What does an apple contain and what are its benefits for the human body?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

You can learn about what an apple contains from many special books and magazines, research papers and educational programs. Without this fruit, the life of our compatriot is unimaginable - it’s not for nothing that even there is Apple Spas. How did the apple deserve such popular love that it became the hero of a religious and folk holiday? Let's try to find our bearings.

What is it about?

To figure out what an apple contains, you need to understand what it is about. In total, there are more than seven thousand varieties of this he althy and tasty fruit on the planet. Several hundred species actively grow on the territory of our country. Each of them has its own unique qualities and properties, but there are some common parameters. In general, apples are he althy and not harmful, they can be eaten in plenty if you want, especially in the ripe season. For some people, these fruits are allowed to a limited extent, for others they are completely prohibited. The cause is various diseases. To navigate the reasonableness of including apples in the diet, it is worthconsult a doctor.

From the beginning: carbs

If you ask a doctor what an apple contains, the specialist will first mention carbohydrates. These compounds in different varieties are similar to each other, the set of varieties is almost the same, but there are slight differences. They explain the calorie content of the fruit. If you choose a bright green fruit, it will have a minimum of calories, but red ones will have more. It is believed that the average difference is 10%.

Green varieties have a relatively low glycemic index compared to scarlet varieties. If you plan to make a diet for weight loss, it is better to give preference to green fruits. The same are recommended for diabetes.

A lot, a little

Established international guidelines recommend daily consumption of 0.5-0.8 kg of fruits and vegetables. It is better to saturate the diet with different forms and varieties, but if it is impossible to bring variety to life, apples will do. This is especially true during the harvest season - and it is quite long, stretching for several months.

Men can safely eat up to 0.8 kg daily, for women the standard is 0.5 kg. To some extent, this is due to the fact that the apple contains: the fruit contains acidic components that activate the generation of gastric juice. The most useful fruit will be if you eat it shortly before the main meal. Appetite is activated, fiber fills part of the gastric cavity, allowing you to eat less, achieving the same feeling of satiety.

About seeds

Dealing with the chemical composition, you should pay attention to what apple seeds contain (it is more correct to call them seeds). As specialized studies have shown, it is this part of the fruit that is especially saturated with iodine, which is beneficial for the human body. If a person consumes up to three fruits daily along with seeds, this will certainly benefit he alth. Relatively little iodine enters the body with food - much less than the daily requirement, but there will still be a certain percentage.

There is another side of the issue. Scientists, figuring out what apple seeds contain, found prussic acid in them. It is present in unripe fruits. This substance is a strong poison. In order for a person to get seriously poisoned, a rather large amount of acid must enter the body - you will have to eat several kilograms of unripe fruit. In order not to take risks, it is wise to eat only ripened specimens, and if unripe ones are already caught, then there are a limited amount of them.

Fresh or processed?

Few people doubt the usefulness of including fresh apples in the diet. What and how much such a fruit contains, scientists have established for a long time - including carbohydrates, calories; therefore, it has become the basis of the diet of many losing weight. The people were divided into two camps. Some believe that only fresh fruits can be eaten, while others allow heat treatment. The former are convinced that cooking will worsen the dietary quality of the apple and make it more high-calorie. Scientists assure: this is nothing more than a stereotype. Canboldly bake apples, and their energy saturation will remain the same as that of the original fruit. True, the picture will change if sugar or honey, dairy products are used in cooking.

Baked apples are said to be the perfect snack option. Such foods are rich in acids that stimulate the production of gastric juices.

Dry and fresh

Another subtle point is the preparation of apple chips. Many people like to dry fruits during the ripening season so that they can enjoy he althy and tasty food in winter. As studies on the nutritional composition of the apple have shown, with such processing, the calorie content is completely preserved. From 100 g of the original product, approximately five times less dried is obtained. Both servings contain the same amount of calories. If there are apple chips in a smaller volume than fresh fruit, there will be nothing to worry about. Otherwise, the body will receive too much useless energy.

