Tossing a little love here in defense of one of my favorite fruits, the apple. The unadulterated apple is an underdog of a fruit. Although we all have our favorite apple recipe, the lone, unpeeled apple doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it deserves. Think about all that social pressure apples are under, sitting there in the esteemed produce section of the grocery store, in all of of their humbleness, surrounded by blueberries, raspberries, kale, broccoli, asparagus and the not-so-humble, exotic fruits that are full of color and phytonutrients. Apples can’t wait for this time of year because they get to show a little of their bravado.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” or “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” These familiar proverbs date back to the late 1800’s, early 1900’s with the goal of ..…wait for it, disease prevention via eating a healthy diet. A novel idea. We need a few more catchy food proverbs that will stand the test of time.
Some pros and cons of one of the most widely harvested and consumed fruits….the apple.
Pros
1. Full of phytonutrients, primarily polyphenolic compounds including a compound called quercetin. Research consistently shows that quercetin has anti-inflammatory effects in the body, offering a variety of protection. Quercetin has become better known for its ability to behave as an ionophore with zinc, facilitating its entrance into the cell. But quercetin has other benefits including protecting those “tight junctions” in the gut mucosal wall that are so vulnerable to a poor diet and medications.
3. May protect nerve cells—in our brain and elsewhere in our nervous system. Albeit, these studies are done outside the body, fruit extracts have repeatedly shown to prevent neural cell damage induced by oxidative stress including possibly helping protect against Alzheimers.
4. Decreases the risk of thrombotic stroke, LDL cholesterol and Type II diabetes. Here’s an interesting study showing an association of reduced stroke with the people who ate the most apples. Also, of note, quercetin is one of the factors associated with this protection.
5. May help reduce breast cancer risk. Fresh apple extracts significantly inhibited the size of mammary tumors in rats -- and the more extracts they were given, the greater the inhibition.
7. Portable. You can bring an apple almost anywhere, probably best in a bag and avoid prolonged heat, unless you want apple vinegar (which has its own benefits). Protect apples from bumps as you would any fruit. They are somewhat durable but will still bruise.
8. Portion controlled and behavior friendly. This may be one of apples best traits. Usually, one apple is adequate for most people. Yes, at its best, perhaps coupled with another protein food- personally, I like apples and a nice sharp cheddar cheese. But one apple can get you from here to there in a pinch. Apples also take some time to eat. Try inhaling an apple, as we do other foods and you will be reminded to slow down. Apples tell you to stop, breath and chew thoroughly.
9. Helps cleanse the mouth—sort of. If you are short on a toothbrush, try an apple. Because of apples rich fibre content, antimicrobial qualities and stimulating action on the gums and saliva, apples may help reduce cavity-causing bacterial build-up. If you don't get the apple pieces stuck in your teeth, ha ha, they can help wash away other foods.
Cons
1. Eat organic. Every year apples top the Dirty dozen list of foods high in pesticides put out by the Environmental Working Group ewg.org. Look out for sales. Whole Foods usually has a weekly sale of one of their organic varieties.
2. High in FODMAPs. Apples contain both fructose and polyols, two FODMAP sugars that are fermentable in the gut. If you have IBS, apples may cause bloating and discomfort. IBS clients can benefit from a low FODMAP diet for a designated time period and then slowly allow back certain foods. In particular with apples, portions are key.
3. Apple juice. Most apple juice is made from non-organic apples and lots of sugar. Unfortunately, many children are given apple and grape juice as a beverage, often in unlimited amounts. Ideally, we would all squeeze our own juices at home.
4. Allergies. Unfortunately, some people have sensitivities to apples, not related to their FODMAPs sugars. Sometimes it's a residue on the apple, for others it may be Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) also known as pollen-food syndrome. OAS is caused by cross-reacting allergens found in both pollen and raw fruits, vegetables, or some tree nuts. Apples are part of the Birch tree pollen. Usually, symptoms are limited to the mouth. Often, cooking the foods deactivates the proteins from reacting with the body.
Yes, apples do contain carbs—practically 100 %, but as you can see from all of the pros—it’s the good kind of carbs/fibers, if your tolerance allows.
The average apple contains about 100-125 calories, negligible protein or fat, 12-15 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, vitamin C, B-6, magnesium and valuable phytochemicals.
