Health
The health benefi ts of eating apples
The phrase, “An apple a day
keeps the doctor away,” is
a familiar one that many
people fi rst heard as children.
Apples are among the most cultivated and
consumed foods in the world. They’re
also among the healthiest. Medical News
Today, a market leader for medical news
that is owned and operated by the United
Kingdom-based healthcare publisher
Healthline Media, listed apples among
its 10 healthiest foods. Apples provide
many health benefi ts, lending credence
to the notion that consuming one per
day might just keep the doctor away:
Apples may reduce risk for stroke.
Apples are rich in antioxidants, including
quercetin, which researchers have
determined can help people lower their
risk for thrombotic stroke. In that study,
which was published in the European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000,
researchers studied more than 9,200
men and women over a 28-year period.
Those who ate the most apples during
that time had a lower risk for thrombotic
stroke, a type of stroke that occurs
when a blood clot forms in an artery that
supplies blood to the brain. Such blood
clots block the fl ow of oxygen-rich blood
to the brain, producing long-term brain
damage.
They lower levels of bad cholesterol.
“Bad cholesterol” refers to low-density
lipoprotein, or LDL. LDL is considered
bad because high levels of it lead
to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries,
raising a person’s risk for coronary
artery disease. Thankfully, in 2011,
researchers at Florida State University
found that older women who consume
apples every day had reduced their LDL
levels by 23 percent in six months and
even increased their “good” cholesterol
levels by four percent over that period.
Apples can help people maintain
healthy weights. The fl avonoid polymers
found in apples inhibit enzymes that
break down simple sugars. That means
the fl avonoid polymers in apples help
you fl ush more of the sugar in apples out
of your system instead of storing it as fat.
That can help people maintain healthy
weights. Fuji apples have the most fl avonoids.
They can lower risk for diabetes. A
recent cohort study published in BMJ
(formerly the British Medical Journal)
that involved researchers from the U.K.,
the U.S. and Singapore found that consuming
three servings per week of blueberries,
grapes, raisins, apples or pears
reduced participants’ risk for type 2 diabetes
by 7 percent.
Apples provide many health benefits, lending credence to the notion
that consuming one per day might just keep the doctor away.
Three ways oatmeal can benefi t your body
Oatmeal is one of many options
people have when sitting
down to breakfast each
morning. Few foods pack as nutritious
a punch as oatmeal.
Instant oatmeal might be found in
the pantries of many households. But
it’s important to note that packets
of instant oatmeal are often loaded
with sodium and sugar, which can
compromise the nutritional benefi ts
of the oats.
Oatmeal can provide a great start
to your day and pay other dividends
as well, though it’s important that
consumers read package labels
so they are getting the nutritional
benefi ts of whole-grain oats without
the added sugar and sodium.
1. Oatmeal can help lower
‘bad’ cholesterol
According to the Mayo Clinic, oatmeal
contains soluble fi ber, which
can reduce the absorption of cholesterol
into the bloodstream. And
it doesn’t even take much soluble
fi ber to reap such benefi ts. Five to
10 grams of soluble fi ber per day has
been shown to decrease low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol, which is
commonly referred to as “LDL” or
“bad” cholesterol.
2. It is loaded with vitamins
and minerals
The online medical resource
Healthline notes that oats contain
a well-balanced nutrient composition
that can help people get well on
their way to consuming their recommended
daily intake of various vitamins,
minerals, and antioxidants.
For example, half a cup of oats contains
41 percent of the RDI of phosphorous
and 20 percent of the RDI
of iron. That same serving contains
51 grams of carbohydrates and 13
grams of protein.
3. It can help people maintain
healthy weights
Oatmeal, so long as it isn’t instant
oatmeal, is one of the rare
foods that’s both filling and low
in calories. Oatmeal is filling because
of its fiber content. Unlike
other carbohydrates, fiber does
not break down into sugar once
it’s consumed. When fiber is consumed,
it absorbs water and takes
up space in the stomach, giving
feelings of fullness that can prevent
overeating.
Few breakfast foods pack as nutritious a punch as oatmeal.
Schneps Media TVG April 4, 2019 29