The benefits of apples, how much to eat per day?
Is it possible to eat apples daily, how many calories are in them, how best to store these fruits, and whether they are useful? We deal with experts.
An apple is a juicy, spherical fruit that grows on an apple tree. The diameter of ripe fruits is 5-13 cm. They are eaten fresh, baked, dried, and soaked for cooking, drinks, confectionery, and fruit preparations.
What are the best apples?
There are approximately 7,500 varieties of edible apples in the world. Varieties are divided into early, mid-season, and late. Therefore, with proper storage of fruits, you can eat them fresh all year round.
It would be incorrect to say that some variety is better than others: everyone has their taste.
- The dense crispy flesh of Antonovka is tart, with bright sourness and subtle sweetness.
- White filling is sweet (9% sugar), its sourness is light and pleasant, and its thin light green skin is noticeably sourer than loose pulp.
- Idared is even richer in sugars – 10.5%.
- Golden will impress even those with a sweet tooth – in its pulp with a delicate texture of 20% sugar, there is a hint of caramel flavor and slight astringency.
How to store apples
The duration of storage of fruits can be from 3 weeks up to a new harvest. This period depends primarily on the variety and accuracy of the collection of fruits and the conditions in which they were placed.
If you bought apples for the future, put them unpacked in the lower compartments of the refrigerator for vegetables and fruits or leave them on the shelf in a loosely closed bag. Make sure that there are no vegetables and fruits nearby that you would not want to ripen quickly.
Apples are well stored in ventilated cool rooms. The fruits can also be dried and frozen. However, it is easiest to buy in a store because they come from storage facilities where all conditions are met. Get the most healthy fresh fruits in the right quantity, whenever you want.
Why apples are useful: honestly, from a nutritionist
Apples, having a beneficial effect on the microbiota (beneficial bacteria) of the intestines, not only contribute to a person’s well-being but can also help protect the body from such serious chronic diseases as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart and vascular diseases, and oncology.
- Apples for weight loss and digestive problems
Apples are rich in fiber, necessary for normal digestion. A 100-gram fruit contains 2.5 g of dietary fiber. One of the types of fiber – pectin – acts as a prebiotic, that is, “nourishes” the microbiota. A lot of fruits and so important for our body water.
“Due to a large amount of fiber and liquid, apples quickly give a feeling of fullness. One study showed that after eating whole fruits, the feeling of fullness lasted 4 hours longer than after eating the same amount of puree or drinking juice. This is because whole fruits reduce the rate of food removed from the stomach,”
This is the secret to using apples for weight loss. A phantom feeling of satiety can work as a strategy to fight against excess weight. It helps control appetite. This, in turn, can lead to a decrease in energy consumption and, as a result, to the loss of extra pounds.
- Apples against cardiovascular diseases
Studies have been conducted that have identified an association between eating apples and reducing the risk of developing CVD. Most likely, one of the reasons is that the product contains soluble fiber. This type of dietary fiber can help lower blood cholesterol levels. Another reason is in polyphenols, in particular in the flavonoid epicatechin. These phytochemicals help lower blood pressure, reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (by reducing the amount of plaque in the arteries).
Medicine has linked a high intake of flavonoids to a lower risk of stroke. The risk of such brain damage is reduced by 9% with each 25-gram serving of apples or pears (1/5 cup slices).
- Apples for diabetes
Scientists also found that regular consumption of apples and pears reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 18% and just one serving per week by 3%. The high content of antioxidant polyphenols explains the positive effect. Thus, due to its anti-inflammatory properties, quercetin can reduce the body’s resistance to insulin. Phloridzin reduces the absorption of sugar in the intestines, helping to normalize its blood levels and thereby reducing the risk of diabetes.
- Apples in baby food
Pediatricians recommend introducing a child to fruits with applesauce. The product is introduced into the diet of infants from 4 months of age. It is desirable to take fruits with green skin for the first time. You can give half a teaspoon of puree, then gradually increase the portion. Also, apple juice is allowed on the baby menu, but it is still better to use apples with pulp.
During pregnancy, women can moderately eat apples without fear for the unborn baby’s health. When breastfeeding a child, these fruits are also appropriate for the mother’s diet.
Of course, all this is true if there is no individual intolerance to apples in general or individual varieties.
Simple questions with short answers
- How many calories are in an apple?
The energy value of apples is 52 kcal per 100 g. This amount of the product contains 0.3 g of protein, 0.2 g of fat, and 14 g of carbohydrates.
- How many apples can you eat per day?
The recommended daily serving is 80 g or if measured by the volume of the cut fruit, 125 ml. Just keep in mind that other fruits should also be in the diet despite the great benefits of apples.
