An apple a day really could keep
the doctor away – as long as you don’t throw away the peel.
The chemical behind the apple skin’s waxy shine is being credited
with a host of health benefits from building muscle to keeping the lid on
weight. Ursolic acid also keeps cholesterol and blood sugar under control,
meaning an apple a day could do wonders for all-round health.
Researcher said: ‘Ursolic acid is an
interesting natural compound. It’s part of a normal diet as a component of
apple peels. ‘They always say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away…’
The importance of apple peel was discovered
after Dr. Adams, a U.S. expert in how hormones affect the body, set out to find
a drug that stops muscles from wasting, keeping pensioners strong as they age
and cutting their risk of hard-to-heal fractures.
The
researcher then supplemented a normal diet in mice with small amounts of the
compound and subjected them to a battery of health tests. The creatures’
muscles got bigger and their grip became stronger. The benefits didn’t end
there. The mice fed the apple peel chemical had lower levels of cholesterol and
other blood fats blamed for clogging up the arteries and damaging the heart,
and had around a third less body fat.
Health benefits:
Apples are filled with soluble fiber (5 grams). This fiber has
been shown to reduce intestinal disorders, including diverticulitis,
hemorrhoids and possibly some types of cancer. It helps control insulin levels
by releasing sugar slowly into the
bloodstream. It cleanses and detoxifies, which helps eliminate heavy metals,
such as lead and mercury. Apple pectin helps reduce cholesterol levels by
lowering insulin secretion. In two studies researchers found that eating five
apples a week lowered the risk for respiratory diseases like asthma.
According to Chinese Medicine: Apples strengthen the heart, quench
thirst, lubricate the lungs, decrease mucous and increase body fluids. Apple cider vinegar can help
prevent the formation of kidney stones.
Studies indicate that eating apples daily can reduce skin
diseases.
According to a Brazilian study, eating an apple before a meal
helped women lose 33 percent more weight than those who didn't. An apple has
only 50-80 calories and has no fat or sodium.
Apples are packed with vitamins C, A, and flavonoids and with
smaller amounts of phosphorus, iron and calcium. Apples provide a source of
potassium which may promote heart health.
So there you have it ... lots of good reasons why it is good for
you to eat an apple a day! I like apples so much that when I started living by
myself I substituted those sugar laden cereals with an apple.
Posts
