1020 Maybe I can’t pronounce phytochemical, but I can eat it

An apple a day. My favorite variety is Braeburn, but I will also eat Cameo, Fuji and Pink Lady. Jonathons are tasteless, Yellows too soft, and Grannies too sour. The apple has to be crisp, because I like to eat it sliced, with the skin on. This means I have to scrape the wax off with a sharp knife first, which is why I rarely eat an apple that’s provided by a restaurant or in a box lunch. Not only do I not want that wax in my digestive system, it is quite dirty.

In order to eat the 5-6 servings a day of fruits and vegetables recommended for a balanced, healthy diet, I core and slice an apple into about 16 pieces, clean a raw carrot and cut it up into 10-12 manageable pieces, toss in 3 or 4 dried plums (prunes we used to call them), maybe a few white grapes or strawberries if on hand, and top it off with a handful of washed walnuts. Given my druthers, I’d eat crackers and peanut butter or cheese for lunch, and if I succumb to temptation, at least I know that a bowl of apple slices and some add-ons have me pretty well covered. I love the apples, but the plums are the real power house of vitamins and minerals--beating out apples, bananas and oranges, ounce for ounce. Here’s what you get with an apple:

“Evidence suggests that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids from fruits and vegetables may play a key role in reducing chronic disease risk.

Apples are a widely consumed, rich source of phytochemicals, and epidemiological studies have linked the consumption of apples with reduced risk of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and diabetes. In the laboratory, apples have been found to have very strong antioxidant activity, inhibit cancer cell proliferation, decrease lipid oxidation, and lower cholesterol. Apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, all of which are strong antioxidants. The phytochemical composition of apples varies greatly between different varieties of apples, and there are also small changes in phytochemicals during the maturation and ripening of the fruit. Storage has little to no effect on apple phytochemicals, but processing can greatly affect apple phytochemicals.

While extensive research exists, a literature review of the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals has not been compiled to summarize this work. The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature regarding the health benefits of apples and their phytochemicals, phytochemical bioavailability and antioxidant behavior, and the effects of variety, ripening, storage and processing on apple phytochemicals.” Abstract, “Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits” by Jeanelle Boyer and Rui Hai Liu, Nutrition Journal, 2004:3.5, May 2004 (available full text at BioMedCentral)

Now, go munch on an apple.