Top Five Reasons to Eat an Apple a Day

Beyond the fabulous flavor and easy portability of apples, are some major health benefits.

Apples are packed with five grams of fiber or twenty percent of the daily value.

Apples require a chewing commitment which gives the body time to register it is full before you consume too many calories.

The apples natural sweeteners enter the bloodstream gradually which help blood sugar and insulin levels to steady. This allows you to feel full for a longer period of time instead of doing the opposite of what many sugary snacks do with giving you a quick rush followed by a hunger induced crash.

Researchers from the United Kingdom found that children of mothers who ate the most apples during their pregnancy were less likely to have problems with wheezing and developing asthma by the age of five.

Research has also shown apples may protect the lungs of adults and lower the risk of developing lung cancer, asthma and other diseases.

Studies have shown the compounds in apples to have the ability to curb cancer cell growth. Apples are most potent when they are eaten whole.

The chance of developing oral, esophageal, colon, ovarian, breast, prostrate and other cancers are lowered by nine to forty-five percent when more than one apple a day is consumed.

Apples can take a bite out of blood cholesterol levels and also prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol, the chemical process that turns it into plaque that clogs arteries, thanks to two key components, polyphenols and pectin.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants and pectin is a source of fiber.The key to maximizing this benefit is to not throw out the peeling since it contains two to seven times the antioxidant components as the apples flesh.

Apples are now thought to keep the brain sharp as one ages, lessen the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease and enhance the memory, possibly due to the boost of acetylcholine they produce according to an animal study done at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell.

This is a chemical which transmits messages between the nerve cells.