To get the maximum benefit from nutrition, but not hurt yourself, dried apples are brewed with boiling water before eating. The finished drink is akin to tea - they drink it as much as they want. It is believed that tea has good sedative qualities.

Iron and vitamins

There are a certain amount of iron compounds in the composition of a natural apple, so many people recommend eating as many of these fruits as possible in the summer season in order to make up for the lack of compounds in the body. As studies by scientists have shown, this is nothing more than a stereotype that has no basisreal base. Indeed, the fruits of the tree are saturated with iron, but the metal is present in a form that is practically not processed by the human body.

If hemoglobin is low, more animal products should be included in the diet. Eggs are recommended for a person, meat dishes and liver are useful. Apples provide an influx of vitamin compounds, primarily ascorbic acid. Each fruit is a storehouse of pectin. The term refers to fiber that absorbs water during the passage of the intestinal tract. Thanks to pectin, a person feels full faster. The substance is a sorbent element that absorbs toxic components of the intestinal environment.

Can I?

Since the composition of the apple and its beneficial substances have been studied for more than a decade, scientists have established for certain who such fruits are useful for, and for whom they will be harmful. In particular, with pathologies of the stomach or intestinal tract, they will only harm human he alth, especially in the acute phase of the disease. The more apples a person receives with food, the stronger the pain due to colitis, ulcers, erosion. The condition may deteriorate rapidly. This is due to the saturation of fruits with fiber in a rough form. The skin of the fruit is especially rich in it. If the disease has broken out, and you really want apples, you first need to consult a doctor. He will assess the risks based on the nuances of the case.

About the value and ingredients

As shown by studies of the composition of an apple, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates in this fruit are present in a relatively stable amount for different varieties, althoughthere are certain differences. If we analyze most of the varieties on our market, we can describe the average content per 0.1 kg: proteins - 0.4 g, twice as much starch, the same amount of organic acids and ash. Saturated fatty acids were detected in a volume of approximately 0.1 g, the same number of unsaturated forms were found. Lipid ingredients in one fruit - from 0.2 to twice as much, and water - up to 87 g out of 100 estimated. Enrichment with carbohydrates reaches 11.8 g, calorie content - 47 kcal. Of 100 g of fruit, one hundredth is pectin, from 0.6 to 1.8 g is fiber.

About chemistry

The vitamin composition of the fruit depends on the variety, the duration of storage of a particular instance. A ripe apple freshly picked from a tree is rich in ascorbic acid, retinol and B vitamins, but a ripe apple lying on a fold significantly loses the concentration of these compounds.

Apple fruits contain beta-carotene and nicotinic acid, biotin. Of the minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium concentrations, as well as the content of phosphorus, molybdenum and nickel are especially significant. All these trace elements are beneficial for human he alth.

About acids

There is a wide variety of organic acids in apple fruits. There is a name for the tree: apple. Relatively high concentrations of ursolic and citric were revealed. The fruits of the tree contain tartaric and chlorogenic acids. Volatile fatty compounds were found here: isobutyric, acetic. The content of valeric acid and propionic molecules was revealed.

Risks

Excessive consumption of sour apples can damage tooth enamel. Some specimens brought from distant lands are capable of poisoning the body, as they are processed with chemical ingredients that provide long-term storage and protection from pests. The fruits collected in your own garden must be thoroughly washed before use. When choosing a product in a store, you should pay attention to the condition of the peel.

Composition and use

It is known that the cut apple soon darkens. It seems to some that this indicates the unsuitability of the fruit for food. In fact, the process is explained by the content of iron compounds that react with oxygen. Oxidation leads to the appearance of a peculiar shade. To prevent the phenomenon, after cutting the fruit, sprinkle with lemon juice.

Apple is known for its antioxidant properties. The fruit has found application in cosmetology - also due to its unique composition. The most effective is the use of apple fruits to maintain the youthfulness of aging skin. Masks prepared with fruits stabilize local metabolism, eliminate excessive pigmentation, reduce inflammation and cleanse pores.