Part 1 (of 3)- Apples, Apple Health
Eat an apple a day you say! Most of us have heard it’s great to eat an apple a day, but why is an apple so good for us? Apples help promote a healthy lifestyle due to health benefits, vitamins and fiber found in apples. Researchers have linked eating apples to improving symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and possibly decreasing your risk for developing it as well.
Apples are low on the glycemic index making apples a good choice for diabetics too. Your waistline can benefit from an apple a day; apples are satisfying and delicious, contain good fiber intake, which can decrease hunger. This time of year apples are especially delicious because apples are harvested in the fall!
A growing body of evidence from the University of Massachusetts -Lowell suggests that eating apples and drinking apple juice can be beneficial when it comes to improving brain health and diminishing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. In conjunction with a balanced diet, apple and apple juice consumption may protect against oxidative brain damage that can lead to memory loss. The brain health benefits were found when animals consumed the equivalent of 2 -3 cups of apple juice or 2 – 4 whole apples per day. A clinical trial showed that drinking apple juice significantly improved mood and behavior among a group of patients diagnosed with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.
(Am J Alzheimer’s Dis Other Demen 2010, 25 367-371, AgroFOOD Industry High-Tech, 2009,20;6:32-34, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2009,16:1; Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2005, 8: 283-287; Journal on Nutrition Health and Aging, 2004, 8: 92-97)
