Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits." Whether or not it is the noblest, what is not in dispute is the health value of this fruit. Low in calories and fat with a variety of vitamins and minerals, this fruit provides fiber. Take care with your dental health, though, as the sugar content may be harmful.
Basic Nutrition
A 1-cup serving of quartered and chopped apples contains 65 calories, most of which come from carbohydrates. The 17.2 g of carbs in each portion of this fruit provide energy and promote good brain function. Apples contain very little protein, with 0.33 g per serving. This fruit is low in fat as well, containing 0.21 g of fat. You do need fat in your diet, so consider adding a small portion of peanut butter to the apples to increase both fat and protein.
Fiber
Put down that knife or peeler -- leaving the skin on is vital for getting more fiber in your diet when you eat apples. One serving of apple provides 3 g of fiber, a nutrient critical for bowel health. While you require 25 to 38 g of fiber in your diet each day, even the small amount of fiber in apples offers benefits, helping to prevent constipation and diarrhea.
Sugar
Apples contain 12.9 g of natural sugar. Normally sugar that occurs in fruits does not harm you the way that added sugars do -- promoting tooth decay and weight gain. However, the sugar content in a typical apple has risen dramatically over the last 10 years, thanks to sweeter varieties popular on the market, such as Braeburn and Fuji apples. An article published in December 2002 in the "London Evening Standard" notes that the British Dental Association recommends eating apples with a meal followed by a mouth rinse to rid yourself of the sugar that can cause cavities.
Vitamins and Minerals
Apples are a good source of vitamin C -- each serving provides 10 percent of the daily recommended intake. The vitamin C in this fruit encourages the production of collagen, a compound that makes up part of your skin as well as tendons and cartilage. It also boosts your immune system, which may help prevent infections and illnesses. You take in 4 percent of the potassium you require each day in a serving of apples, 3 percent of the vitamin K and vitamin B-6 and 2 percent of the copper, manganese and magnesium.
References
- The Atlantic Monthly; Wild Apples, H.D. Thoreau; November 1862
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Apples, Raw, With Skin
- McKinley Health Center; Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat; March 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential For a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- Cleveland Clinic; Eating Too Much Sugar? It's Time to Tame Your Sweet Tooth; M. Ohlson; December 2009
- "London Evening Standard"; Now Apples Are Bad For You!; A. Dowden; December 2002
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