APPLE AS A SUPER FRUIT
An apple is a crunchy, colorful pome fruit from plant family Rosaceae. It might consider a super fruit because of its nutrition values and health benefits. They rightly said “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” while its not a magical thing to cure but eating apples is good for your health. There are 7,000 varieties of apple in the world. Some of them are most popular. And every one of each has its own different taste, texture, color and shape. Apples have sweet and sour flavors. From sweet varieties like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala and Fuji to tang green like Granny Smith apples, Jazz apples or Honey Crisp apples, there is an apple for everyone.
Culinary uses of apples:
You can eat apples raw or cooked. They can be used as a part of salad or to make smoothies or milk shake. It is also a healthy choice while eating with a bowl of oats in breakfast. When it comes to cooking, you can make apple butter, jam, jelly or applesauce which can be spreadable on bread, baggles or on croissants. Apples can be used to make juices or drinks like cider or wine. Their sweet and tart flavor tastes very delicious in soups with the addition of vegetables. Apples can be used in baking in the form of pies, tarts, rolls, in apples bread or in apple cakes.
Types of apple:
There are almost 7,000 types of apples worldwide, here are few of popular apple varieties down below:
1. Red Delicious Apples
Red delicious apples are from Peru, Iowa and first cultivated in 1875. The noticeable thing is they do not grow with seeds, they can only grow by grafting or budding. This is a large-sized, heart-shapes apple, with shiny bright red color that offers a grainy texture and candy-sweet flavor. They do not bake well because of their excessive water content, but being juicy makes them a great choice for eating fresh.
2. Gala Apples
Gala apples are from New-Zealand. It is a hybrid variety. They are slightly oblong in shape, red over yellow color, blushed orange and slightly stripped. They can be a great choice for snacking, cooking and juicing but not ideal for baking because of their too much sweetness. We can slice them into wedges and enjoy eating them with a hint of cinnamon or by sprinkling sea salt for a yummy snack.
3. Golden Delicious Apples
Golden delicious apples are from many warm regions of Europe, Italy and USA. In Asia these apples found in Kashmir India and Pakistan and also in Iran. They were first cultivated in Clay County, Virginia, USA in the early 1900’s. They have smooth, sweet and mild white flesh with a soft texture. Their shiny golden skin makes them easy to spot. They have a sweet delicious flavor that is great to eat them fresh or to use their slices in salads, skewered for cheese fondue, or baked into apple strudel.
4. McIntosh Apples
McIntosh apples were first grown on a plot belonging to John McIntosh in Ontario, Canada, during the early 1800s, that’s why they usually called the national apple of Canada. They are sweet in flavor and soft in texture, that’s why they are not considered very good for baking pies or for tart pastries but excellent for applesauce used in desserts or for making jam or for juicing.
5. Granny Smith Apples
Granny Smith apples are from Australia and first cultivated there in 1800s. They are now producing in Asia, Europe, Australia, New-Zealand, and the United States. And are widely found in grocery stores and farmer’s market.
These apples are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that controls inflammation, boosts immunity and increases collagen production. These are small to medium in size around 5 to 7 inches in diameter, round or oval in shape, with thick and chewy peel, white and dense inside, and juicy with black seeds in the center. They are crisp and crunchy, so they can be ideal for baking and cooking, even for frying. They can be eaten as a snack too, other than cooking.
6. Jazz Apples
Jazz apples are from various regions worldwide particularly Australia, china, New-Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United states are the big producers of this apple variety. They have a very refreshing and balanced sweet and sour flavor similar to pears. These apples are ideal for making savory meat dishes, or for making applesauce with beef or chicken steaks, they can be stirred with vegetables and meat, and also used in casseroles or in shepherd’s pie.
7. Honey-Crisp Apples
It is a hybrid variety and cross of Honey Gold apples and Macoun apples. These apples produced in the university of Minnesota in USA. These apple patents gave the institution over 10 million dollars in royalties. Initially there were limited licensed growers, but later the patent expired, and growers were open to growing them worldwide, especially in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Honey-crisp apple are round to oblate in shape, are famous for their crispy and juicy texture, and as the name shows it has a very delicious sweet taste with a hint of honey.
