Apples Benefits for Health & Vision

In a food column in New Hampshire's Telegraph, dietitian Lynda Murray, R.D., writes about the positive effects eating apples may have on overall health.

For example, through the quercetin found in their skin, apples have the unique ability to inhibit the production and release of histamine and other allergic or inflammatory agents. ... Eating an apple a day has been shown to reduce allergic symptoms 46 percent. In addition, the fruit's high flavonoid content...may help protect arteries from harmful plaque buildup. This helps keep cholesterol from oxidizing, and prevents platelets from clumping. Murray recommends that readers eat a diet rich in apples to run a lower incidence of heart disease and stroke. People diagnosed with elevated C-reactive protein and homocysteine probably also face a greater risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). So, even though an apple isn't the richest source of lutein, combining three or more servings of fruit per day over a period of 12 to 18 years reduces the risk of developing AMD by 30 percent, compared to eating only 1-1/2 servings per day or less, Murray contends.

While there, take note of recipes for Apple Sauce and Apple Crisp

Posted in: Apple, Macular Degeneration