Apple fruit nutrition facts

Delicious and crunchy apple fruit is one of the most popular fruit favored by health conscious, fitness freaks who believe in “health is wealth.” This wonderful fruit packed with rich phyto-nutrients that in the true sense are indispensable for optimal health. The antioxidants in apple have many health promoting and disease prevention properties; thus justifying the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Apples are obtained from the medium sized tree belonging to the rosaceae family. Scientific name: Malus domestica. The apple tree is originated in the mineral rich mountain ranges of Kazakhstan, and is now being cultivated in many parts of the world.

Apple fruit features oval or pear shape; and the outer skin has different colors depending upon the cultivar type. Internally, the juicy pulp has off-white to cream in color and has mix of mild sweet and tart taste. The seeds are inedible because of their bitter taste. Several hundred varieties of apples grown in the US and worldwide either for just eating or as a desert fruit to cooking or baking in many recipes.

Apple fruit (Malus domestica), Fresh,

 Nutritive value per 100 g,

 ORAC value-5900

 (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)

  

Health benefits of apple

• Delicious and crunchy apple is one of the popular fruit that contain an impressive list of essential nutrients, which are required for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being.
• Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. The fruits are however, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol; but rich in dietary fiber, which helps, prevent absorption of dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut. The dietary fibers also help protect the mucous membrane of the colon from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.
• Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta-carotene. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
• Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenols. The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g apple fruit is 5900 TE. The important flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2. Apples are also good in tartaric acid that gives tart flavor to them. These compounds help body protect from deleterious effects of free radicals.
• In addition, apple fruit is a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body.
• Apple also contains small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus counters the bad influences of sodium.

Selection and Storage

Fresh apples are readily available in the stores all around the season. Choose fresh, bright, firm textured apples with rich flavor. Avoid fruits with pressure marks over their surface as they indicate underlying mottled of pulp.

Fresh apples can be kept at room temperature for few days and stored in refrigerator for two to three weeks. Wash them in clean running cold water before use to remove any surface dust and pesticide/fungicide residues.

Preparation and Serving tips

Wash apples thoroughly in the running water to remove any surface dust, insecticide/fungicide sprays. Remove the top end using paring knife and cut it into two equal halves. Take out centrally placed small seeds. Slice the fruit into desirable cubes or pieces.

Here are some serving tips:

• Eat apple fruit as they are with skin to get maximum health benefits.
• Sliced apple turns brown (enzymatic brownish discoloration) on exposure to air due to conversion in iron form from ferrous oxide to ferric oxide. If you have to serve them sliced, rinse slices in water added with few drops of fresh  lemon.
• Cloudy apple juice is a good drink with dinner.
• Apple fruit is also used in the preparation of fruit jam, pie, and fruit salad.