The Power of Apples: Rich in Dietary Fiber and Aiding Digestion
Loaded with dietary fiber, capable of preventing cancer cell replication, and when fresh, a quarter of its volume is... air. Discover one of the most delicious and beloved fruits - the apple.
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"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is an old saying with a kernel of truth, provided you eat the apple (a rich source of vitamins) with its peel. Be sure to buy apples without blemish and firm to the touch. Apples with even the smallest defects will rot quickly; store apples in the refrigerator, in a ventilated (perforated) container that is not washed. Ambient temperature can accelerate their ripening and softening up to ten times faster.
You can slow the browning of sliced apples by coating them with lemon juice: a mixture consisting mainly of water, with a quarter of its content being lemon juice. Additionally, it is important to know that apples emit ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening of other fruits nearby. For this reason, they should be kept in polyethylene (plastic) bags when near other fruits.
Apples absorb odors from their surroundings, hence should be kept away from strong-smelling sources; apples without blemish, which are treated and stored properly, can last for three months or more. To check the freshness of an apple, see if it floats on water. A fresh apple should float without any problem, because 25% of it is composed of air.
Apples are rich in isoflavones, phenolics, and dietary fiber. It is hypothesized that these phytochemicals prevent cancer cell replication and damage in cells, and also lower blood cholesterol levels. Consuming a Red Delicious apple is equivalent to 1,500 mg of vitamin C.According to researchers from Cornell University in the UK, apple peels are a rich source of natural compounds with anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. The combination of these two properties offers a potency greater than vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene together (each of which is a powerful antioxidant on its own).
An average apple contains about 3 grams of fiber that aid the digestive system. This amount is quite large relative to the size of the apple and compared to other food sources consumed for their fiber, like oatmeal. This amount is 20% of the recommended daily fiber intake. 80% of the fiber in an apple is soluble. These fibers help lower cholesterol levels. The remaining 20% (which are insoluble) help prevent cancer.
Published courtesy of Gamon
