An Apple a Day? Maybe Two or three.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what exactly are the health benefits of apples? Apples are high in fiber and contain many vitamins and minerals in them. They are relatively cheap to buy and easy to find. It may take more than one apple a day to get the health benefits but one apple a day is a good place to start. Here are ten reasons to heed the advice of that wise proverb.
Bone Protection
Osteoporosis is where the bones in the body are not getting enough calcium. When bones 
don’t have enough calcium they get weak and brittle. This can cause the bone to fracture. One of the main causes of osteoporosis is the body’s failure to absorb calcium This starts in the stomach and may be a result of not enough hydrochloric acid or low enzymes. Hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) and enzymes are needed to break down the calcium for absorption. Vitamin D is also needed to absorb calcium therefore low vitamin D can contribute to osteoporosis. Researchers found that a flavanoid* called phloridzin is found only in apples and may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis. Phloridzin may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples also helps to strengthens bones.
Asthma Help
A recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a 
daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. When drinking apple juice make sure there is no sugar added to the juice. When you juice an apple the sugar now gets concentrated. Whereas when you eat the apple with the peeling on it there are enzymes in the peeling that keep the sugar very low. With apple juice you may want to dilute it with some water. You should not drink more than half a glass of apple juice once a day. In adults even half a glass of apple juice has enough sugar in it to stop weight loss. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy, that their children had lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few to no apples during pregnancy.
Alzheimer’s Prevention
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is the most common form of dementia (A serious loss of mental processing ability). There is no known cure for the disease which worsen as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin* in apples may protect brain
cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Although Alzheimer’s disease develops differently for every individual, there are many common symptoms. Early symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be “age-related” concerns or manifestations of stress. In early stages, the most common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. Resent research has shown that colostrum when given to Alzheimer’s patients may offer substantial relief. What is colostrum? Colostrum is the first milk that any mammal produces just before and after giving birth. This first milk is full of growth and immune factors. I carry this product at my office in a capsule form.
Lower Changes Cholesterol
The pectin* in apples lowers LDL (so called bad) cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day 
may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent. There are no known symptoms to identify high cholesterol levels. Therefore it’s necessary for anybody over 19 years old to have a fasting lipoprotein profile at least once a year. In general you can’t pick a single reason why cholesterol levels rise or fall. If high cholesterol runs in the family, it is likely to be a major contributor to the sensitivity of changes in levels of cholesterol. Lifestyle habits like eating unhealthy, excessive drinking, smoking and inactivity can raise cholesterol levels. Cholesterol isn’t all bad. It’s an essential fat that provides support to the membranes of our bodies’ cells. Without cholesterol we would die.
Lung Cancer Prevention
According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high
levels of the falconoid* quercetin* and naringin* in apples. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States causing more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon rectal cancer combined. Lung cancer has caused more deaths in women than breast cancer every year since 1987. Twenty five percent of all people with lung cancer will have no symptoms. The lung cancer can be found on routine x-ray or on a CT scan.
Breast Cancer Prevention
A Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of 
breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent. People aren’t rats but it wouldn’t hurt to eat an apple a day. Most breast masses are benign; that is, they are not cancerous, they do not grow uncontrollably or spread, and are not life-threatening. Breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumor is small and most treatable. It is therefore very important for women to follow recommended screening guidelines for detecting breast cancer at early stages, before symptoms develop. Most common signs is a painless mass felt in the breast, underarm lymph node lump, or swelling. Less common signs are breast pains or heaviness, swelling, thickening, or redness of the breast’s skin.
Colon Cancer Prevention
One study found that rats fed on an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of 
colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract. Diets high in fat are believed to predispose someone to colon cancer. The break down of fat metabolism leads to the formation of cancer causing chemicals called carcinogens. Diets high in vegetables and high fiber foods, like apples and whole grains may rid the bowel of these carcinogens. You should eat about a pound of raw vegetables and a pound of steam vegetables daily. In addition to the vegetables, whole grains like brown rice, buckwheat, and quinoa should be eaten.( At least one cup daily.) Fresh fruits also have a lot of fiber in them (not fruit juice). Three to four fresh fruit, especially apples unpeeled ( the peeling is where most of the fiber is) should be eaten daily.
Liver Cancer Prevention
Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of
liver cancer. Symptoms of liver cancer are loss of appetite, upset stomach, pain in the upper right abdomen or back, yellowing of the skin and fatigue. According to the National Cancer Institute, a diagnosis for cancer in the United States is rare. It is more common in people from Asia or Africa. Liver cancers affect more men then it does women by two to one. While it can strike anyone at any age, the average age of diagnosis is between 60 and 70 years of age. People that receive a late diagnosis (late stage cancer) live an average of 5 to 6 months. With an early diagnosis the person will live an average of 5 years. It sure wouldn’t hurt to eat an apple or two a day.
