An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right? Most people use this phrase a little casually, but what if apples, green apples specifically, really did have some amazing health benefits? There are almost 30 benefits we can list for you when you add apples to your diet.
What To Use Green Apples For?
If you’re like me, you might get a little bored eating the same thing every day, even if it is something as delicious as this crisp and juicy apple. So what exactly can you use these apples for? They can be a great addition to your other meals if you just dice one up. Throw them into a nice, fresh salad, into some morning oatmeal, or even caramelize some with butter and cinnamon for frozen yogurt. It’s not only easy and delicious but nutritious and healthy too.
If you want something delicious but, at the same time, you don’t want to throw your healthy diet out the window, this healthy glutamine apple crumble recipe will help you have the best of both worlds. It will keep your immune system functioning optimally during the spring months while allowing you to enjoy a delicious treat.
29 Health Benefits of Green Apples
You’re probably wondering how in the world there can be any single food that contains so many positive health benefits of green apples. You might not believe it but look no further if you want a superfood to help you get through your days.
Weight Loss and Appetite Control all in One
It’s hard to lose weight if you’re feeling hungry all the time. Green apples will solve this problem, as they are only 80 calories for an average size fruit. The fact that they are high in fiber and low in fats, sugar, and sodium will help you feel fuller for a longer amount of time by slowing digestion. Appetite control is one of the most important factors in controlling your weight after all, and can even give you a healthy boost in appetite. Just have a little snack right before a meal and you’ll be good to go.
Get some Antioxidants to help with Anti-Aging
Everyone wants to have antioxidants in their diet to stay healthy, but instead of running around looking for supplements, the answer is in the palm of your hand. These apples are very high in two of them known as flavonoids and vitamin C. These two will neutralize harmful free radicals in your system that could permanently damage healthy cells and put you at risk for chronic diseases. They’ll even rebuild and rejuvenate your cells, which can delay premature aging.
Stabilize Your Blood Sugar
If you have diabetes, these little apples can even help to stabilize your blood sugar levels thanks to their high fiber content. An apple a day makes women 30 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Check up on your daily fiber requirements to see how much is right for you.
Strong Teeth, Healthy Bones
Stimulate saliva production by snacking on an apple. Since green apples are so tart, you’ll get high levels of saliva to help decrease unneeded bacteria that will cause cavities. Be careful of the high amount of acid though that can break down tooth enamel, and maybe grab a nice glass of water to help with the acid. The calcium can also strengthen both teeth and bones, and women specifically can use it to help osteoporosis.
Steady Heartbeat
People think of bananas when they think of potassium, but maybe you should reach for a green apple instead. Potassium is meant to keep fluidly balanced around cells which can keep your heartbeat strong. An irregular heartbeat is no match for the mighty apple.
So Much Fiber
We’ve already mentioned the positive benefits of fiber a couple of times, but it’s so important we’d thought we’d say it one more time. Fiber can also increase your metabolism and help with bowel movements, which will clean out your intestines nicely.
Also Read: Sources of Fiber
No Such Thing as Too Many Minerals
There are so many minerals in this simple apple that you might think you’re taking vitamins. Iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and potassium are only some of them. Even just iron will increase your metabolism, so imagine what all of them will do.
Low Fat Food
Once again: another benefit if you’re losing weight. An apple a day will take the fat in your blood vessels and help blood flow to the heart. Reduce your risks of strokes without much effort at all.
A Boost for the Day
Carbohydrates are an important part of any meal, which you should know if you’ve glanced at a food pyramid. What you might not know is if those carbohydrates give out a lot of energy for those of you with busy lives. Maybe a busy mom should be grabbing an apple for herself once in a while.
Cholesterol Savior
There aren’t many foods that you can confidently say have health benefits all around. Well, this apple even helps with cholesterol. There’s no bad cholesterol in them, which is how they help you reduce your weight.
Skin Cancer Prevention
Vitamin C is an amazing antioxidant, especially since it can help prevent skin cancer by getting rid of those damaging free radicals. Lack of nourishment can also put your skin at risk for several disorders like eczema. Luckily these apples can protect your skin almost better than sunscreen with all the nutrients they contain.
Alzheimer’s Assistance
Nothing is a cure-all but an apple every day can help reduce your chances of disorders like Alzheimer’s. With all the other benefits, it’s not hard to think of adding this little fruit.
Easing Asthma
If you already have asthma, sorry that Apple can’t fix it, but sometimes people can develop asthma over time. If you don’t have it, try and prevent it with just an apple to reduce your chances.
Preventing Diabetes
We’ve mentioned this before too, but because apples are high in fiber and absorb the sugar in your intestines, they can be used to prevent diabetes. You might already be a diabetic too, and if you are, that’s ok. These apples are still a must-have.
