October is National Apple Month and October 21st is National Apple Day. In the northern hemisphere, this is the peak season for apples. Apples are the most consumed fruit in the United States. They are a member of the rose family! There are over 7,500 varieties of apples in the world and approximately 2,500 in the United States. The original apple is thought to have grown in Europe and Southwest Asia. In celebration of National Apple Day, let’s discover some attributes of the apple.
Nutritional Highlights
- Excellent source of vitamin C, pectin, and fiber.
- Good source of potassium.
- Raw are higher in many nutrients and phytochemicals with most the nutrients in the skin.
Health Benefits
- Weight Loss – eating an apple before a meal can help with a feeling of satiety and therefore eating less at the meal.
- Heart Health – apples contain soluble fiber which can help lower blood cholesterol levels.
- Diabetes – eating apples may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Feed Good Bacteria – apples contain pectin which acts as a prebiotic to feed the good bacteria in your gut.
- Cancer – apples have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects which may help fight cancer.
- Asthma – apple skins contain a flavonoid called quercetin which helps regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.
- Bone Health – apples contain another flavonoid called phloridzin which helps fight inflammation and oxidative stress. Apples are the only fruit that contains this flavonoid. You can check out more about apples and osteoporosis here.
- Brain Health – in rat and other animal studies, it has been found that when these animals were fed either whole apples or apple juice, there was minimized mental decline and improved memory markers.
You might ask if one apple is healthier than another?
All apples are a good source of fiber but here are a few highlights of three apples:
- Pink Lady was found to contain the most flavonoids.
- Red Delicious is higher in polyphenolic which is important in human health.
- Granny Smith contains non-digestible compounds that may help balance out the bacteria in your colon.
Now that you know how healthy apples are, how do you decide which apple is the right apple? Some apples are great raw and some are better for baking, so let’s take a look at seven different apples.
- Braeburn are sweet and tart and originated in New Zealand, great fresh or used in baking.
- Fuji are among the sweetest and very crisp, originated in Japan. They are great fresh but could be a bit too juicy for baking.
- Gala are very crisp and sweet and also originated in New Zealand. They can be eaten fresh, juiced, used in sauces and baked goods, or dehydrated for apple chips.
- Golden Delicious originated in West Virginia and have a mild sweet flavor. They can be eaten fresh or used in sauces, butters, or baked goods.
- Granny Smith are crisp and tart. This apple originated in Australia and is great in baked goods but may be a bit too tart for some people to be eaten fresh. They are the “go to” apple for making caramel apples.
- Honeycrisp are very popular apples that originated here in Minnesota. They can be eaten fresh or used in baked goods. Often these apples are rather expensive and aren’t available for very long.
- Red Delicious is the most common apple in the United states, it originated in Peru. This apple is best eaten raw as it does not do well in baked goods.
Here is a helpful apple chart that shows the sweetness/tartness levels in several apples and how best to use them.
I make it a point to eat an apple pretty much every day. My favorite way is to chop up an apple and top it with homemade yogurt and ground flax seeds. It makes a great snack for me in the late morning.
Do you eat apples on a regular basis? What is your favorite apple? Do you have a favorite apple recipe you would like to share?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
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