Apple Harvest Brings a Bounty of Health Benefits by Dr. Rallie McAllister on Creators.com

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Apple Harvest Brings a Bounty of Health Benefits

Fall is apple season, and there's no better time to enjoy the rich tastes and textures of the fresh, ripe fruit. In addition to their tantalizing flavors, all varieties of apples offer a number of health benefits that are hard to beat.

The results of dozens of studies performed in recent years have linked apple consumption to reduced risks of several illnesses, ranging from the common cold to cardiovascular disease.

Animal studies at Cornell University in New York demonstrated that apples may offer powerful protection against breast cancer. After exposing rats to an agent known to cause cancer of the mammary gland, the scientists fed some rodents varying amounts of apple extracts and gave others apple-free rations.

The more apple extract the rats were given, the greater the cancer protection. Compared to the rats fed the apple-free diet, rodents consuming the human equivalent of three apples a day developed 25 percent fewer tumors over a 24-week period.

Rats fed the equivalent of six apples a day experienced an impressive 61 percent reduction. In addition to developing fewer cancerous growths, the apple-treated animals developed tumors that were less malignant and grew at a significantly slower rate than the untreated rats.

Apples may play a similar role in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer in men. Researchers at Mayo Clinic reported that natural compounds in apples can block hormone activity in prostate tumor cells, an action that can slow or prevent the spread of the cancer.

Eating apples has been linked to a lower risk of other cancers, including those of the lung, liver and digestive tract. Using an animal model of colon cancer, scientists at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg concluded that drinking unfiltered apple juice on a daily basis may help prevent the disease.

In the study, rodents treated with unfiltered apple juice showed a 38 percent reduction in tumor formation in the small intestine compared to the animals drinking plain water. Unfiltered apple juice was used because it contains approximately four times as many antioxidants as filtered apple juice.

Antioxidants act as cancer-fighting agents by neutralizing unstable molecules called free radicals, which are the toxic byproducts of normal cellular metabolism.

Free radicals can damage and destroy healthy cells and tissues in the body and are known to play a key role in the development of many chronic diseases, including cancer.

Although the human body naturally manufactures antioxidants, production of these beneficial substances tends to decline with age. Eating apples and a variety of other plant foods is an excellent way to boost antioxidant levels in the brain and body.

Recent research suggests that apples may offer some protection against the development of Alzheimer's disease. Cornell University scientists found that the antioxidants in apples shield brain cells from the damaging effects of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical known to produce the type of oxidative injury that contributes to Alzheimer's disease.

Regular consumption of apples can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The antioxidants in apples appear to lower blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the type of cholesterol linked to heart disease.

The compounds appear to work by stimulating the production of LDL receptors in the liver. The receptors, in turn, help remove cholesterol from the blood, a mechanism similar to that of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

Eating an apple or two a day could help reduce your risk of getting the flu and other respiratory infections this year. Mounting scientific evidence suggests that quercetin, a powerful antioxidant in apples, may have protective effects against the influenza virus, especially during times of stress.

Vigorous exercise and emotional stress are known to weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to upper respiratory infections. A recent study showed that individuals taking daily doses of quercetin suffered fewer respiratory illnesses following three days of exhausting, stressful exercise compared to those who did not take the plant compound.

To get the most from the apples you eat, your best bet is to enjoy them unpeeled. Not only does the peel pack about 75 percent of the fiber content, it also contains roughly five times more antioxidant compounds than the flesh of the fruit.

In general, dark red apples tend to have higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants than light green ones, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying your favorite varieties. When it comes to health benefits, there's no such thing as a bad apple.

Rallie McAllister, M.D. is a family physician, author, speaker, and medical director of www.MommyMDGuides.com, a website featuring child-raising tips from trusted doctors who are also moms. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.