An Apple A Day

By Rob Noble, Dietary District Manager

Apple Nutrition

Apples are one of the “hottest” phytochemical – rich foods that it’s recommended to consume more of.

Phytochemicals are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, licorice root, soy, and teas.

Remember, these phytochemicals, which give plants their color, flavor, and smell have significant health benefits, including the reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

The phytochemical in apples and apple juice is called Quercetin. In a study in Finland, they found that the more apples consumed, the less the risk of lung cancer and other malignancies, including skin and colon cancer.

An Apple A Day: Apple Facts

• Americans eat approximately 19.6 pounds of fresh apples annually, less than half of the amount consumed annually by our European counterparts.

• Apples are a member of the rose family.

• Apples are available year round.

• The most popular variety in the US in Red Delicious.

• Fresh apples float because 25% of their volume is air.

• About 50% of apples grown in the US are sold fresh, and 50% are processed into apple juice, applesauce or dehydrated apple products.

• There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world.

• 61% of apples eaten as fresh fruit, 21% used for juice and cider, 12% canned, 3% dried and 2% frozen.

1. Fuji – Japanese, but has American parents – Red Delicious and Ralls Janet. Very sweet, crisp, juicy.
2. Cortland – A combination of Ben Davis and Macintosh. Can be used for everything. Sweet, slightly tart, white flesh.
3. Jonathan – Juicy, sweet, tart. Not to be used for baking, loses shape
4. Granny Smith – New Zealand and Australia, but now grown in Arizona and California. Very tart, crisp.  Any use.
5. Gala – New Zealand. Crisp, sweet tangy, tastes good raw.
6. Rome – Tender to mealy. Can be tart to sweet and bland. White flesh. Holds shape well when baked.

10 Reasons to Eat an Apple A Day
1. A medium apple has only 60-100 calories and virtually no fat, and no sodium.
2. An apple’s 5 grams of fiber and 20 grams of carbs make it a filling snack.  Apples have as much fiber as a bowl of bran cereal; that’s 1/5 of the daily recommended fiber intake
3. The fiber, pectin, antioxidants and other compounds found in apples can lower bad LDL cholesterol and help raise good HDL cholesterol and helps to prevent cholesterol buildup in blood vessel walls.
4. The flavonoids and other phytochemicals in apples help protect against lung and colon cancer.
5. Apples contain boron, a mineral that helps maintain bone density and protect against heart disease.
6. The tannins prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and urinary tract infections.
7. Eating an apple a day (with skin) can help to guard against stroke.
8. The vitamins and antioxidants in apples may help prevent age-related vision loss. It is good to eat the skin because ½ of an apple’s Vitamin C is just underneath the skin.  Also, most of an apples’ fragrance cells are concentrated in the skin.
9. The quercetin (a flavonoid) may fight cancer better than vitamin C does.
10. Apples are a good source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps prevent serious birth defects as well as heart disease.