8. Empire Apples
Empire apples were cultivated in New York, in the late 20th century. This is a hybrid variety of apples which is a cross od McIntosh apples and Red Delicious apples. They are a delicious choice for eating raw or cooked. They are crisp in texture and have a sweet-tart flavor, ideally good for making pies, salads, fruits desserts, overnight oats, juices and smoothies. They are delicious rather healthy snacks in the form of sliced apple chips or apple wedges.
9. Pink Lady Apples
Pink Lady apples are from Australia and some warmer regions like South-Africa or Southern Europe and Asia. They have a very unique and beautiful color of pink to red with white dots on its surface. They have sweet and sour flavor and off-white color inside. These apples are very good for snacking, baking, cooking, cocktails, pairing with cheese and even for making soups.
Here are some of nutritional facts of a medium sized apple:
CARBOHYDRATE
A 100 grams portion of a raw apple contains 10 to 15 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the type of appls. Apples also have water and sugars like fructose and glucose. They have a low glycemic index (29 to 44) and do not raise blood sugar quickly because of fiber and nutrients.
FIBER
Apples are rich in fiber. A single whole normal-sized apple has about 4 grams of fiber. That is 16% of what we need in a day. Fiber helps you to digest food and can you feel full, which is good for weight loss. It also helps lower blood sugar and good for digestion. Apples are not just yummy but healthy, too.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Apples contain several vitamins necessary for healthy body, mind and body function, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Moreover a small amount of minerals are also found in them like calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese. They still contribute positive value to your diet.
VITAMIN C
Apples has a lot of vitamin C stored in them, that is an important antioxidant found in many fruits including apples. It is essesntial for many body functions, helping to support the immune system, skin health, and allover well-being.
POTASSIUM
Potassium is the main mineral in apples that is good for heart health, especially when consumed in sufficient amounts. It helps in managing blood pressure and supports overall cardiovascular health.
QUERCETIN
Quercetin is a plant nutrient found in many foods, including apples. It may offer various health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, fighting viruses, potentially helping to prevent cancer, and even improving mood.
CATECHIN
Catechin is a natural antioxidant found in apples. It may help improve mitochondrial health, supporting energy production and cellular function.
CHLOROGENIC ACID
Chlorogenic acid which is found in apples and coffee, may decrease blood sugar levels and be helpful in losing weight. It is valuable component that contributes in allover health and weight loss.
APPLES AND WEIGHT LOSS
Apples are excellent for weight loss due to their high fiber and low-calorie content. In a 12-week study, women who consumed 1.5 large apples per day lost an average of 2.9 pounds(1.3kg) Apples are a delicious and healthy choice of desserts or as an addition to meals.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLES
Given their immense popularity, apples have been the focus of many studies.
BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL
The fiber content in apples helps in reducing blood sugar in the body and gives protection against diabetes. the high fiber content helps to absorb sugar from carbohydrates. The antioxidants in apples can slow down your body digests and absorb sugar. According to research, 38,000 women who ate at least one apple a day had a 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
BLOOD CHOLESTEROL AND HEART DISEASE
Studies have looked at how apples affect heart disease risk factors. A 2020 study with volunteers who had high cholesterol found that eating apples can lower cholesterol and improves blood flow in arteries. However, it didn’t show any noticeable effect on blood pressure.
CANCER
According to the study, the nutrition in apples might help protect against colon and lung cancer. Many test tubes and animal studies show that the nutrients found in apples might be helpful in the cure of lung and colon cancers. Some human studies support this, too. For example, a 2005 study found the people who ate one or more apples a day had a 20% lower risk of colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer and an 18% lower risk of breast cancer.
CONCLUSION
Apples are packed with fiber and fiber works to slow absorption of carbs, which helps to control blood sugar spikes in the body. The antioxidants in apples can slow down how your body digests and absorbs sugar. Eating apples is a good source of fiber but apple juice is not. So better to eat rather than to drink juice. Apples are magical fruits packed with a lot of nutrients.
