The doctor explained how much you need to eat apples to protect yourself against many diseases.

“Apples have a positive effect on the human intestine: they increase the amount of good bacteria while strengthening the immune system, by 80 percent. Our immune system” lives “in the intestine,” said S. Čapkauskienė.

Apples are rich in phytochemicals, quercetin, catechin, floridicin, and chlorogenic acid. It is these elements that determine the strong antioxidant effect. Apples rank second in terms of antioxidant properties, second only to blueberries.

Additionally, apples have the highest content of free phenols, which provide tremendous health benefits.

According to Dr. Čapkauskienė, these fruits are extremely rich in flavonoids (111.45 mg / 100 g of red apple), fiber (2.0-2.7 g / 100 g: of which 1.8-2.0 soluble fibers), as well as vitamin C (12 mg / 100 g of red apple) and trace elements such as magnesium (6 mg / 100 g), calcium (7 mg / 100 g), phosphorus (12 mg / 100 g) and potassium ( 144 mg / 100 g). gram).

Apples contain pectin, which is a valuable source of soluble fiber, so they can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and help regulate blood sugar.

Scientists believe this is due to the pectin in apples. Therefore, soluble fiber reduces inflammatory processes in the body and strengthens our immune system.

“Therefore, both the flavonoids and the fiber in apples reduce risk factors for the cardiovascular system, certain forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, as well as overall mortality. One of the forms of flavonoids are flavonoids, which are characterized especially by the inhibitory effect of risk factors for chronic diseases.

It is proven that after eating 1 apple a day 28 percent. reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and 60%. the risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced ”, said S. Čapkauskienė about the benefits of apples.

According to a doctor of biomedical sciences, although apples do contain a fairly high concentration of carbohydrates. For example, 100 g of an apple contains 12.9 g of carbohydrates, of which 5.7 g of fructose, 0.6 g of glucose and 0.57 g of sucrose, but this concentration can vary depending on the type of apple and growing conditions, but its glycemic index is low.

The glycemic index shows the rate of digestion and absorption of carbohydrates from the small intestine, the response of blood glucose to the food consumed, and the release of insulin. The lower the glycemic index, the slower digestion and absorption into the blood from the small intestine does not cause a sudden spike in glucose and insulin levels. Therefore, including an apple in your daily diet can also help you control your weight.

It is true that, although apples have been repeatedly included in the lists of the most contaminated products with pesticides, they are advised to buy them organic or eat them from your garden.

When eating apples, it is advisable not to forget the peel. Apple peel is a powerful antioxidant.

“Eating even half an apple every day will have great health benefits. The most important thing is that the apple is fresh and raw. And let’s not be afraid of the apple peel: it contains 2 to 6 times more phenolic compounds than the apple itself apple mass. The activity of antioxidants in the apple peel is also 2-3 times higher “, S. Čapkauskienė told the Delfi portal.