Amazing
Benefits of Apple
APPLE |
Antioxidants are
disease-fighting compounds. Scientists believe these compounds help prevent and
repair oxidation damage that happens during normal cell activity. Apples are
also full of a fibre called pectin—a medium-sized apple contains about 4 grams
of fibre. Pectin is classed as a soluble, fermentable and viscous fibre, a
combination that gives it a huge list of health benefits.
A new
study performed on mice shows that drinking apple juice
could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain.
Mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of
the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a
regular diet.
Vitamin C
Apples benefit your health by boosting your intake of
vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps you make collagen, a protein found
abundantly in your skin. Collagen is a crucial structural component of skin and
helps maintain your skin's waterproof barrier. Low collagen production caused
by vitamin C deficiency affects your skin, leading to a re-opening of old
wounds and skin tearing. A large apple contains 10.3 milligrams of vitamin C,
14 percent of the daily vitamin C requirements for women, according to the
Linus Pauling Institute, or 11 percent for men.
Vitamin A
Apples
provide a small amount of skin-friendly vitamin A, a family of chemicals called
retinoids. Vitamin A plays an important role in skin development -- it helps
immature skin develop into mature and functional skin tissue. Vitamin A might
also reduce the risk of skin cancer, according to the Linus Pauling Institute,
although more research is needed to know its exact role in cancer prevention. A
large apple provides 120 international units of vitamin A. According to the
Linus Pauling Institute, this makes up 5 percent of the daily vitamin A
requirements for women or 4 percent for men.
Copper
Apples also provide a source of copper, an
essential mineral that contributes to healthy skin. Copper helps you make
melanin, the brown-black pigment that colors your skin. Melanin in your skin
protects you from the sun's ultraviolet rays, so being able to produce melanin
provides natural sun protection.