Being a physician I haven’t ever warmed to the old Welsh proverb of, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away!” WHY would you want to keep me away? I don’t reckon I’m that socially awkward that I require a fruit to be kept at bay 😉

But in all seriousness, this fruit apart from it’s famed narratives in religious/cultural history is a favorite of mine and I enjoy nothing more than biting into the sweet, tang of a Granny Smith or British Gala after a workout or even now as I write this… Yummy !

Apples make for a wonderful snack at almost any point in the day and the fact that it packs a phenomenal nutritional punch is just glitter. But I wanted to explore that old proverb and here are SOME of the reasons why an apple a day CAN indeed keep the doctor away :

• Peelful – the nutrition of this fruit definitely is “skin deep”. The peel contains powerful antioxidants like catechin, procyanidins, chlorogenic acid, ploridizn and the fiber pectin. Pectin apart from boosting HDL (high-density lipids) levels in the blood, thereby lowering heart disease risk, is wonderful in keeping you feeling full and satiated at a low calorie count.
• Breathe easy – You can literally breathe easy by incorporating apples into your diet because apple consumption is known to improve lung function due to an antioxidant called Quercetin. In particular it is known to help decrease the risk of asthma in children.
• Mindful – The fruit is linked to increased acetylcholine production (a neurotransmitter which assists communication between nerve cells) and is now thought to play a major role in protecting neurons (nerve cells) by reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimers. [study in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease] Quercetin is one of the compounds that is known to help reduce cellular death from oxidation and inflammation.

• Bowel battle of the Cancer Warrior – The fiber element of apples ensures smooth bowel functioning and optimum water absorption/excretion. This in turn keeps the food-faeces pass through the bowels smoothly and helps prevent diseases and disorders that come from a low-fiber diet like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Haemorrhoids.
  The fruit also is especially great for liver functioning because of it’s rich nutrient property and helps the liver “detox” the blood.
  A study from Cornell additionally found that Triterpenoids in apples seemingly fight against several cancers like colon, liver and breast.

• Sweetheart – Apples are a great way to indulge your sweet tooth without having to worry about sugar-excess diseases like Type 2 Diabetes. A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states this is due to Anthocyanins, an antioxidant. The fruit can regulates its release of fructose (sugar) into the body. Further it stimulates the Beta cells of the pancreas to secrete insulin to ensure the fructose from it is appropriately absorbed by the body.
  A phenomenal post workout (particular a fat burning session) bite to replenish glycogen stores in the muscle .