Apples - delicious and healthy

Did you know that apples should be kept in the fridge to retain their antioxidants and to keep them crisper for longer? This is one of the findings from the 2010 Apple Report, which was commissioned by the Australian Apple Industry to reveiw the human and animal studies relating to apples and apple antioxidants and  their affect on health. The review was undetaken by Associate Professor Manny Noakes from the CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences.

One of the first foods introduced into the infants diet from around 4-6 months, apples continue to be a popular food throughout life whether eaten raw, cooked, juiced or as an ingredient in savoury and sweet dishes. Apples contain many nutritional plusses - they are low in energy, fat, cholesterol and sodium and high in dietary fibre, potassium, vitamin C and phytonutrients.

The Apple Report found apples:-

• are a source of phytonutrients, particularly polyphenols, which as antioxidants protect cells from being damaged by free oxygen radicals. Polyphenols may protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol and may also reduce respiratory allergy symptoms such as sneezing
• may protect against obesity and overweight because they  "fill you up"
• may reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes
• may reduce the incidence of  atopic dermatitis
• if eaten during pregnancy may protect against childhood asthma and allergy
• apple peel should  be eaten and not thrown away as it contains phytonutrients that may protect agains cancer.

The report can be downloaded from:-

http://www.scoopnutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Apple_2010_Report_lowres.pdf