We’ve all heard the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Was that just something made up by a desperate mother trying to get her child to eat healthfully, or is there truth to it? How beneficial is it to crunch down regularly on this tasty fruit?

First off, apples are extremely heart healthy. They are known to reduce one’s LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, while simultaneously raising your HDL (good) cholesterol, therefore lowering your risk of a stroke.

Apples are quite low calorie; on average, there are only 95 calories in the entire apple! And, because they are high in fiber (assuming you leave the peeling on, as it contains half of the fiber content in your apple), they are filling for such a low-calorie food. This makes them the perfect snacking bites for anyone interested in lowering their risk of Type 2 diabetes, or aiding their digestive system with a fiber-rich, low calorie snack. The high levels of fiber also boost your metabolism (the bodily process determining how quickly you burn calories and fat) — a dream come true for anyone looking to shed a couple of pounds.

Need an immune system boost? Look no further than your local produce aisle. Apples are brimming with nutrients including vitamin C, polyphenols packed with antioxidants, potassium, manganese, vitamin K, copper, Vitamins A, E, B1, B2, and B6! Sounds like a cheap source for a multi-vitamin to me.

Does someone in your circle suffer from allergies and asthma? Interestingly, red apple varieties are thought to provide natural antihistamines, which can help with allergies and asthma and improve lung function. (Read more here.)

Apples are also excellent for your bone health. A special flavonoid antioxidant called phloridzin is only found in apples — specifically the peels — and can help fight osteoporosis by improving your bone density, especially important for post-menopausal women.

According to the AICR (American Institute for Cancer Research), there are strong links showing a decrease in one’s risk of developing certain types of cancer (including colorectal, esophageal, mouth, lung cancers, and a “lower risk of ER-, Estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer”) in individuals regularly consuming raw apples.

In this study published in January of 2020, this miracle fruit is even thought to benefit your neurological health and fight off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, due to the high flavonol levels in apples (among other food sources).

So … in answer to our previous question of whether an apple a day truly keeps the doctor away? It seems a resounding “YES!” can be concluded! Considering there are 7,500 different varieties of apple in the world, they aren’t a fruit you should tire of easily, either. Need some help with all those choices? Check out this buying guide:

Learn The Most Popular Types of Apples

What about organic vs. traditional produce? Well, unfortunately, apples have consistently ranked as one of the “Dirty Dozen” on the annual list published by the Environmental Working Group, a consumer organization that studies the amount of pesticide residue in foods we eat, using data from the U.S.D.A.’s Pesticide Data Program. Since we already know that eating those high fiber apple peels is so healthy, it follows that when it comes to apples, it is definitely worth the extra cost of buying organic. The good news is, organic produce is readily available in most grocery and warehouse stores, and the price difference is shrinking.

We’ve created a FREE printable of the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” produce items. Just print this list and display it on your refrigerator — or keep a copy on your phone — as a reminder of which fruits and vegetables are worth the cost of organic, and which ones you can be more confident in buying non-organic. So go ahead, eat your way to a better, healthier you. Happy munching!

Printable 2020 Dirty Dozen / Clean Fifteen Organic Produce List

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Read more of Bridgitt’s thoughts on healthy eating habits in her 2017 blog post, Clean Eating.

Are you an apple lover?
Check out our recipes for Slow Cooker Apple Butter and Easy Apple Dumplings.

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