Health Benefits Of Apples

Take a bite and discover why Eve traded the whole garden for this everyday superfood

Apples Help Your Heart

The Iowa Women’s Health Study in the US, which has tracked the health habits of more than 40,000 women over 18 years, lists apples as one of just three foods and beverages (in the good company of pears and red wine) most effective at lowering the risk of death from heart disease among postmenopausal women.

Apples Protect Your Lungs

Another study of 10,000 women found that apples lower your likelihood of contracting lung disease, while other research says apple-borne benefits even extend to babies in utero!

MORE: 25 Ridiculously Healthy Foods

Apples Fight Cancer

Around 11 per cent of cancers could be prevented if we ate regular serves of fruit and veg, says Lynn Riddell, PhD, lecturer in nutrition at Melbourne’s Deakin University. An apple as part of that is incredibly important. The flavonoids (other antioxidants) in apples may inhibit the cell growth of colon cancers and affect genes involved in the onset of cancer.

Apples Contain Antioxidants

Apples are perhaps the most widely studied fruit, and the results of research into their benefits have been extremely positive. The most recent evidence (and excitement!) focuses on apples’ phytonutrient compounds, including quercetin, catechins, phlorizin and chlorogenic acid—powerful antioxidants.

Apples Are a Weight-Loss Wonder

“Recent research by Pennsylvania State University in the US shows that just one whole apple eaten before one meal a day allows dieters to cut back on the total kilojoules they consume, which translates to real weight loss,” says Sydney nutritionist Catherine Saxelby.

MORE: 5 Perfect Apple Recipes