An apple a day

Jan Coussan

jcoussan@agcenter.lsu.edu

This is the time of the year for harvesting the many varieties of apples. About 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States and 100 varieties grown commercially.

A member of the rose family, apples come in a variety of colors. They come in all shades of reds, greens and yellows. Some apples are more suited for baking and cooking, while others perform better as snacks.

As early as medieval times, apples and products made from apples have been used for their health benefits.

Apples have many properties that no other fruits have, and its benefits have been proven over time. These benefits can be found individually in other fruits, but the apple is a compact source of these benefits. Eaten with the skin, an apple is a portable package of nutrients.

The Many Benefits of Eating Apples

Eating five apples or more per week has shown to lower the risk of respiratory problems like asthma.

The abundance of flavonoids (a type of pigment in apples that helps provide their color) in apples can help prevent heart disease. Apples help protect arteries from plaque build-up.

Apples contain phenols, which help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. The pectin in apples is a soluble fiber that also helps lower LDL cholesterol. Lowering cholesterol levels helps reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke.

The flavonoids in apples also have been shown to help protect against cancers, including colon, prostate and lung and breast cancer in women.

Phytonutrients found in apples helps to protect the brain from age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Apples, including the skin, have been shown to help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The soluble and insoluble fibers in apples help relieve constipation, thus preventing diverticulosis and colon cancer.

A raw medium apple (2½ inches in diameter), eaten with the skin, is low in fat and calories and high in vitamins and minerals. It has only 80 calories, five grams of fiber and 6 percent of potassium. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins C and A. The apple contains about 80-85 percent water, 5 percent protein and 10-15 percent carbohydrates. It is sodium and fat free!

To get all the benefits that an apple has to offer, be sure to eat the skin – after washing thoroughly, of course. The apple skin alone provides two to six times the antioxidants than the flesh. Antioxidants are substances and nutrients found in some foods that can prevent damage to your body cells or repair damage that has already been done.

Americans consume an average of around 20 pounds of apples per year, which translates into about one apple a week. Although an apple a week is better than none at all, it is not enough to reap all the benefits that this fruit has to offer. If you don’t like one variety of apples, try another – there are many others.

Here are just a few of the many varieties that are available in our area:

•Golden Delicious: A gingery-smooth, sweet tasting treat lies under a thin skin. This is the most popular yellow apple. Goldens may be eaten fresh or cut up in salads, and are also a great choice for applesauce or cider, baking pies and other desserts.

•Granny Smith: These apples are crisp, juicy, and tart which makes them perfect for either baking in pies, stewed in sauces or eating out of hand. They’re also great in salads because once cut, they keep their color longer than other apples.

•Red Delicious: America’s most popular apple, known for the “five little bumps” on the bottom. They are best for fresh eating and snacks. Full-flavored sweet taste, yellow flesh and crisp texture. Discovered over 100 years ago in Iowa.

•Gala: This is a great apple; crisp snappy bite over a mellow sweetness. Very good for fresh eating or cooking. Looks great and smells sweet.

•Fugi: This apple has a sweet and tart flavor, with a low acid content. An incredibly good keeper. Fugi stays crisp for weeks!

•Macintosh: Classic large, round apple for eating out of hand. Ultra-juicy white flesh, lightly tart flavor and excellent fresh apple aroma. Great for salads. Excellent in applesauce and cider, also used in pies.

•Cameo: The Cameo variety is a hearty, all-around apple with a deep juicy flavor and a crisp crunch that makes it the perfect eating apple. The Cameo is best when eaten out of hand, but is also good for cooking, especially soon after harvest when it retains some tart hints to its otherwise sweet character.

•Honey Crisp: This apple is crisp and combines unusual color and sweet flavor. Use it for fresh eating, fresh-cut slices or cut up in salads.

For more information on food safety, contact the LSU AgCenter office at 337-332-2181.