You’ve all heard “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” but are apples good for you? The truth is there are a lot of health benefits of apples and making apples one of your five a day is absolutely going to go a long way into creating a healthy eating lifestyle. Many people are familiar with the old adage “an apple a-day keeps the doctor away” and many reputable universities and institutes in different countries have undertaken research which has claimed to show benefits from eating apples for a wide range of illnesses and disorders in humans.
However, in order to prevent spurious claims, no health or nutritional benefit can now be claimed unless it has been approved by the EC. This has necessitated a detailed investigation of the evidence supporting every claim and many claims are still being investigated. The following claims for apples are those which have been approved by the EC – other claims may or may not be approved in the future.
What are the health benefits of green apples?
There are a huge number benefits of apples, both uncooked and cooked, as part of a healthy lifestyle. Apples are rich in antioxidants, and packed with vitamins and fibre to give an all round boost to the human body. Multiple studies have shown health benefits from apples include lower cholesterol levels from the high dietary fibre content, to reducing and lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes due to the fruits ability to aid in sugar level stabilisation. One of the benefits you found in apples is pectin.
Pectin is a type of fibre, commonly found in fruits that gives the fruit it’s structure. Apple pectin is found in 15-20% of the apple pulp and is linked to a number of health benefits. Apple pectins have been associated with improved gut health due to the prebiotic nature of the apple pectins. Research is showing early promise of pectins benefitting cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well as helping to control weight loss and blood sugars, though more research is needed in these areas.
Why eat bramley apples?
Bramley Apples are a great alternative fruit based on their need to be cooked to be consumed (though they won’t cause you any harm to be eaten uncooked, their taste is certainly different when uncooked).
This makes adding them into dishes fun and interesting, boosting your fruit content, whilst contained within a meal rather than as a snack which is how many dessert eating apples are consumed. Getting a boost to your five a day is easy with Bramleys, and their health benefits match those of a normal snacking apple too.
Cooked Bramley Apples can be added to a number of dishes, including your morning porridge, as a Bramley Apple coleslaw side at lunch, or as part of a wholesome apple and onion gravy, or in a warming soup for dinner. Each of these ensures you get the health benefits of apples without much additional effort or work from yourself.
It is generally acknowledged that a standard 100g serving of Bramley Apple contains approximately 40 calories, with around 1.6g of fibre and 8-9g of sugar. They are low in fat and sodium.
What to cook with Bramley Apples?
Due to their more sour taste when uncooked, Bramley Apples should be cooked to eat, and work well with other fruits and vegetables to make larger dishes. For a more seasonal dish, Bramley Apples make excellent crumbles, with the option of adding seasonal fruit for added flavour and sweetness, such as blackberries. You can also season with cinnamon, cloves or mixed spice for an autumnal Bramley Apple Crumble recipe. This can also be applied to cooking Bramley Apples for pies and tarts. You can buy bramley apples from shop and we will ship them anywhere in the UK.
Nutritional benefits of apples
Bramley Apples, along with most apples, claim to be low in fat, low in sodium, high in fibre, contain only naturally occurring, healthy sugars, and salt free. Apples are also the second highest ranking fruit in terms of antioxidants, after berries. Antioxidants help repair the damage to cells caused by pollution, cigarette smoke and UV rays.
- Apples are naturally fat free
- Apples are a low fat food
- Apples are saturated fat free
- Apples contain only naturally occurring sugars, with no added sugar
- Apples are a high source of fibre
- Apples are naturally sodium free
- Apples are naturally salt free
- Apples contain fructose
Bramley Apple Nutritional Information
It is important to remember however that due to the need to be cooked, usually with a sweetener of some kind, that this will impact the calorie count and sugar amount. Many people tend to ask are apples good for you and the answer can be found below lets look at vitamins in apples.
Vitamins in apples
Apples are made up of carbs and water, with a mix of simple sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose. They are high in fibre. However apples aren’t known for their high vitamin content, or the mix of vitamins in them. They are however known for their relatively high vitamin C and potassium. You can also find manganese, copper and vitamins A, E, B1, B2 and B6 in pretty much all apples, though in much lower levels.
By adding Bramley to everyday dishes you will contribute to your five-a-day pieces of fruit and vegetables. Here are a few tips for eating more apples:
- Add stewed Bramley apples hot or cold to breakfast cereal or porridge.
- Add Bramley apples to soups, stir-fries or rice dishes. Apples pair well with spicy foods like curries, and other savoury dishes.
