ripe apples
, organic acids, fiber, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and flavonoids, and have been described by scientists as an "all-around healthy fruit. So, what exactly are the health effects that have earned it such a reputation?
Lowering blood lipids: Japan's Fruit Tree Research Institute's human trials show that eating two apples a day for three weeks after the subjects in the blood triglyceride levels decreased by 21%, and high triglyceride levels are the main culprits of vascular sclerosis. When the pectin of apples enters the body, it combines with bile acids and absorbs excess cholesterol and triglycerides like a sponge, then excretes them from the body. At the same time, the acetic acid decomposed by apples facilitates the decomposition and metabolism of these two substances. In addition, the vitamins, fructose and magnesium in apples can also reduce their levels.
Lowering Blood Pressure: Excess sodium is an important factor in causing high blood pressure and stroke. Apples contain sufficient potassium, which can combine with excess sodium in the body and expel it from the body, thus lowering blood pressure. At the same time, potassium ions can effectively protect blood vessels and reduce the incidence of hypertension and stroke. Dr. Susan Orridge, a renowned British pharmacologist, found that the polyphenols and flavonoids contained in apples can effectively prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Preventing cancer: Research at Hirosaki University in Japan has confirmed that polyphenols in apples can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, while a Finnish study is even more exciting: the flavonoids contained in apples are highly effective antioxidants, which are not only the best vascular cleaner, but also the nemesis of cancer. If people eat more apples, the chances of getting lung cancer can be reduced by 46%, and the chances of getting other cancers can also be reduced by 20%. New research from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research also tells us that proanthocyanidins in apples can prevent colon cancer.
Antioxidant effect: Cornell University's research team dipped the brain cells of rats into a liquid containing oak extract and vitamin C, and found that the antioxidant capacity of brain cells was significantly enhanced. Compared with other vegetables and fruits, apples contain the best oak extract, and red apples are better than yellow and green apples. Therefore, for people with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's syndrome, apples are the best food.
Strengthen bones: apples contain the mineral elements boron and manganese that can strengthen bones. A study in the United States found that boron can substantially increase the concentration of estrogen and other compounds in the blood, and these substances can effectively prevent calcium loss. Medical experts believe that menopausal women, if they can consume 3 grams of boron per day, then their rate of calcium loss can be reduced by 46%, menopausal women to eat more apples, is conducive to the absorption and utilization of calcium, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
Maintaining acid-base balance: 70% of the diseases occur in acidic body, and apples are alkaline food, eating apples can quickly neutralize the body's excessive acid (including exercise-generated acid and fish, meat, eggs, and other acidic food in the body to produce acidic metabolites), to enhance the physical strength and resistance to disease.
"An apple a day, the doctor away from me." Among the many fruits, apple can be said to be the most common and the most peaceful one, but its nutritional value should not be underestimated. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it can produce fluids and moisten the lungs, strengthen the spleen and open the stomach. Nutritional analysis, pointed out that the apple contains the most fructose, and contains a variety of organic acids, pectin and trace elements.
Apple pectin is a soluble fiber that not only promotes cholesterol metabolism and effectively lowers cholesterol levels, but also promotes the elimination of fat from the body. The French have done an experiment, so that a group of healthy middle-aged men and women eat two or three apples a day for a month, measure their body cholesterol levels, found that 80% of the people in the blood of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL also known as bad cholesterol) have been reduced; at the same time, the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, that is, the good cholesterol) but increased. The cardiovascular benefits of apples are evident.
Potassium, a trace element contained in apples, dilates blood vessels and is beneficial to people with high blood pressure, while zinc is essential for the human body, and a lack of it can lead to blood sugar metabolism disorders and reduced sexual function.
Eating raw apples, in addition to the above benefits, can also regulate the stomach and intestines, because it is rich in fiber, which helps excretion. On the other hand, diarrhea people eat it is also beneficial, because the malic acid with astringent effect, but must pay attention to, such as the spleen and stomach cold type of chronic diarrhea, it is necessary to use the apple wrapped in tinfoil, baked or simmered cooked before eating.
Apple is rich in nutrients, calories are not high, very popular with dieters. In terms of therapeutic aspects, with the apple skin with a few slices of ginger boiled water to drink, can stop vomiting. Apple with pears can reduce the pear cold, more strengthened and moisten the lungs and stomach effect. Autumn sugar water, with apples, pears several, plus lily 1 two (30 grams), dendrobium 5 money (15 grams), north and south apricot 3 money (9 grams), can moisten the lungs and stop coughing.
Weight loss: apples will increase satiety, eat before meals can reduce the amount of food, to achieve the purpose of weight loss.