sugars such as fructose, sucrose, and glucose.
Despite their high carbohydrate and sugar content, they have a low glycemic index ranging from 29 to 44, approximately about 36 (i.e. apples will raise blood sugar levels by 36%). Low glycemic index levels are associated with various health benefits.
What is the Glycemic Load of an Apple?
The glycemic load of an apple is equal to 5.0, which classifies it as a low glycemic load food (i.e. each 100-gram apple, will deliver 5 grams of carbohydrates).
What are the Health Benefits of Apples?
There are numerous health benefits of a apple, they are:
1. Lower Cholesterol Level, But, How Many Apples a Day to Lower Cholesterol?
In recent study, consuming two to three medium-sized apples every day for about 8 weeks resulted in a decrease in total cholesterol levels between 5% and 13%. LDL cholesterol levels (Bad Cholesterol) were lowered by at least 7% and HDL levels (healthy cholesterol) were increased by up to 12%.
Studies found that the polyphenols found in apples are most likely contributing to improved cholesterol levels. Polyphenols also reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation and reduce atherosclerosis (the buildup of lipid plaque in your arteries).
2. Apples Effect on Weight Loss?
When it comes to a diet for healthy weight loss, apples offer a few advantages:
- Apple are low in calories (around 100 in one medium fruit)
- Apple contain 14% of the recommended daily intake of fiber in each serving, where fiber make you fell full and chewing the apple takes time, result in fewer amount of food eaten and hence better weight loss
One question asked a lot, Are apples good for losing belly fat ? the answer is yes, apples are good for losing belly fat since apples are packed with healthy flavonoids and fibers that may help burn belly fat
3. Apples Help Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Eating one or more apples per day isn’t just a healthy lifestyle choice but it also lowers blood sugar levels and protects against diabetes.
Fibers and antioxidant (polyphenols) in apples regulate the absorption and release of sugar in the blood. Also, the high content of the antioxidant polyphenols Quercetin and Phloridzin are responsible for glucose regulation in the blood. The anti-inflammatory properties of Quercetin may help lower insulin resistance, which is a major risk factor for developing diabetes. while, Phloridzin play role in sugar absorption in the intestines, which in turn lowers blood sugar load and, as a result, lowers the risk of diabetes.
4. Apples Promotes Gut Health
Apple are rich in Pectin, a form of fiber that works as a prebiotic, were apple will modifying gut normal flora (healthy bacteria) in a good way which is important for your overall health & well-being
5. Apples Protects Against Cancer
Apple helps in protecting against lung and colon cancers, since apple have high content powerful antioxidants such as Quercetin, Catechin, Phloridzin, and Chlorogenic acid. Not just apple but its peel also protects against cancer due to the presence of polyphenols (another type of antioxidant that protects the cells from free radicals).
Frequently Asked Questions about apples
1. Can Diabetics Eat Apples?
Apples are regarded as a diabetic-friendly fruit. Despite the presence of carbs, apples are still low on the glycemic index and glycemic load, which means they have a low effect on blood sugar levels.
The recommended amount of apple for diabetic patients is to consume only one serving (1 small apple) at a time. Having too many apples at the same time can influence blood glucose levels in diabetics; therefore, they should limit themselves to one serving (1 small apple) at a time.
It’s worth mentioning that you can combine apples with foods like low-fat yogurt or low-fat milk to further reduce the overall glycemic load of the recipe.
2. Can we eat apples in the morning on an empty stomach?
Doctors discourage having apples on an empty stomach since it might make you feel constipated and bloated. Apples should preferably be eaten one hour after breakfast or one hour after lunch.
3. Which Vitamin is Found in Apples?
Apples are high in vitamin C (5% of the daily value is in one 100-gram apple), copper (3% of the daily value), potassium (2-3% of the daily value), vitamin K (2% of the daily value), vitamin B1, B6, and E (1-3% of the daily value), and manganese is present but in a small quantity.
4. Do Apples Have Protein?
Apples offer a small amount of protein, only 0.3 g of protein per 100 grams of apple.
5. Are Yellow Apples Good for Health?
Yellow apple have nutritional facts and health benefits comparable to red apple, they only differ in pigmentation in the peels.
6. Is There a Nutritional Difference Between Red, Green and Yellow Apples? Is One Healthier Than the Other?
the main difference between red, yellow and green apple is the color of peels which relate to pigmentation present in it and give i the unique color
- Chlorophyll pigmentation found in green apple
- Carotenoid pigmentation found in yellow apple
- Anthocyanin pigmentation give the red apple its vibrant color
Regarding nutritional facts, green apple have twice amount of vitamin A and higher amount of vitamins B, C, E, K and iron from red apple, but have less amount of carbohydrate, so, make them ideal for weight loss, but regarding antioxidant, red apple have higher amount, but all the difference between the three type are small
7. What Side Effect from Eating too Many Apples?
Eating too many apples can have some side effects, including:
- Sugar level will fluctuate since consuming too many apples is likely to spike glucose levels in the blood as it is rich in carbohydrates, too much sugar, even in the form of healthy fruits, can increase insulin resistance and interfere with diabetics medication’s effectiveness.
- Excess consumption of apples causes bloating & constipation and may increase weight. we need 20 to 40 grams fiber daily in our diet whereas consumption of more than 70 grams fiber is considered excess (about 15 apple which unlikely to eat this much in single sitting)
Conclusion
The apple is a miracle fruit because of its great nutritional value. It has significant antioxidant activity, reduces lipid oxidation, and lowers cholesterol, which could explain its role in lowering the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer. It can improve gut health, help with weight loss, and control diabetes. Finally, apples are a great choice for people who want to eat healthily.
I would Like to hear your thoughts and experience about apple in comment
Reference-
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/apples#nutrients
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442131/#:~:text=Apples%20contain%20a%20variety%20of,of%20which%20are%20strong%20antioxidants
- https://www.tarladalal.com/glycemic-index-of-apple-54#:~:text=The%20glycemic%20load%20is%20the,is%20a%20low%20GL%20food
- https://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-apple-recipes-1286415
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/6-possible-side-effects-of-eating-too-many-apples/photostory/80363064.cms?picid=80363113
