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Apples are an incredibly affordable and easy-to-find food, yet packed with incredible health benefits. Try to find out how wonderful this “small but mighty” fruit is!
Apples are a very simple yet super healthy snack. Although not considered a “superfood,” apples are one of the best fruits, capable of reducing the risk of countless diseases, from heart disease to type 2 diabetes. It turns out that apples contain a lot of polyphenol compounds, antioxidants and fiber. If you don’t regularly eat apples, find out if the reasons below convince you!
1. Apples help you have a flat stomach.
Apples are rich in polyphenols, fiber and other nutrients that help you lose weight. A review published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition performed in overweight people found that eating apples with the skin on for 4 to 12 weeks helped them lose weight.
There are many ways that apples can help you lose weight: promoting satiety thanks to fiber, scavenging free radicals and even regulating fat genes in a positive way.
A compound called ursolic acid found in apple skins helps build muscle and brown fat (a type of good fat that boosts calorie burning).
2. Strengthen the immune system.
The soluble fiber in apples has been shown to reduce inflammation and may even boost the immune system. Researchers think this type of fiber changes immune cells, helping us recover faster from infection.
3. Beneficial for the digestive tract.
The fiber and polyphenols in apples have many benefits, one of which is supporting the gut microbiome – the “community” of microorganisms in the large intestine that supports digestive health, immune health, and brain health. Friend. Studies show that eating apples with the skin on (the beneficial compounds are most concentrated in the skin) has a positive effect on your microbiome. According to a study in the Journal of Anaerobe, women who consumed 2 apples a day for 2 weeks had many times more beneficial bacteria in their gut.
4. Beneficial for heart health.
Eating apples supports heart health in many ways. Eating apples encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome, which leads to better heart health. Besides, thanks to the high flavonoid content, apples also help you reduce your risk of problems like heart attack and stroke.
5. Help you live longer.
Scientists at the University of Western Australia found that women who ate one small apple a day lived longer than those who ate less than 15 apples a year. Research shows that eating an apple a day can reduce the risk of premature death by 35%. Eating apples can also help reduce the risk of cancers like skin cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer.
6. Reduce the risk of diabetes.
The skin of a medium apple contains 4.4 grams of fiber, a significant amount that helps reduce hunger and control blood sugar. A study in the scientific journal BMJ found that eating whole fruit, especially apples, reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes.
7. Apples make you want a healthier diet.
Eating apples promotes cravings for other foods. Researchers have found that eating apples is associated with better diet quality, so eating an apple a day can help make your meal richer overall.
