When it comes making healthy food choices nowadays, it is real easy to get lost among all the different healthy options now available at your local store. Sometimes it is better to stick with what you know than to try every new fangled health food idea that marketers dream up in order get you to part ways with your hard earned cash. Sometimes all you need to do to live a healthier life is to look in the bottom of your refrigerator and pull a nice big juicy apple out of the crisper.

Everybody has heard of that old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Well, it turns out that people have not been saying that for generations just because it happens to rhyme nicely. According to recent research, there is a whole lot of truth behind this little rhyme’s claim. Apples, it turns out, happen to be extremely beneficial fruit and capable of giving you a lot for a little bit of pocket change.

Apples can be found in the supermarket pretty much year round for a really good price and have the tendency to come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. They are also a very versatile fruit, showing up in main courses, salads, desserts, and even can stand alone a healthy snack.

The health benefits of the apple:

The apple is loaded with many vitamins, minerals and cancer fighting antioxidants. They are also low in calories and high in dietary fiber making them an ideal diet food. Research has shown that eating apples can help reduce the risk of various cancers including colon, prostate and lung cancer, reduce cholesterol, help improve bowel regularity, and even work to reduce the risk of stroke, type two diabetes and asthma. On top of that apples can even help you keep your youthful appearance, preventing wrinkles and promoting healthy hair growth.

Apples contain:

Vitamin A which is good for vision, reproduction, and urinary tract problems. A whole slew of B Vitamins (thiamine, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, and B12) which help with maintaining healthy skin and hair. Fiber: In fact, an apple has more fiber than most cereals making it great for regularity. Pectin which helps lower cholesterol. Vitamin C for a healthy immune system and to help fight off cancer causing free radicals. Niacin which can help opne up blood vessels and lower cholesterol. Phosphorous: for healthy bones and teeth. Magnesium which is good for a healthy heart, strong bones and can also aid in the absorption of other minerals such as calcium and potassium (important for women who are pregnant, menopausal or at risk for osteoporosis). Iron which the liver and blood need in order to function. Potassium: a mineral that helps lower blood pressure and keeps the heart healthy. Quercetin: a flavanoid  that has been found to help fight prostate cancer. Phytonutrients: found in the skin of the apple, capable of stopping the enlargement of colon cancer cells.

As you can see the little apple is a nutritional powerhouse as well as a delicious snack. Eating one can help you treat constipation, lower cholesterol, get rid of bodily toxins, give a boost to beneficial bacteria in your intestinal tract, help stop diarrhea and gastroenteritis and keep your immune system in tip top shape.

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