They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away and when you look at their nutritional content, it’s easy to see why. These tasty fruits contain high levels of fiber, vitamin C and flavonols. They’re also a great fruit for weight loss with a medium apple containing just 95 calories. In this article I’ll be expanding on why apples are so good and listing five of their top health benefits.

Benefit 1 - Reduced Cancer Risk

Apples are loaded with a wide selection of cancer fighting nutrients. Studies have shown that the flavonols in apples are highly effective at preventing various types of cancers and can reduce your pancreatic cancer risk by over 20%. Additionally, the fiber in apples helps to keep your bowels healthy and protects against colon cancer. Finally, the vitamin C in apples helps to protect the DNA in your body’s cells against free radical damage which often results in cancer formation.

Benefit 2 - Reduced Diabetes Risk

In addition to fighting cancer, apples also protect against diabetes. The fiber in apples helps control the release of glucose into the blood from the digestive tract and in doing this it helps keep your blood glucose levels stable and prevents crashes and surges. The flavonols in apples also stimulate the release of insulin (a hormone that takes glucose from the blood) and increases the receptiveness of your body’s cells to insulin.

Benefit 3 - Healthy Heart

Apples keep your heart strong and healthy in two main ways. First, the fiber in apples binds with the LDL cholesterol in the foods you eat and removes it from your body. LDL cholesterol clogs the arteries and restricts the flow of blood away from the heart. By removing it from your body, you maintain healthy blood flow in your arteries and avoid any complications.

Second, the flavonols in apples have been shown to promote proper circulation and strengthen your blood vessels. This further enhances the flow of blood to and from your heart and helps to keep this vital organ healthy and disease free.

Benefit 4 - Healthy Digestion

As mentioned above, apples are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber’s main role is to keep your digestive tract healthy and this allows all the foods you eat to be digested with maximum efficiency. Fiber also holds the food you eat in the digestive tract for longer which ensures that your body can extract all the nutrients from it. Finally, fiber promotes regular bowel movements which ensures that all waste materials are removed from your body quickly and efficiently and prevents constipation.

Benefit 5 - Strong Immune System

Apples are well known for their immune boosting properties with the flavonols in apples promoting the production of the protein dermicidin. Dermicidin works with other immune system cells to fight dangerous micro-organisms and helps keep your body healthy and disease free.

Summary

If you’re not currently eating apples, now is the time to start. There are so many different varieties to choose from, so find your favorites and start unlocking their health benefits today.