An average-sized apple carries over 30 vitamins and trace elements, 100 to 180 milligrams of potassium and many other valuable minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium or iron in and under its skin. At the same time, it consists of 85 percent water and has only about 60 kilocalories (kcal). They are good for teeth and intestines, and glucose and fructose provide quick energy. What else is in apples, read here.
Apples have a high nutritional value
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Translated, this well-known saying means something like “An apple a day – doctor saved!”. In fact, there is a lot of nutritional value in this popular fruit. The apple contains over 30 minerals and trace elements, especially potassium, which regulates the water balance, and iron. Due to the many different fruit acids, it is considered the so-called “toothbrush of nature”. What it can do particularly well: It regulates intestinal activity. An apple contains important vitamins such as:
- Provitamin A
- Vitamins B1, B2, B6, E and C
- Niacin and folic acid
Positive effects on health
An important ingredient is pectin, which lowers cholesterol, binds pollutants and flushes them out. Scientific research also indicates that apple eaters suffer less frequently from bronchial and lung diseases. This is attributed to the secondary plant compounds in apples, known as catechins. The flavonoids and carotenoids contained in the fruit appear to reduce the risk of cancer and have an antioxidant effect in the organism. Fruit in winter
Vitamins sit in the peel
Up to 70 percent of an apple’s vitamins are found in apple peel or just underneath it. So if you peel apples, you also peel away the vitamins. The peel is also rich in iron, magnesium, unsaturated fats and bioactive substances. Between 5 and 35 milligrams of vitamin C – depending on the variety – can be found in the peel. And even the core is still valuable: it contains iodine. Important for apple tree owners: fruits that hang in the sun contain significantly more vitamins than those that grow in the shade. Thanks to the abundant vitamins in the apple, it can also be suitable as part of a diet.
Apples: heavily sprayed fruit
This is where you bite the proverbial bullet. Fungal diseases such as apple scab or apple powdery mildew and parasites such as codling moth significantly affect Braeburn, Gala, Golden Delicoius, Jonagold and Granny Smith, as well as all other relatives. For a guaranteed yield, fruit growers often have no choice but to resort to chemical remedies. According to information from the Central Marketing Association of the German Agricultural Industry (CMA), “any residues remain far below the specified limits”. Simply washing the fruit with water and rubbing it with a towel can effortlessly remove both large deposits of environmental pollutants from the air and residues from pest and disease control. 5 facts about apples – rawpixel
Organic apples – free from pesticides.
If you want to be absolutely sure, you should choose apples from organic farming. In organic farming, the use of synthetic pesticides is prohibited. However, fungal diseases may be controlled with copper and sulfur preparations. Beneficial insects or attractants replace the control of harmful insects with insecticides.
The apple is an old household remedy
Apple traditionally serves as a home remedy for a wide variety of ailments. In the following cases, apple is used as a home remedy:
- Apple is the home remedy for diarrhea, if you eat a raw apple grated with the peel.
- Apple cider vinegar soothes sore throats and throat if you drink 1 glass of hot water, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar sips.
- Or you can eat a roasted apple with honey – helps with hoarseness.
- An apple before bedtime prevents insomnia.
- An apple in the morning helps to wake up.
- Pregnancy morning sickness is avoided by eating an apple before getting up.
- Those who are nervous should prepare apple tea: An unpeeled apple sliced, poured over a liter of boiling water and let steep for two hours, makes an apple fruit tea.
- For a pure and soft skin, you should try the apple mask: A peeled apple is grated and mixed with a little honey, leave the mixture on for up to 20 minutes and wash off gently.
- And last but not least – the apple cleans the teeth: The apple has a strong cleaning effect for the teeth with its fruit acids and fiber and therefore works just as well as a chewing gum for cleaning the teeth in between.
20,000 varieties of apples worldwide
The statisticians once again know exactly: 21 kilos of that fruit, which as a golden apple of discord led to the Trojan War, eats each German every year. Around 7 liters of apple juice trickle down German throats every year. There are 20,000 apple varieties worldwide, but only a fraction, around 1,000, grow in Germany. And only four common apple varieties cover around 70 percent of the European apple market. Around 1.2 million tons of apples were harvested in the Federal Republic in 2018. Large-scale apple cultivation as we know it today was introduced by the Romans because they mastered the art of grafting, a grafting method. Originally it came from Asia, probably the Caucasus and Himalayas. Since the 6th century, apples have been deliberately cultivated in Central Europe; then, since the 16th century, apples became an economic commodity, and in the 19th century, selective breeding began.
