Sweet, crunchy, and endlessly versatile, apples are the favorite fruit of all ages. But do you know that this nutrient-rich fruit is packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, and potassium and is key in improving overall health? It may surprise you, but yes, it's a fact!

Apples offer various health benefits, from improving heart health to boosting digestion, helping with weight loss, and lowering the risk of cancer and chronic diseases. Therefore, they are a crucial part of a balanced diet. Are you curious to know more about apples? If so, keep reading and learn here what makes them a true superfood, along with eight remarkable health benefits of apples!

What Makes Apple a Superfood?

Apples are a superfood because of their nutritional value and effectiveness against many chronic diseases. They are nutrient-dense fruits containing 85% water, 14% carbohydrates, and various beneficial phytochemicals. Apples contain a high level of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C (14% DV) and potassium (6% DV). Vitamin C is an important water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in iron absorption and strengthens the immune system. Potassium is an electrolyte that helps maintain blood pressure within a healthy range. Besides that, apples can also provide folate, calcium, iron, and vitamin A.

Apples are also good sources of fiber. On average, a medium apple contains about 3g of insoluble fiber and 1g of soluble fiber. The insoluble fiber regulates the digestive system by increasing stool bulk and transit through the bowel, ultimately reducing constipation. Similarly, the soluble fiber helps bind the bile acids in the intestines, causing them to be excreted and lowering the serum cholesterol. Soluble fiber also helps control diabetes and manage weight because it slows gastric emptying. As per USDA data, an average apple contains

1. Calories: 122
2. Carbohydrates: 29.6 grams
3. Fiber: 4.2 g
4. Fat: 0.3 g
5. Protein: 0.34 g
6. Vitamin C: 9.2 mg
7. Potassium: 208 mg

8 Top Health Benefits of Apples

Apples are popular among people due to their pleasant taste and texture. People love to consume them in almost all forms, whether fresh, canned, frozen, dried, or juiced. Adding a sizable portion of fruits like apples is important in maintaining a balanced diet and maximizing health benefits. The impressive health benefits that apples offer you have been mentioned below:

1. Provide Disease-Fighting Antioxidants: Apples have polyphenols, an antioxidant type that scavenges free radicals, which can cause cell damage and aging. Research shows that when these free radicals are set free, they cause oxidative stress. This oxidative stress later contributes to the progression of chronic conditions like heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants act like a mechanism that counters the harmful effects of these free radicals on human health.
2. High in Dietary Fiber: Dietary fiber helps maintain a healthy digestive tract. An apple contains almost 4 grams of dietary fiber, which is beneficial in supporting healthy bacterial growth in our gut. Similarly, fiber plays a crucial role in digestion. The fiber present in Apples feeds the gut microbiome, lowering inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity, and supporting healthy metabolism.
3. Gut-Friendly Prebiotics: Gut health is directly linked to fiber. Fiber in apples supports and feeds food bacteria, which suggests its high level of prebiotics. Apples contain pectin, a good soluble fiber that fuels probiotics, the healthy microbes present in our gut. Pectin is also the major soluble fiber, which has gut benefits and anti-inflammatory effects.
4. Assist With Weight Loss: Apple has several attributes that make it good for losing weight. As per the USDA, one medium apple contains almost 122 calories, with 4.2 grams of fiber, making it a low-calorie yet high-fiber diet. Low-caloric diet can play a key role in your weight loss journey. Conversely, fiber also contributes to improving body weight and tackling diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Chlorogenic acid, a bioactive ingredient in apple peels, also helps with weight loss. It has anti-inflammatory effects and improves metabolism, speeding up burning harmful excess body fat.
5. Lowers Cancer Risk: Cancer is one of the major causes of death today. It isn't easy to determine exactly what foods help prevent cancer, as more research is needed. However, studies show that certain dietary patterns can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, a sizable intake of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Apple contains antioxidants that may have anti-cancer effects. These antioxidants help reduce oxidative damage, which can later contribute to cancer.
6. Prevent Chronic Diseases: Ursolic Acid is a beneficial substance found in many vegetables and fruits, including apples. Although its benefits are mainly shown in animal studies rather than humans, which need more research, one fact is that ursolic acid lowers inflammation, which helps prevent chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Studies have also shown that it promotes brain health.
7. Rich in Potassium: Apples are rich in fiber and other nutrients, including potassium. Potassium plays a role in muscle contractions and maintains healthy blood pressure and fluid balance. On average, one medium-sized apple contains almost 200 mg of potassium.
8. Supports Cardiovascular Health: Apples are known for many health benefits due to their presence of fiber and other healthy nutrients. Fiber works wonders in removing and maintaining cholesterol levels. Usually, when referring to cholesterol, it means your bad cholesterol LDL levels, which lowers and reduces the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that eating a 100-gram apple is associated with less inflammation, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cholesterol levels. It rightly supports the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Conclusion:                        

Today, we all know that dietary choices play a key role in longevity and quality of life, and fruits like apples can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases. That's because apples are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Therefore, apples can lower the risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, improve gut health, and maintain optimal health. It's better to eat them with their peel due to additional benefits, as it also contains nutrients. So, make this superfood a part of your diet and enjoy all these health benefits!