- Cooked apples taste great with other fruits and vegetables, like cranberries, sweet potatoes or carrots.
- Use Bramley apples to make sauces or salsas to accompany meat, chicken or fish dishes. Alternatively try cooked apples on pancakes or waffles for breakfast.
- You can bake Bramley apples with cinnamon and raisins in the microwave for a quick dessert. Other flavours that go well are maple syrup, honey, citrus fruits, cloves and nutmeg.
FAQ
What do eating apples do for the body?
Apples have a lot of nutritional benefits for the body, including lowering cholesterol, reducing type 2 diabetes risks, increasing brain health and fighting cancer.
How many apples should you eat a day?
You can eat as many apples as you like throughout the day, both raw as a snack, as juice, though apple juice should be consumed alongside meals as it is high in sugar and is recommended by dentists to drink alongside food to combat the potential damage to teeth, or within meals as a cooked addition. You should however consider the sugar quantity when consuming large amounts of apple.
Is it OK to eat two apples a day?
Yes,it is fine to eat two apples a day. In fact research has shown that two apples a day can reduce cholesterol, though this shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for a healthy diet or doctor recommended medication should you require it.
Why are apples bad for you?
Apples aren’t necessarily “bad” for you, but they are limited in vitamin value, with only vitamin C and potassium in higher volumes. Although they contain naturally occurring sugars which is good, they are still relatively high in sugar.
You should also consider what other ingredients you include when serving cooked Bramley apples. Instead of sugar for sweetness which may override the “good” of the apple, try honey or a natural syrup as a healthy alternative.
Are Apples Good For You ?
Apples make an excellent snack between meals, and even prior to a meal as a palate cleanser, being low in fats and calories, but remaining quite filling. Cooking apples, such as Bramley Apples, means you can incorporate apples, even up to one or two of your five a day into meals.
This doesn’t just include those delicious apple desserts, although they are an easy way to incorporate cooked bramley apples into your healthy lifestyle whilst having a treat.
Bramley apples can be cooked into healthy veggie soups, chutneys and as a side tomain meals as a type of sauerkraut or coleslaw as well as into gravies or casseroles. Hiding cooked Bramley apples in your everyday cooking is a great way to add good fibre to your diet without packing in too many extra calories.
How many calories in an apple?
In a general 100g medium sized apple, you can expect to find around 52 calories. Bramley Apples boast around 40 calories per apple. Apples are acknowledged as a low calorie, but filling fruit.
How much fibre in an apple?
In a general 100g medium sized apple, you can expect to find 2.4 grams of fibre. Apples are known for their high fibre content.
How much sugar in an apple?
In a general 100g medium sized apple, you can expect to find 10.4 grams of sugar. Apples are predominantly made from sugar and water, with fibre, hence the relatively high sugar content.
Can you eat apple seeds?
Eating an occasional apple seed, likely by mistake, is safe. However, eating large quantities of apple seeds could prove fatal, from cyanide poisoning. You would need to consume a large amount of seeds, around a hundred or more, and crush them whilst eating, for them to cause acute cyanide poisoning and cause death.
Do apples contain Vitamin C?
Yes, although not generally nutritionally dense in other vitamins, apples contain good amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and potassium.
Does an apple a day keep the doctor away ?
Although an apple a day won’t necessarily keep a doctor a way, including them as part of your everyday diet and living a healthy lifestyle will help keep you out of the doctor’s office. Apples have a proven track record for aiding to reduce everyday health issues such as high cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as offering cancer fighting antioxidants and aiding in the balance of blood sugar levels to combat type 2 diabetes and help with weight loss and control.
Are apples fattening?
Due to their fibre content and sugar type, they rank low on the glycemic scale meaning they can be important in weight management and sugar level control. They are low in saturated fats, and for their comparative size, low in calories too. Eating/dessert apples are considered a good healthy snack as they are low calories, but filling for between meals. That said, Bramley Apples are often cooked with sugar due to their sour uncooked taste, so this should be considered when including them in your dietary requirements.
Can apples be good for lowering cholesterol?
Yes, research shows that the high dietary fibre within apples can help lower cholesterol. Research has also found that pectin-rich foods, such as apples, contribute to lower cholesterol levels and reduced blood pressure.
Can apples help protect against diabetes?
Yes, the high fibre content, and apples low ranking on the glycemic scale, mean they are great for stabilising blood sugar levels as well as improving insulin sensitivity levels which all contribute to Type 2 Diabetes. Apples help lower risk and also help to prevent heart disease.