Diabetes Management
The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid* to the body which lowers the body’s need
for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes. Diabetes Melltitus is a very common disease in the United States. It is one that can be prevented with the correct eating habits. It is estimated that 16 million people already have diabetes and 5.4 million people that have diabetes but don’t know that they have it. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where the body does not produce enough insulin or may not properly use the insulin. Insulin is a hormone that transports sugar into the cells to be burned as energy. There are two types of diabetes. Type Ι where the person is born with it. They may have had some damage to the pancreas gland when developing in the womb and can now not produce insulin.Type Ι Ι which is also called late on set diabetes or adult diabetes. This type is somewhat self inflicted. The person has been on a Modern American Diet (MAD) which consists of a high sugar intake. With high sugar in the body on a daily bases, the pancreas gland which produces insulin “wears out” and will no longer produce the insulin or will not produce enough insulin. So the person now has to control the blood sugar with medications or synthetic insulin.(All of which have long term side effects.) Some symptoms a person may have if they are diabetic and if it goes untreated would be excessive thirst, increased urination (some times as often as every hour), unusual weight loss or weight gain, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, dry mouth, slow healing sores or cuts. I have found in clinical practice that many cases of diabetes type ΙΙ are reversible with the right life style and eating changes. This could be accomplished in as little as six weeks.
Weight loss
A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples per day lost more 
weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting. Raw apples benefit your health by carrying rich amounts of pectin which acts as antioxidants against the damage caused by cholesterol in the blood – fact released by the University of California, Davis in May 2006. If you want to lose weight, you’ll love the weight loss benefits of apples because they contain relatively low calorie count, low fat and sodium levels and brimming with soluble fiber, vitamins and minerals. That makes apples an ideal natural food to include as part of your weight loss regimen. In fact, you can eat it as a meal, preferably for dinner With just 2 to 3 
apples, you can satisfy your hunger but reduce your overall caloric intake.Lets analyze how apple benefits your weight loss. Next, fiber in apple is a powerful weight loss agent. It acts like a sponge, absorbing water and expanding in your stomach to make you feel full sooner. At the same time, it keeps your hunger at bay longer since it does not get digested so quickly. Being low in sodium, apples also prevent or reduce your water retention problem. Not to mention that its vitamins and minerals strengthen your immune system and vitality.
Should You Peel the Apple?
No, as two-thirds of the fiber, and many of the antioxidants, are found in an apple’s peel.
However, some raise concerns about the amount of pesticides on the peel. So it’s best if you run the apples under the tap water more thoroughly or buy a veggie wash to spray on the apples. Better yet, buy organic apples. Organic apples have not been sprayed with harmful pesticides. You should always eat the peeling to get the health benefits of the apple. If you eat the apple peeled the sugar content goes way up much like juicing the apple. There is an enzyme in the apple peel that keeps the sugar low so eat the whole apple.
Definitions:
*Flavonoid (fla·vo·noid) Any of a large group of phytonutrients that are water-soluble pigments, considered to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Also called bioflavonoid. *Pectin n pectin is a gummy polysaccharide (sugar) constituent of the cell walls of plants. pectin has many health benefits *Quercetin Is a Flavonoid that is found in fruit, vegetables, leaves and grains. quercetin has many health benefits. *Naringin Is a glycoside (sugar), has a bitter taste and can also be found in grapefruits. *Galacturonic acid Monobasic acid that is found in pectin. It can be isolated and sold in a powder form.
For more information on how to get healthy and stay healthy, go to www.youralternativedoctor.com Dr Foley is an Advance Nutritionist/ Chiropractic physician that specializes in nutritional rehabilitation of chronic and hard to manage health conditions. He has practiced over 24 years, lecturing weekly on how to get rid of belly fat, Hypothyroid, Hashimoto’s Autoimmune, Gluten Sensitivity and many other health topics. You can listen to Dr. Foley every Sunday at 2:00 PM central time on his radio show “The Natural Health Care Show” on 99.7 FM Nashville, TN or on the Internet “live” at www. 997wtn.com. Past shows are available on his website. Dr Foley takes a natural approach that is safe and effective. All health care programs are tailor made for the individual person. You can contact Dr. Foley at 5602 Nolensville Pike Nashville, TN 37211 Office Phone: (615) 333-0021 or drbjfoley@comcast.net or like us on facebook/drfoley or Twitter @drfoleybrian
