Is Eating An Apple A Day Actually Good For You?
Apples have come to symbolize a lot — tasty fruits, homespun desserts, and even health benefits that "keep the doctor away." Are they all they're cracked up to be? Can eating one a day really impact your health all that much?
According to research, one a day can provide a lot of nutritional benefits for the whole body. A medium apple provides 17 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber, and 14 percent of the recommended intake of vitamin C, according to Self's Nutrition Data. It's important to eat it with the skin on, however, as that's where most of the fiber-rich nutrients are. Apples also provide potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin K, and a host of other vitamins and minerals that are important to healthy function.
Apples are also great for helping to fill you up and control weight. They're about 85 percent made of water, according to Harvard Health Publishing, so they pack a lot of nutritional benefits without added calories.
Are there any downsides to an apple a day?
If you're only adding one apple a day, or using it to replace another fruit, you shouldn't notice any detrimental effects. If, however, you binge on apples to try and multiply the nutritional value, you could be working against yourself. According to Cookist, apples are high in fructose, which has been implicated in obesity and heart disease. And, like anything else, overindulging will rack up extra calories quickly that can lead to weight gain.
And avoid eating the core altogether. Although for while it became a bit of trend to consume the bitter core, apple seeds contain a small amount of cyanide. It would take a cup of them to be fatal, according to Cookist, but still, who wants to put that substance in their body in any amount?
If you stick with one or two apples a day, though, you're going to reap a lot of benefits from this wholesome and delicious fruit.
Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told Harvard Health Publishing, "There is good data to show that the soluble fiber in apples can help prevent cholesterol from building up on artery walls." The potassium in apples can also be beneficial for people trying to control blood pressure, she added.
Put them on your grocery list and see if you notice any of these benefits.