Is there any truth to the old wives tale that we learned as youngsters, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”?
Well, yes!
My cholesterol was up a bit last week when I saw my doctor and he asked me if I thought I could eat an apple a day. I thought that was an odd question, but I told him that I like apples and I think I could do that. Then he told me that there is a compound under and in the skin (pectin) in apples that can lower cholesterol. Huh. Imagine that.
I know that apples are high in dietary fiber and that this type of fiber acts as food for some of our gut bacteria. These gut bacteria have a powerful impact on our health, affecting everything from cancer risk, to weight, to mood, but this benefit for high cholesterol was something I had not heard of before.
I eat a very healthy diet, but the doctor also mentioned that he suspected that my genetics were the reason that the cholesterol was higher than he’d like to see.
So, naturally when I got home, I did more research on the idea of an apple a day.
Most fruit and vegetables have bacteria that is beneficial for the health of the microbiome in our gut, but, as it turns out, apples have a greater variety of that bacteria!
Apples are also one of the biggest dietary sources of polyphenols. The polyphenols in apples, called flavonoids, are particularly good at stimulating the production of nitric oxide, a gas that flows through our blood vessels, causing them to dilate, which helps control our blood pressure.
Flavonoids are also beneficial in reducing chronic inflammation, which is a huge health issue for people in the United States, due to the high consumption of ultra-processed foods here.
In another study of COPD, which is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory system, flavonoids improved respiratory health and lowered COPD risk – even for former smokers!
So, I guess the old idiom is true – an apple a day does keep the doctor away!
Since it’s apple season now, here in New England, time for making applesauce, and apple pies, or, just eating one for lunch! I like adding apple slices to my green salad at lunch. Gives the salad a little zing!
I also like to make roasted vegetables at this time of year and adding in a couple of apples is going to be a regular menu item now. My favorite roasted veggie combination is sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. I make a coating of cinnamon, nutmeg, olive oil and a bit of butter, then add the vegetable and apple slices (remember to leave the skin on the apples!) Mix well, then slide them onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper, and cook at 425 for about 25-30 minutes. Yummy!
Root vegetables are higher in carbohydrates than green veggies, but they are packed with other nutrients that our body needs, so, I suggest eating them with a green salad, or with chicken, lamb or fish, and make sure that you add some steamed broccoli to your plate and no additional carbs (like bread or pasta).
Meanwhile, here’s a video on how to do a SAFE crunch! Let’s work those abs!
Best of Health,
Kathi
