Apparently there’s a good reason the saying about keeping doctors away mentions apples. According to recent research, the antioxidant polyphenols specific to apples are particularly powerful.
Antioxidant-rich foods have been hailed as cancer preventatives for their ability to fight damaging free radicals. Apples seem to be most effective in preventing breast cancer, and women who regularly eat apples are at significantly less risk for heart disease than others their age.
The principal study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found more support for previous results indicating that eating apples increased the average lifespan of test animals by 10 percent. This particular study used fruit flies, and found that a diet of apples not only helped older fruit flies live longer, it also aided in their ability to continue to walk, climb and fly as they aged. In fact, the apple polyphenols reversed some of the biochemical markers associated with old age and impending death. The scientists theorize that this, combined with other research, indicates humans may recieve many of the same benefits.
Take advantage of these health benefits with a few Herb Companion recipes! (Use organic apples, as pesticides can be difficult to remove from thin-skinned fruit, or try spraying your apples with a 1/4 vinegar solution and rinse with cold water.)
• Natural Healing Making a Fresh Start: Baked Apples With Date-Nut Filling
• Kitchen Table: Pork Sausages with Bergamot and Apples
• Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes: Baked Stuffed Apples
• Make a Sage and Basil Apple Tart
• 3 Unique Recipes for Your Table: Ragga-Muffin Apple Casserole
• Food Pairings: Sage, Apple and Cheddar Cheese Pancakes
• Many Mints: Apple Walnut Salad
Read More:Apple Polyphenols Extend the Mean Lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster
Photo by Auntie P/ Courtesy Flickr
