It’s that time again: the apples are in season! Not only do apples taste great, they also offer powerful health benefits!

A medium apple is a low calorie powerhouse, especially if you buy organic and eat the skin. A medium apple provides 4 grams of fiber, a nice dose of vitamin C and is a rich source of polyphenols (beneficial plant chemicals). Most fibers and polyphenols are in the skin!

Polyphenols stimulate the body to produce more antioxidants through a process called hormesis. These plant chemicals are produced by plants to defend themselves and are designed to be toxic to insects.

Because of our size, the doses of polyphenols behave differently in humans and stimulate our cellular defenses and detoxification pathways. Apples contain multiple types of beneficial polyphenols, including flavanols, catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidins.

Apples and Alzheimer’s Disease

High concentrations of polyphenols from apples have been shown to stimulate the production of new neurons in the brain – a process called neurogenesis. It’s important to note that blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries all have similar benefits for the aging brain. The key at all is to buy organic. Organically grown produce typically contains higher amounts of these beneficial plant chemicals because they need to survive pests without the aid of synthetic pesticides.

If you can’t find organic apples, make sure to wash them thoroughly to remove as many pesticides as possible.

A study of 921 people showed that those who consumed the highest levels of flavonoids (a type of polyphenol) were 48% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Apples are among the richest sources of flavonoids, but remember that most of them are in the skin!

This post The Amazing Apple! was original published at “http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-amazing-apple.html”