Decreased Risk: Colon Cancer
Once again: high fiber to the rescue. Because these apples have such high fiber, skin cancer isn’t the only cancer that runs for cover. The possibility of colon cancer is also greatly reduced.
Rich In Vitamins
Everyone wants their vitamins to help with healthy body function and skin. Vitamins A, B, and C are also amazing antioxidants to stop those free radicals, which can maintain that glowing skin we go crazy for.
A Natural Detoxifier
What do you know- yet another benefit of fiber. Hey, you should’ve seen this coming. But the fiber in green apples can also stop harmful elements from getting to your liver, kidneys, and digestive systems. And if you have trouble with constipation, these apples might just be your savior.
Boost Your Metabolism
Let’s talk about minerals again. We know we mentioned iron specifically before, but iron can also help with the absorption of oxygen in your blood and therefore boost your metabolic rate.
A Healthy Liver
Green apples detoxify your body, and with those free radicals, liver damage can be reduced too. Your liver can detoxify just a little better with this natural agent acting as a great source of help.
Eases Digestion
Sometimes after a big meal, you might feel a little worried about how your stomach is feeling after. You’re probably a little suspicious of eating more, but a green apple will help ease your digestion and make your life a whole lot easier.
Protect against Inflammation
Antioxidants will always be important to get into your body, and these apples are just perfect for that. These antioxidants are kind of like the ultimate protection for your body and can safeguard you from stress-induced inflammation associated with rheumatism and arthritis.
Breathe Easier
All parts of your body benefit from green apples. Like we said before, you can help reduce asthma by as much as 23 percent. Smokers can also use this as somewhat of a safeguard to decrease the risk of pulmonary diseases.
See a Little Farther
Remember how we told you before that these apples have so many vitamins in them? Well vitamin A specifically can be used to help your vision. If your kids are fighting you on the carrots, maybe see if they’d like a sweet apple a little better.
Heal Faster?
Vitamin K should not be forgotten either. This vitamin helps blood clots normally, so if you’ve got a bleeding issue, you can use this to help wounds repair better and increase your healing potential. If you didn’t think this was a superfood, I sure hope you’re considering it now. Women can also benefit if they have heavy periods and want to use the lovely apple to control them.
Skin Texture and Nourishment
The skin alone gets so many benefits. You can create a face mask to moisturize the skin and get rid of wrinkles. Juice from it can even hydrate your skin more fully if you’d rather not try the face mask. Your skin can be maintained, brightened, and healed from within thanks to the drink and all the vitamins within it.
Pimple Prevention
Adult acne is no joke, and after the teenage years, it’s more than a little inconvenient. An apple a day will not only keep the doctor away, but it’ll also control and prevent pimples. It’s natural, delicious, and makes you beautiful from the inside out.
Eliminates Dark Eye Circles
We know that there’s a lot of makeup out there for those dark and puffy eyes that we inevitably deal with when we’re older. Believe it or not, if you apply fresh apple juice and have an apple regularly, you can slow these down and fix them right up.
No More Dandruff
Yes, these apples even benefit your hair. We didn’t know this before, but you can make a paste with its skin to fix dandruff just like a shampoo. The juice can also be regularly massaged into the scalp. Sure, this might sound like a little more work than just eating an apple, but sometimes those special shampoos don’t work were a couple of apples will.
Enhances Hair Growth
Those vitamins and minerals are back again. The very same vitamins that help out your skin help out your hair too, strengthening it and stopping it from falling out. It can even promote hair growth.
Tips For Choosing
After going through our points, I don’t think I need to convince you of any more reasons why it’s a must in your daily diet. Despite that though, you might be cringing at the thought of the same food every day consistently. That’s why we’ve even got a couple of good tips prepared for you to cook with your healthy new diet.
- First off, if you want to mix up your apple with other fruits, slice open your apple and wrap it up with unripe fruit. The ripening of other fruits can be sped up, and these apples don’t go brown as quickly as red ones.
- Cook them with sugar. Just a little bit helps apples hold their shape and while giving you a little sweetness.
- Bake the apples. If you’ve had an apple pie before, you would know how delicious they can be.
- There are so many ways you can eat these. You can peel them, keep them unpeeled, put them into a shake, or even make pies or add them to other deserts. Eating it as a whole fruit is best to get all those nutrients, but everyone needs to spice things up now and again. Just remember to avoid slightly poisonous apple seeds.
Your parents were telling the truth when they told you an apple a day will keep the doctor away. Green apples edge out red apples just a little though, with almost thirty benefits of these sweet little healthy treats. They can strengthen your skin, eyes, hair, liver, lungs, and so much more, adding some very healthy nutrients to your body and giving you that extra boost of energy to get through your day or help you in your weight loss journey. If things feel a little difficult today, then pick up an apple and take a bite.