posted by Robin

Apples are a favorite of the health conscious; packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients they help prevent disease and are rich in health promoting properties.

About – Apples are a member of the rose family and are related to apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, and almonds. Apple trees don’t bear their first fruit until they are four or five years old. There are an estimated 7,000 varieties of apples, which range in flavor from mild and sweet to brisk and tart. There is no mention of apples being the forbidden fruit in the Bible; that belief was first implicated by Hugo Van Der Goes in his painting ‘The Fall of Man’ in 1470 A.D. The man’s Adam’s apple is thought to have got its name from when the apple got stuck in Adams throat when he first swallowed it.

Nutrition – Apples are high in vitamins A and C, and in potassium and Pentatonic acids. The apple skin contains two times the nutrients than in the pulp and also contains quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant substance which has been shown to inhibit the growth of tumors and keep cancer cells from spreading. Apples are abundant in both insoluble and soluble fiber. Their soluble fiber, such as pectin, forms a gel-like material which when in the digestive tract can help lower blood cholesterol as well as the cholesterol produced in the liver. They help to slow digestion as well as the rise of blood sugar. Insoluble fiber is considered “roughage” and helps the digestive tract run smoothly. It also has a “filling” effect, and thus apples are an effective appetite suppressant. Apples are known to have a calming effect on the nervous system and eating an apple before bed can ease sleep.