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How bout dem apples?

Ever hear an apple a day will keep the doctor away?

Truth of the matter is, it can help great amounts. Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. They have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. 

In the United States, as well as in most industrialized countries, cardiovascular disease and cancer are ranked as the top two leading causes of death. The causes of both diseases have been linked to lifestyle choices, and one of the most important is diet. The problem with that is most diets are "S.A.D". The StandardAmerican Diet. Which is poor in nutrition, lacks minerals, vitamins, and necessary proteins vital for human growth. 

Apples contain a wide variety of phytochemicals, many of which have been found to have strong antioxidant activity and anticancer activity. In general, storage of apples does not  greatly affect apple phytochemicals, but the processing of apples for juice results in a very significant decrease in phenolics. Processed apple peels retain their phenolics and flavonoids. So again, when an apple is juiced, and then processed it looses it's natural power to help the body. Not to mention that general "Apple Juice" is borderline liquid sugar.

And the age old question goes....
"Does an apple have more sugar than a typical cup of coffee?"
Presuming you put one to two sugar packets in your typical cup of coffee, and that each sugar packet contains -- as most do -- about 4 g of sugar, the answer is yes, a typical apple contains more sugar than a typical cup of coffee. However, if you compare the glycemic index of apples and typical table sugar -- the glycemic index being a measurement of how quickly an ingested glucose load finds its way into your bloodstream, and hence a measure of how quickly you feel the effects of ingestion -- you'll see that apples, at 38 out of 100, are about half as strong as table sugar, at 68. So if you're looking for a quick energy kick, a cup of coffee is likely to get you there faster. However, an apple is probably your healthiest option.- Alex Folkl


So the common misconception comes to light. Apples DO NOT have caffeine in them. They have lots of natural sugars that take a while to burn in the body. Now in comparison to coffee apples won't give you that gnarly kick your looking for in the morning. HOWEVER, all the associated health benefits that come along with an apple GREATLY outweight the potential health benefits from a cup of joe.


In short-
The good: This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.

The bad: A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.

Share the knowledge. Help others learn. Improve vitality. Live a long and happy life.

Be well,
-Oz


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