Health Resources Library

An Apple A Day

It turns out that the old adage is true! “An apple a day, really does keep the doctor away.”

But why an apple? Why not an orange, some carrots, or even a handful of spinach? Apples are just special that way because they contain several different properties that work synergistically to create powerful health benefits.

7 Days in a Week and 7 Reasons to Eat Apples

High in Vitamin C:

Apples are an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for a strong immune system that can fight off infection and increase healing.

Heart Health:

Apples contain pectin which offer excellent cardiovascular benefits. The pectin, water soluble fiber, decreases bad cholesterol as well as increases good cholesterol.

Cancer Prevention:

Apples are high in flavonols that have been shown to target cancers of the colon, prostate, liver, pancreas and breasts.

Maintain Blood Sugar Levels:

Because of the high content of soluble fiber, pectin, in apples they can help keep your blood sugar stable.

Elimination Control:

Whether you are stopped up or just can’t stop, the fiber in apples can help. It will either pull water from your colon to get things moving or absorb excess water to slow down your bowels.

Breath Better:

A study by St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London found that people who ate 5 or more apples per week had better lung function that those who didn’t. Not only did eating apple improve lung function but also reduced incidences of respiratory problems including asthma.

Brain Boosting:

An animal study done in 2014 at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell showed that apples boost the production of acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits messages in the brain between nerve cells. This can help keep your brain sharp, memory enhanced and lessen the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Fun Facts about Apples

The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

Archaeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.

Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.

The crabapple is the only apple native to North America.

The pilgrims planted the first apple trees in the United States in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Today 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.

7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world and range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.

100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States. Red Delicious is the most widely grown variety.

The United States produces 1/3 of the worlds apple crop.

Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first.

Apples are grown in all 50 states.

Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit. Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet high and live over 100 years.

America’s longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard and was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.

It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.

Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 bushels that weigh 42 pounds each and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce. It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.