Apples are a humble food. I was once told that there is more nutrition in a chocolate bar than in an apple. This may be true, but I feel that apple has many more benefits. I was also told that we need fiber in our diet. When I was at BYU, I took a Botany class. We each had to do a project, on anything that had anything to do with plants, and we had to use current research journals; article published in peer reviewed journal during the previous two years. I chose to write my paper on fiber in the diet.
I learned that not all fiber is created of equal value. There are two main groupings-- insoluble and soluble,
five types of fiber--Cellulose, Hemi-cellulose, Pectin, Lignins, Gums, and Mucilages. Insoluble cannot be dissolved in water. It moves food through the intestines faster and might reduce colon cancer. Within those two categories are several kinds of fiber. This led me to ask, which fiber to eat, and which is the best? They all have their benefits and jobs, I discovered that it is best to have variety.
In Iran, the men got three times the iron in their diet than they needed, but it was mostly from wheat. The phytates (an insoluble fiber) in the wheat, bound with the iron in the diet and passed it right out of the body. Though wheat may be a good source of fiber, it is probably not a reliable source of iron, and another source of iron should be included in the diet.
What about pectin? WOW! That humble apple has pectin, which is a great aide for people concerned about their cholesterol. The pectin actually encapsulates the bad cholesterol and pass it from the body. Since then, I learned more about apples and the healthful benefits that come from eating them.
Apple Trivia or more than you ever wanted or needed to know about apples:
* There are over 2000 varieties of apples.
* Apples are a member of the rose family.
* Folk lore associates the forbidden fruit with the apple, hence the apple is associated with knowledge. The term "Adam's apple" comes from the tradition that when Adam bit the apple a piece got stuck in his throat.
* The oldest apple seeds found were in the Caucasus Mountains, crab apples. Mount Ararat (or anciently Urartu) is where Noah's ark landed.
* There were apple orchards along the Nile Delta as early as 1300 BC.
* Isaac Newton confirmed gravity while sitting under an apple tree.
* There were only 4 varieties of apples on the Eastern seaboard of America when the Europeans arrived. Europeans brought apple seeds from the "Old World" when they came to America.
* One bushel of apples will yeild about 2 gallons of apple juice.
* John Chapman, known as
Johnny Appleseed, was a self appointed Christian missionary and orchardist. He collected apple seeds from the cider presses and used them to plant orchards along the main wilderness trails from Pennsylvania, through Ohio, Indiana, ending at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he died in March 1845. Along the way, he preached, shared, or spread his Swedenborgian Christian beliefs. He was born 26 September 1744 in Leominster, Massachusetts. He was contemporary to Joseph Smith.
* In 1892, my husband's great-grandfather Emmet Stull Goff, Horticultural professor at the University of Wisconsin, introduced apple orchards to Door County, Wisconsin.
* Brigham Young told the saints to plant orchards to eat and export.
* President Kimball asked the saints to grow apple trees and other fruits.
* My favorite apple for sauce, cakes, and pie, is the Jonathan.
* I cannot eat red delicious, I will double over with stomach pain. Nor worries, there are plenty of other apples that I can enjoy.
* Apples play a role in scripture, folk lore, and fairy tales. Who can forget Snow White and the poison apple?
Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 32:10, Psalms 17:8, Proverbs 7:2, Song of Solomon 2:3 (also 2:5 and 8:5), Lamentations 2:18, Joel 1:12, and Zechariah 2:8.
Apple and Health:
On the Up Side--
* It is best to eat apples and their skins, as much of the nutrition is just under the skin.
* Apples , as well as their juice, and sauce are high in
flavonoids and othe compounds known for their antioxidant activity.
* Cornell University has been doing apple research. There are a number of compounds in the apple skins that inhibit and can even kill cancer cells.
* Apples are low in calories, high in fiber (pectin), and a good source of potassium and vitamin C.
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In a study at Michigan State University, researchers found that those subjects who ate 2 or more apples a day had less headaches and respiratory illnesses and had better health in general than those subjects who ate none.
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A study done at Rutgers University showed that apple pectins trap and prevent cholesterol from building up in the linings of blood vessels. This results in lowered blood pressure and reduced arteriosclerosis symptoms.
Down Side--
* Apples are the second most pesticide-ridden fruit, after peaches, according to rankings by The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington-based nonprofit. A single apple can contain as many as 12 different pesticides, even after washing. MSNBC June 21, 2007
Solution--
* Buy organic
* Grow your own and use alternative controls.
