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Apples: The Most Healing Superfood in the World
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Apples are the super common, and therefore often overlooked, superfood that has so much to offer us! Apples can keep our arteries clear, prevent a wide range of cancer, and even protect us from nuclear fallout, just to name a few.
That old saying of an apple a day has never meant more than it does today. Although some people might think of it as nothing more than a quaint saying in folklore, the truth is that in our modern day world, doctors bring out a huge array of testing procedures, interventions, and toxic drugs that carry their own set of adverse health risks that often outweigh their benefits. These types of things should be avoided whenever possible.
When it comes down to brass tacks, eating apples is far less expensive than seeing a doctor, and are the perfect, not to mention tasty, way to be proactive when it comes to your health.
Take a look at this one example. Apples are currently being studied but in some pre-clinical trials, it’s been proven that apples kill the following cancers:
- Liver cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Multi-drug resistant types of cancers
- Stomach cancer
In fact, when it comes to stomach cancer, apples stop the proliferation of one of the main compounds that has been linked to stomach cancer and ulcers, Helicobacter pylori. Apple procyanidin is being studied because it appears to induce the cell death of stomach cancer cells.
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Apples might also protect us from far more cancers than the ones mentioned above but they haven’t been studied yet. No matter which part of the apple is studied, all pieces seem to have anti-tumor compounds. In fact, apple cider vinegar has been found to have anti-tumor properties that result from the acetic acid fermentation process.
Apples also lower our risk of developing cancer by their ability to remove carcinogenic radioisotopes. These accumulate in our bodies from nuclear weapon testing, nuclear energy disasters and the associated pollution from these disasters. (Think Fukushima and Chernobyl) Perhaps we should start saying “An apple a day keeps the nuclear fallout away.”
Apples, although they are not technically medicine, are the means by which pharmaceutical medicines become unnecessary. When we get true nutrition and detoxification from our foods, we treat and prevent diseases. Plants and animals were made to live in symbiosis. For example, we breathe in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide, which is the reverse for plants. Fruits from the plants grow their seeds inside fruits and veggies, which we eat and then spread the seeds. People and plants have a give and take relationship. Perhaps this is why apples have so many amazing feats of healing, who knows?
Consider some of the other evidence based healing compounds of apples:
- Stops atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Compounds in apples prevent the formation of plaque within the arteries.
- Anti-aging properties. Apples prevent oxidative damage and increase the cognitive performance in tests done with aging mice.
- Periodontal disease. Have you ever noticed that after you eat an apple your teeth and gums feel squeaky clean? This is due to the quercetin, which is found in apples, and quercetin has antimicrobial properties.
- Stops bowel inflammation. Preclinical research shows that apples greatly reduce inflammation of the bowels and stops diarrhea.
- Helps with weight loss. One study involving humans found that eating three apples per day helped women to lose a significant amount of weight. Read also about herbs that help you lose weight.
- Inhibits Staphylococcal infections. The pectin in apples has been shown to inhibit the growth of both type A and type B staphylococcal enterotoxins.
- Anti-viral. Researchers have found that apple pectin can inhibit the ability of the type A flu virus to infect people in animal studies.
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The list of evidence of the healing properties of apples is too lengthy to list here but this list should at least give you an idea of the profound healthy compounds a simple apple contains.
If you have never done an apple mono diet, perhaps it’s time to try one for 30 days. Don’t think of this as a diet, it’s really more of an apple feast. Buy a bag of organic apples, any variety. Keep a few with you at all times. Anytime you are hungry between meals, eat one. It’s that simple. Give it 30 days and see if you don’t lose weight, feel full and somehow more satisfied simply by eating more apples. If you don’t feel any change after 30 days, you haven’t really lost anything, but most people who try this approach say that they were surprised at how healthy and “clean” they felt after just a few days.
Apples are a very powerful source of antioxidants, vitamin C, flavonoids, polyphenols, and potassium, not to mention a good source of healthy fiber, all for a skinny little 47 calories. (In a medium sized apple) Always eat the skin of the apple as this is where all the antioxidant compounds lie. The skin of an apple has six times as many antioxidant compounds as what is in the flesh itself.
The high fiber content in apples is also good news for your digestive health and heart health as well. So when you eat an apple, think of it as a tasty snack for your heart and digestive system as well as for your taste buds!
There are many varieties of apples, each with its own skin color. Each variety, therefore, has a different type of phytonutrient content. For example, Fuji apples have the highest flavonoid content. So for even better health, eat a wide variety of apples to ensure that you get a healthy balance of all the different types of antioxidants available.
So the next time you bite into a crisp, crunch apple, think for just a moment about all the healthy goodness you are putting in your body. You might even want to offer a silent thanks to Johnny Appleseed.
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