How Can an Apple a Day Help Health?

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is one of the most common axioms in the English language. This is because apples were one of the first foods that medical professionals recognized as healthy--their benefits became obvious when, quite simply, doctors found that people who ate apples were sick less often than those who did not. Today we have a more specific understanding of why apples are so beneficial to overall health.

Cholesterol Control

• Apples can help keep your levels of bad cholesterol down. The pectin in apples helps you to maintain cardiovascular health and reduce LDL cholesterol (which is the "bad" kind). Apples themselves do not add cholesterol to your diet and are full of water and fiber to help combat the cholesterol in other foods you might ingest. According to Health Diaries, people who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

Weight Control

• Apples are naturally low in calories and high in water content. Eating an apple can satisfy your hunger and keep you from reaching for high-sugar, high-calorie snacks. By eating apples, you will be more able to maintain a healthy weight because they fill you up, potentially stopping you from eating food that encourages a waistline increase.

Vitamins and Minerals

• Apples contain respectable levels of boron, which helps build healthy bones, and can also prevent the onset of diseases like arthritis; they also have phloridzin, a flavanoid known for increasing bone density. Apples are rich in vitamin C, which is known to help build immunity.

Cancer Prevention

• Studies have shown that apples can decrease the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer. One theory is that the apple skins are responsible for this, so be sure not to peel your apples before you eat them, as you could remove some of the health benefits.

Prevention of Neurodegenerative Disease

• According to a study done at Cornell University, apples are one of the fruits that can help decrease your risk or delay your onset of a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. The antioxidants in unpeeled apples had the highest concentration of benefits and can prevent toxicity that results from stress on the nerve cells.