It’s that time again: apples are in season! Apples not only taste delicious, they also provide powerful health benefits.
A medium-sized apple is a powerhouse of low-calorie nutrition, especially if you buy organic and eat the skin. A medium apple provides 4 grams of fiber, a nice dose of vitamin C, and is also a rich source of polyphenols (a beneficial plant chemical). Most fibers and polyphenols are in the skin!
Polyphenols stimulate the body to produce more antioxidants through a process called hormesis. These plant chemicals are produced by plants to defend themselves and some are even poisonous to insects.
Due to our size, the doses of polyphenols behave differently within us and stimulate our cellular defenses and detoxification pathways. Apples contain several types of beneficial polyphenols, including flavanols, catechin, epicatechin and procyanidins. One of the most important polyphenols in apples is quercetin, which has many benefits.
Apples and Alzheimer’s disease
High levels of polyphenols from apples have been shown to stimulate the production of new neurons in the brain – a process called neurogenesis. It is important to note that blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries all provide the same benefits to the aging brain. Organically grown produce usually contains higher amounts of these beneficial plant chemicals, because the pests must survive without the aid of synthetic pesticides.
If you can’t find organic apples, make sure you wash them thoroughly to remove as much pesticide as possible.
A study of 921 people showed that those who consumed the highest levels of flavonoids had a 48% lower chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Apples are among the richest sources of flavonoids, but remember that most of them are in the skin!
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