New England Apples
Post Office Box 41, Hatfield, MA 01038
413-247-9966
info@newenglandapples.org
Post Office Box 41, Hatfield, MA 01038
413-247-9966
info@newenglandapples.org
Today is May 15, 2008
143 days until the Red Delicious apples are ready
In addition to tasting great, New England apples are fat-free and a good source of dietary fiber, pectin, potassium, and Vitamins A and C. They are a healthy choice at any time of year, at any time of day, in pies, cakes, salads, sliced and dipped in sauces or eaten whole.
"An apple a day" may keep more than the doctor away. In fact, apples may keep a whole host of diseases away, from heart disease and asthma to cancer. New research has shown a wide range of apple health benefits. Apple pie hasn't been declared a health food just yet, but nutrition researchers around the world are discovering there is more to the apple than meets the eye. Long known to be a great source of fiber, apples are now poised to take their place among such super foods as garlic, broccoli, and red wine, thanks to a growing body of research documenting potential health benefits provided by other apple nutrients.
"My one-word synopsis of all the research is 'exciting,' " says Dianne Hyson, M.S., R.D., a research dietitian at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Medical Center. "The combination of nutritional components in apples as a whole food show promise in reducing the risk of heart disease and some cancers, promoting lung health, and maintaining general health in other areas."
Recent research studies show eating apples and processed apple products, such as juice and sauce, may promote improved lung function; decrease the risk of heart disease by protecting against the damaging effects of "bad" cholesterol; and reduce the risks of certain types of cancer due to antioxidant and fiber content.
People eating foods rich in a variety of flavonoids–plant products that act like antioxidants–were less likely to have heart disease, stroke, and asthma. Type 2 diabetes also appeared to be less common in this group. Plus, men that ate flavonoids had less lung and prostate cancers, says lead researcher Paul Knekt, Ph.D., of the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland.
Flavonoids come from a variety of foods. In this study, the flavonoids that the researchers were studying are most abundant in oranges, apples, grapefruit, onions, white cabbage, berries, and juices. Flavonoids are also found in tea and wine, but the researchers didn't study these two items. Flavonoids are effective in stopping oxidation-the process in which cell-damaging substances called free radicals accumulate. Apples and onions were found to have the highest concentration of flavonoids. The study, reported in the September 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined more than 10,000 men and women. After completing an initial questionnaire, the participants were followed for 28 years.
So eat your apples and apple products--for better health! Evidence is mounting of the positive link between apple consumption and reducing the risk of lung cancer. According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Hawaiian researchers have found that increased intake of foods containing flavonoids, like those found in apples, have the potential to cut the risk of lung cancer in half. This is the second study to link apple consumption to reduced risk of lung cancer. In 1997, the American Journal of Epidemiology reported on a 25-year study of 10,000 Finnish men that found that intake of antioxidant flavonoids, and in particular the consumption of the flavonoid quercetin found in apples, appeared to reduce the incidence of lung cancer.
In April 1999, the peer-reviewed journal Life Sciences reported the results of an in-vitro research project indicating that antioxidant phytonutrients found in apples and apple juice may fight the damaging effects of the "bad" type of cholesterol on the cardiovascular system, and thus help protect against heart disease. Additional findings from the same study group in Finland, published in the British Medical Journal in February 1996, connected the phytonutrients in apples to a reduced risk of heart disease.
The apple's protective benefits don't stop at these diseases. Researchers at St. George's Hospital Medical School in London, reported in the January issue of Thorax, a leading British medical journal, that apples contribute to improved lung function in a study of more than 2,500 middle-aged men in Wales. The study found that men who ate an apple a day had better lung function than men who did not consume apples. The reason is unclear, but researchers postulated that the antioxidants in apples may act as a breathing aid.
Studies reporting evidence of apples' health benefits are encouraging, and there is still much to be learned about apple nutrients and their health benefits. Apples are an excellent source of the trace mineral boron, for example, but more research is needed to determine the health benefits of boron. In a 1992 study of post-menopausal women, boron was found to help the body retain estrogen during menopause, which can help reduce associated hormone-induced symptoms and protect against heart disease. A 1990 study had previously found that boron helps maintain calcium levels, promoting bone health, and prevents osteoporosis, which also has implications for health after menopause.
Elizabeth Pivonka, R.D., president of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, which jointly sponsors the 5 A Day For Better Health produce nutrition-education program with the NCI, also urges a "whole foods" approach to health. "We should look to whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, for health-promoting nutrients."
Here is the latest nutritional information on apples compiled by the U.S. Apple Association: http://www.usapple.org
NUTRITION FACTS: 1 medium apple (154g/5.5 0z)
| Amount per Serving | |
| Calories 80 | Calories from Fat 0 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 170 mg | 5% |
| Total Carbohydrates 22g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 5g | |
| Sugars 16g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin A 2% | Vitamin C 8% |
| Calcium 0% | Iron 2% |
NUTRITION FACTS: 8 fluid ounces of apple cider (240 ml)
| Amount per Serving | |
| Calories 120 | Calories from Fat 0 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 60mg | 3% |
| Potassium 135 mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrates 30g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | |
| Sugars 30g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin A 0% | Vitamin C 6% |
| Calcium 0% | Iron 2% |