Health Benefits from Eating Apples
We always hear that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Beyond that, research shows that it also helps your weight loss efforts by curbing hunger, reducing caloric intake and increasing fibre consumption. All of which when combined, can help you to lose weight especially when eaten before meals. The apple has long been said to be the healthiest fruit we have and is the second most popular fruit among Americans after oranges, with an average annual consumption of 7 pounds per person in 2005.
Aside from its delicious flavour, the apple provides several nutrients that contribute to weight loss. It helps to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation and provide important anti-aging polyphenols. A large apple that weighs about 8 ounces contains 5.4 g of fibre or 22 percent of the 25 g Food and Drug Administration daily value.
The fibre in apples is primarily apple pectin, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates. That helps maintain a balanced blood glucose level that discourages weight gain and development of type-2 diabetes.
An apple a day also plays a vital role in the fight against obesity as seen by the result of a Penn State Study conducted by researchers at Pennsylvania State University. The subjects were 59 men and women who were brought to the test lab for five weeks. They were segmented into groups. One group consumed an apple before lunch, and the other groups were given applesauce, apple juice or nothing at all. The subjects who ate apples consumed 187 fewer calories during lunch, and the researchers suggest that eating a low-calorie food – like apples and other fruits, as well as soups or salads – at the beginning of a meal provides a feeling of fullness which results in less food consumption.
There were also researchers at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who conducted a study in which 400 women were placed into three groups and given oat cookies, apples or pears, respectively, at a rate of three times a day for 12 weeks. The subjects who ate oak cookies did not experience substantial weight loss; however, the groups that consumed either the apples or the pears lost an average of 1.21 kilogrammes, which is equivalent to 2.67 pounds, in the 12-week period. As a bonus, the group eating apples or pear also had lower blood glucose levels.
However, it is also advisable to not consume apples excessively. Although apples are healthy, they still contain calories and sugars, which may inhibit your slimming treatment when consumed with other food.
