"An apple a day... "(Yes, you know the rest!)" ...keeps the doctor away." But you may get so many perks from that apple! Just think if you incorporated an apple with a La Grande chiropractic visit... more on that in another article! For now, check out these recently documented nutritional benefits of eating apples.

Slow Aging - Live Longer

Free radicals are all around us in La Grande. Apple's antioxidants (polyphenols) ward off the effects of free radicals that contribute to the aging process. As a matter of fact, fruit flies (Crazy but true: fruit flies are often used in longevity trials!) were even found to live 10% longer when they chomped on apples! These tiny flies were even able to keep walking, climbing, and moving around longer. (1) Even a study using yeast growth reports that eating the whole apple increases lifespan. (2)

Fight Heart Disease

Healthy, middle-aged adults ate one apple a day for 4 weeks and found their oxidized LDL (the "bad" cholesterol, the low density lipid, that leads to hardening of the arteries) lowered by 40%. (3) Apple pectin (water-soluble fiber) helps stop cholesterol from gathering in the blood vessel walls, thus decreasing the risk of heart disease. (4) This benefit is likely due to the pectin’s mixing with other phytonutrients like quercetin in apples which is said to be anti-inflammatory which is good for the heart (and body!), too. (Too bad the Portuguese Bravo de Esmolfe apple isn't readily available in La Grande! It was found to considerably reduce serum levels of triglycerides (27.2%) and total (21%) and LDL cholesterol (20.4%).) (5)

Lose Weight

Eating an apple 15 minutes before a meal reduces caloric intake at the meal by 15%. A medium apple is only about 120 calories. (4) And you want to eat the whole apple because apple juice or applesauce just don't cut it! The fiber from the whole apple makes you feel fuller. (4)

So eat an apple today. Chop one up, and add it to a salad. Try apple slices with a slice of cheese. Splurge a little, and dip an apple slice in some caramel dip. Apple pies and applesauce and apple butter are all tasty, too, but you can't beat the whole apple for all its benefits.

Share your apple stories and recipes with Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC at your next visit. We can all learn from each other! So, contact your La Grande chiropractor soon!