APPLES and ANTIOXIDANTS. Skin Care and Health from the Inside Out.

November 05, 2011

We make an annual pilgrimage to the mountains every autumn to purchase fresh apples and cider. The changing tree colors, crisp temperatures, and fresh smelling air are tonics in themselves. The common availability of apples often causes us to overlook their skin care and health benefits. The “apple a day” adage is wise indeed.

• Skin care.Clear and youthful skin is all about antioxidants. Did you know that America’s most common apple is also among the richest in health promoting antioxidants? A Canadian study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, tested antioxidant levels in eight different types of apples. Red Delicious had the highest antioxidant levels followed by Northern Spy, Cortland, Ida Red, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Mutsu (Crispin), and, at the bottom of the barrel, Empire. To obtain the maximum benefit, eat the peel. The skin of the Red Delicious apple contains six times the antioxidant levels of the flesh. This holds true for all apple varieties, but the flesh of the Northern Spy and Cortland has more antioxidant content than the Red Delicious.

Research continues to highlight extraordinary health benefits of apples:

• Bones. Apples contain a unique flavonoid called phloridzin which may help protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and loss of bone density.
• Weight Loss. Brazilian women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat the fruit while dieting.
• Asthma. Children with asthma who drink apple juice daily suffer less wheezing than those who drink apple juice once per month. Additionally, asthma rates are lower among children whose mothers regularly ate apples during pregnancy.
• Alzheimer's. The antioxidant activities of quercetin in apples and apple juice may protect brain cells from free radical damage that leads to Alzheimer's disease.
• Cancer. The benefits of apples in the diet in the prevention of various cancers is becoming a recurring theme. The antioxidant activities of apple flavonoids are being credited with lowering the incidence of lung (50%), breast (17%), colon (43%), and liver (57%) cancers. Research also found that pectin in apples helps maintain digestive tract health as well as reducing the risk of colon cancer.
• Cholesterol. Two apples per day lowered cholesterol levels in people by as much as 16%.
• Strokes.A recent study found that over a ten year period people who ate a medium apple a day (or its equivalent in other white flesh produce such as pears, bananas, mushrooms, or cauliflower) were 52% less likely to suffer a stroke.

The moral of the story is simple: Eat apples.

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