9 Benefits of apples for the health of your body
KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Apple fruit is one of the most popular fruits in this country. These are 9 benefits of apples for health.
Who doesn’t know apples. Yes, apples are quite easy to find in traditional markets to modern markets.
Also Read: 2 Infused water which is effective in reducing high blood pressure
Apple is known as a healthy fruit. Even in the community, the term “An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away“which means, eating apples every day can prevent disease.
This is not surprising, considering that apples contain many vitamins and minerals that are good for the body.
Benefits of apples for health
Here are some of the health benefits of apples by launching the Processed Apple Book for Babies & Toddlers (2017) by Inti Kisnawati:
1. Build immunity
One of the important nutrients found in apples is vitamin C. Vitamin C itself is a vitamin that is useful for many purposes, such as:
- Build immunity or immunity
- Helps accelerate wound healing
- Prevent allergies Maintain healthy skin
2. Prevent cell damage
Apples are also rich in the antioxidants quercetin and polyphenols. Therefore, apples can be useful for preventing cell damage due to free radicals.
3. Prevent constipation
Apples, including fruits that are rich in fiber. Apple peels are a great source of insoluble fiber from cellulose and lignin. Therefore, eating apples together with the skin is better than peeled apples.
To reduce the pesticide content that may be in the skin of the fruit, you can first wash it with running water and a special fruit and vegetable soap. You can also soak apples in an apple cider vinegar solution.
4. Antidiarrheal
In the pulp, apples contain a lot of pectin, which is crude fiber that resembles a water-soluble gel. This substance is known to be a natural anti-diarrheal substance because it can protect the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines from injury and bacterial attack.
5. Lowering cholesterol
The pectin in apples can also help lower cholesterol by absorbing fat and cholesterol, then removing it from the body with feces.
6. Reducing the risk of developing cancer
Apples also contain other nutritious chemical compounds, namely butyrate compounds. According to research conducted by Dr. Dieter Schrenk, MD et al., From The University of Kaiser Lautern, Germany, butyrate compounds can reduce the risk of colon cancer.
7. Lower the child’s risk of developing asthma
Meanwhile, research conducted on pregnant women shows that mothers who eat apples diligently during pregnancy have a smaller risk of their children experiencing asthma symptoms.
8. Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
Researchers from the National Public Health Institute in Helsinski, Finland, have also reported their findings on apples in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2002.
According to these experts, apples have been shown to reduce the risk of various chronic diseases such as:
- Heart
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Asthma
Apple nutrition content
According to the page of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, there are many nutrients found in apples. The following are various good nutrients that can be obtained from every 125 grams of raw apples along with the skin:
- Carbs 17.3 grams
- 3 grams of fiber
- 0.9 gram protein
- Fat 0.29 grams
- Vitamin A 67.5 IU
- Vitamin C 5.7 mg
- Vitamin E (Alpha tocopherol) 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K 2.8 mcg
- Niachin (B3) 0.1 mg
- Panthothenic acid (B5) 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.134 mg
- Folate (B9) 3.8 mcg
- Choline 4.2 mg
- Calcium 7.5 mg
- Iron 0.1 mg
- Magnesium 6.3 mg
- Phosphorus 13.8 mg
- Potassium 134 mg
- Natriym 1.3 mg
- Flouride 4.1 mcg
Tips for choosing and storing apples
Choose apples that have the following characteristics to get optimal nutritional benefits:
- Still fresh
- Not mushy
- No bruises
Avoid buying apples that are bruised, cut, or scratched, especially if they have turned brown. This is important because apples that are bruised, cut or scratched will rot quickly even if stored in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, apples whose color has turned brown have usually been stored for too long. Apart from being not fresh, the taste of apples in that condition has usually changed.
Apples can generally last for weeks if stored properly. Here are good apple storage suggestions:
Apples can be stored in the refrigerator. The taste of the fruit can remain fresh and crunchy. The color of the flesh will not turn brown quickly.
When storing, keep apples separate from other strong smelling foods, as apples can absorb odors.
It is even better if the apples are stored wrapped in plastic, because this fruit emits ethylene gas which can accelerate the ripening of the surrounding vegetables, for example making carrots become bitter, making cucumbers turn yellow quickly, and causing brown spots on lettuce.
If you find signs of bruising or bruising on one of the apples, immediately remove the fruit because it can damage the other apples. (Irawan Sapto Adhi)
This article was published on Kompas.com with the title “8 Benefits of Apples, Maintain Immunity to Lower the Risk of Heart Disease”