An apple (or two) day ….

There are so many reasons to make apples more than just a regular part of your diet.
Here are a few reasons you should try to eat one or two apples every day.

Fiber

Apples are a good source of fiber.  While they don’t rank among the highest fiber foods, the fiber in apples brings some unique benefits.  The pectin in the apples is water soluble and can also bind with fatty acids in the bloodstream.  This brings special benefits (see below).  Most Americans consume much less fiber than recommended eating an apple or two can help with that.

 

Natural statins

The fiber in apples has been shown to act as a natural statin.   It binds with cholesterol and helps to move it out of the body.  There are other foods that do this too, but it’s another nice benefit of regularly eating apples.

 

Low calorie

At 100 calories or less for a typical apple, an apple is a great substitute for other sweet snacks, especially in place of candy bars, pastries, or other processed food snacks.   The texture and fiber of the apple also help make it a great snack. Chew each bite or slice thoroughly, and you’ll find that an apple will stick with you much longer than a typical candy bar or pastry; that sense of fullness can help keep you from eating other things with a lot more calories than an apple.

 

Mouth health

The same fiber that makes apples filling and provides the fat and cholesterol reducing benefits also gives apples their crunch.  This is what makes them good for your teeth and gums too.  They can help clean your teeth (you should still brush your teeth though), and give your gums a healthy workout.   In this respect too, apples are far superior to candy, cookie or pastry snacks.

 

Nutrition

Apples are a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Along with the benefits listed above, you get the healthy nutritional boost that comes with each apple.  The antioxidant boost provides multiple preventative benefits, including protection from cancer.  The antioxidants can help neutralize the bad effects of free radicals.  Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with extra electrons that can cause cellular or dna damage.   The antioxidants in apples provide protection by interacting with and neutralizing free radicals.