I knew apples were good for health, but... is it really this much?

Last year, due to a decrease in production, it was called the "golden apple." This year, the harvest is good, and it is expected to recover to normal prices. The fruit most loved by Koreans. Apples, which are turning orchards everywhere red, are a treasure trove of health benefits. There is a Western proverb that says, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

 

Apples are rich in dietary fiber. This is a type of complex carbohydrate that our bodies cannot digest on their own. Dietary fiber serves as food for many species of bacteria residing in the gut. These bacteria have a powerful impact on overall health, including cancer risk, weight, and mood.

 

Dr. Van der Merwe, a nutrition scientist at the University of Memphis, said on the 23rd (local time) to The New York Times that consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables, including apples, can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut and decrease harmful bacteria, leading to overall health improvement.

 

Additionally, apples themselves contain many beneficial bacteria. This applies to all fruits and vegetables, but according to a study, apples harbor a more diverse range of bacteria than most other fruits. A study from Graz University of Technology in Austria found that a single apple (experiment conducted with the locally grown Alet variety) contained approximately 90 million beneficial bacteria for the human body. When you eat an apple, some of these bacteria can become part of your microbiome (the community of microorganisms within the body).

 

Dr. Van der Merwe explained that apples act not only like prebiotics (low-molecular-weight fibers that are not broken down by digestive enzymes in the stomach and intestines) but also like probiotics (beneficial bacteria that are good for the human body).

 

☆Apples are also good for heart health.

Apples are rich in pectin, a dietary fiber that helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. A 2012 study involving 160 postmenopausal women found that over the course of a year, participants ate 75 grams of dried apples (equivalent to about two medium-sized apples) or plums daily. After six months, women who consumed apples experienced a 13% reduction in total cholesterol and a 24% decrease in 'bad' LDL cholesterol. In contrast, women who ate plums saw only a 3.5% reduction in total cholesterol and an 8% decrease in LDL cholesterol, falling short of the effects observed with apples.

 

Apples are also one of the main sources of polyphenols, health-promoting compounds produced by plants to defend themselves against external environmental factors. Since polyphenols are mainly distributed in the skin, it is best to eat apples with the skin on. In particular, a specific polyphenol found in apples, flavonoids, stimulates the production of nitric oxide flowing through blood vessels, making it especially effective in dilating blood vessels. This was stated by Dr. Nikola Bondono, a postdoctoral researcher at the Danish Cancer Institute, in the New York Times. He has participated as a co-author in several research papers about apples.

 

☆Apples are also effective in reducing chronic inflammation.

Polyphenols in apples may help reduce inflammation and consequently lower the risk of disease.

 

According to a study published last August by researchers at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, analyzing health data collected over approximately 20 years from about 119,000 people (including records of all foods eaten during five 24-hour surveys), individuals who reported eating more than two apples a day in their meal records were found to have a 30% lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) later on. Co-author and head of the Department of Nutrition and Preventive Medicine, Eadin Cassidy, stated, "Even eating half an apple a day can be effective." The study also revealed that the link between apple consumption and reduced risk of COPD is related to a decrease in inflammation markers.

 

Dr. Bandono from the Danish Cancer Research Institute explained that apples are most nutritious when eaten with the skin. This is because the skin contains powerful polyphenols and a large amount of fiber. Dr. Bandono also added that the skin should be thoroughly washed to remove any residual pesticides.

 

Dr. van der Merwe said that generally, the darker the color of the apple, the richer the polyphenols. Anthocyanins, which give apples their red color, are a type of polyphenol, and diets rich in anthocyanins are effective in improving heart health, and recent studies are also being conducted on their potential in treating Alzheimer's disease.

 

However, Dr. Van der Merwe said that it is more important to consume a variety of apple varieties to absorb as many polyphenols as possible, rather than just choosing and eating deep red apples. To date, 8,000 types of polyphenols have been identified in fruits and plants. Reporter Park Hae-sik, DongA.com pistols@donga.com

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It has been twenty years since I heard that apples are good for the heart.

I eat at least one, and the benefits of apples are really great.

It's good for blood pressure and is said to be high in dietary fiber.

I should eat more often.

They say the apple harvest is good this year, so I hope there will be many.

I will eat.