Want white teeth and healthy gums? Want to considerably lower your cholesterol? Want to an easy way to increase the fiber in your diet? Want to lower your risk for osteoporosis and certain cancers? Want help with managing your diabetes? Yeah… there’s an APPLE for that!!
If you have ever wondered just why an apple a day is said to keep the doctor away, you may be interested to learn that eating apples provides many healthful benefits, from dentition and digestion to diabetes management and more.
Apples contain pectin which acts as a natural tooth whitener, and biting and chewing the crunchy fruit helps maintain strong teeth and gums. Pectin, a soluble fiber, and the large number of antioxidants found in apples can also work to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Low-density lipoproteins are what are commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol. Pectin’s main component, galacturonic acid, may assist in the management of diabetes by helping to naturally reduce the body’s need for insulin.
Digestion is improved by the consumption of apples; one large apple contains more than thirty percent of minimum recommended daily fiber, assisting in the treatment and prevention of constipation. Diarrhea may be treated with apples, as well, since they are known to possess antiviral qualities. Apples also contain the mineral boron, and a flavanoid known as phloridzin, both of which have been shown to help improve bone strength and density, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Studies underway also appear to indicate that some extracts from the skin of an apple can help to lower the risk of developing certain types of cancers, including lung, liver, colon and breast cancer. The presence of the flavanoids naringin and quercetin may contribute greatly to the reduction in risk. Quercetin may also offer protection from brain cell damage by free radicals that may lead to Alzheimer’s.
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