Feeding and Diet

The apple is from the same member of the pear family, the Rose family.  Depending on the variety, its white fleshed fruits is crisp and crunchy, some "powdery" when you bite into it.  They vary in its sweetness, flavor and tartness.  There are varieties that come in yellow, red or green skin.

Nutritional Benefits

Apples are known for its excellent source of pectin and fibers.  They are high in vitamin A and C and a good source of potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus.

Most of an apple's nutrients are stored on the skin or just under the skin.  There are the phytonutrients: ellagic acid, malic acid, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin.  There are many more phytonutrients in an apple, some yet to be discovered and named.  These compounds are high in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.

Health Benefits

When you eat an apple raw (not cooked) or drink of its fresh juices every day, you can expect to benefit from its numerous health benefits.

Asthma: Asthmatics who drink apple juice daily will encounter less wheezing and asthma attack due to the high vitamin C and anti-oxidant compounds.

Athletes: Moderate exercise is good.  But intensive or strenuous work-out/trainings will create oxidative stress in the body.  Drinking apple juice after trainings will neutralize the harmful oxidants, replenish the vitamins/minerals, reverse muscle tiredness and muscle stiffness.  Be sure that the apple juice are not oxidized which will add on to the oxidative stress that is harmful to the body.

Atheroslerosis: The high LDL cholesterol in the body is dangerous when there is oxidative stress occurring.  The high anti-oxidant compounds from apple will help neutralize the oxidation, thus reducing the danger of the plaque build-up and clogging of the arteries that lead to atherosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis: Regularly consuming apple juice that is rich in vitamin C will retard the development of hardening of the arteries.

Bone Protection: The high content of potassium in apple prevents loss of calcium in the blood which in turn help prevent loss of calcium in the bones.  Daily eating/drinking an apple helps preserve bone density and prevent osteoporosis.

Constipation: Drinking apple juice mixed with carrot juice is a sure way to ease constipation.  If badly constipated, keep drinking this combination until bowel moves, and it will.

Dental Care: Chewing on an apple helps clean the teeth and maintain healthy gums.  The anti-septic effect of apples keep bacteria and viruses away;  and reduces the incidences of cavities in teeth.

Diabetes: Green apples are great to be consumed by diabetics for its fiber.  The apple polyphenols also help prevent spikes in blood sugar with enzymes that help break down complex carbohydrates.

Digestion: Apples contain a natural laxative.  When drunk as juice, it helps aid bowel movements.  It is most effective when mixed with carrots and spinach juices, you can expect bowel movement the next day.  Regularly eating apples also will ensure bowel movements due to its gel-forming fiber, pectin.  It improves the intestinal muscle's ability to push waste through the gastrointestinal tract. Regular bowel movements mean lower chances of colon cancer.

Fibromyalgia: Apple is one of the best sources of malic acid that plays an important role in improving muscle performance, reversing muscle tiredness after exercise, prevent muscle stiffness, and generally reducing lethargy and increasing energy levels.  This makes it a great help for people suffering from fibromyalgia.

Lung Cancer, Prevention: The high content of flavonoids quercetin, naringin and anti-oxidants in apples are effective compounds in preventing lung cancer.

Consumption Tips

If possible, always use the green variety for juicing.  Make it as a base for all your juices.  They have better and different enzymes and suitable even for diabetics, not too sweet and mixes well with vegetable juices.

Do not store damaged/spoiled apples with the good ones as they produce ethylene gas that will hasten the spoilage of other apples.  This is why we hear, "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch".

To prevent sliced apples from browning (oxidizing), put them in a bowl of pure cold water with a spoonful of lemon juice added.

Caution

Apple seeds contain cyanide which is harmful.  Remove seeds when juicing.  This is another reason why a juicer with a big feed chute that feeds a whole apple is not encouraged, although cyanide contamination will be a small amount.  You decide.

When giving apple juice to your toddler, dilute the juice with one part water.  When giving to young children, give juice from no more than one apple to prevent gas and diarrhea.

The wax on apples are mostly non-petroleum based and are safe for consumption.  However, if you're concerned, go for organic apples.  One way to remove the wax is by brushing with a fruit brush although you may not get it off completely.

If you use a centrifugal juicer to make your apple juice, you will notice that the juice turn brown.  This is oxidation, and oxidized juice is in effect, spoiled juice.  To prevent this, add lemon when juicing apples, and put them in alternately.

If you are serious about juicing, invest in a good gear juicer which addresses the two problems above (wax and oxidation).  When using a gear juicer, you can be sure that the wax will not be included in your juicer but will be expelled out in the pulp.  Secondly, a gear juicer that runs on low RPM will preserve the nutrients and enzymes and preserve the juices from oxidation.