- Is apple peel healthy?
Yes. Don’t cut the skin to get the most out of apples, as it contains half the fiber and most of the polyphenols.
- Can I eat apple seeds?
If you eat a few apple seeds, it will not do any harm. But purposefully eating or drinking large amounts of ground or crushed seeds can even lead to death. According to a 2015 review, 1 g of apple seeds, depending on the variety, contains 1–4 mg of amygdalin. When it breaks down, hydrocyanic acid is formed, which, if it enters the human body, can cause suffocation.
- How much does an apple weigh?
It depends on the size of the fetus. An average fruit with a diameter of 7–8 cm weighs approximately 240 g.
- Is there any benefit from dried apples?
All useful substances in dried apples are the same as in fresh ones, while their concentration per 100 g will be higher. However, there is no liquid in the product, and part of the vitamin C is lost, as it is sensitive to contact with air and high temperatures.
- Is it possible to give apples to animals (rabbits, dogs, hamsters)?
Pets can be given apples, but only without seeds.
Which apples are best for juice, baking, charlotte
The choice of apples for cooking depends on personal preferences. But you can listen to the opinion of the chefs. For baking, it is advised to take hard, even slightly unripe fruits: under the influence of temperature, they will acquire the optimal consistency, while soft ones will turn out too loose. Late varieties are good for making juice, such as Idared, Bogatyr, and Simirenko. For charlotte, fruits with a pronounced sourness and dense pulp are ideal, for example, Antonovka or Granny Smith.
We offer three simple proven recipes with which apples to cook these dishes, decide for yourself.
- Charlotte with apples – a simple recipe
For delicious pastries, you will need:
- Five apples
- 100 g durum wheat flour
- 80 g whole grain rice flour
- Five chicken eggs
- 140 g cane sugar
- 20 g roasted hazelnuts
- 5 g butter
- a pinch of soda and one teaspoon of lemon juice
The step-by-step recipe is very simple, so charlotte is perfect even for a novice cook.
- Soaked apples – a recipe for the patient
The benefits of this primordially Russian dish are the same as those of fresh apples, but soaked apples have more vitamin C and all the benefits of fermented foods. For conservation in this way, fruits of late varieties, light in color, with dense sour pulp, ripe, intact, medium, and small in size, which have lain down after being removed from the tree for at least two weeks, are suitable.
- Thoroughly wash and dry apples, and pierce with a toothpick in several places. At the bottom of a sterilized jar, put fresh or dried clean leaves of currants, raspberries, and cherries.
- Fill the container tightly with apples, stacking them with their tails and mixing with leaves so that the fruits do not touch. The top layer should be leaves.
- Add a filling prepared from 5 liters of warm boiled water, a glass of rye flour, and 2 tbsp. Tablespoons of coarse salt and one teaspoon of sugar.
- The solution remaining after filling the jar will be needed for subsequent topping up because it will foam and flow out during the canning process.
- Cover the jar with clean gauze, and put it under pressure. Keep 2-3 days at room temperature. Then carefully inspect the leaves; if they deteriorate, replace them. Add filling, and put the jar in a cold place.
After 3-4 weeks, eat homemade pickled apples with pleasure.
- Apple compote – a recipe for the winter and every day
Apple compotes are tasty. However, there are not so many benefits from them. The fact is that fiber, minerals, and part of the vitamins remain in the drink. Still, vitamin C and many phytochemicals (flavonoids) are not preserved – because they are sensitive to high temperatures. In addition, when cooking, a large amount of sugar is added to the compote. But this is a good way to preserve at home, and a freshly prepared drink will bring a lot of pleasure, but this is also a benefit.
To make the compote more useful, eat liquid and the apples themselves. So you get a portion of fiber and all the useful substances.
Making apple compote is easy.
- Cut 500 g of washed apples into slices and pour into boiled water.
- When it boils again, add 100 g of sugar and the juice of half a lemon.
- Keep on low heat for another 15 minutes to get a drink with a rich taste.
Refrigerate before serving.
Close apple compote for the winter in the usual way for you. As with other berries and fruits, pour boiling water 1-2 times after adding sugar to taste. Roll into banks.
Apples are a very nutrient-dense fruit with a variety of health advantages. They are rich in fiber and antioxidants. They are associated with a lower risk of many chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Additionally, apples can aid in weight loss and enhance gut and brain health.
While more research is needed on exactly how apples affect human health, you can’t go wrong choosing this delicious, versatile, and easily accessible fruit as your favorite snack or dessert.
So what kind of apples do you prefer – sweet or sour? How often do you buy them and make compote for the winter? Tell me in the comments.
