An apple a day will keep the doctor away may not be an accurate axiom, but it has been shown that an apple a day can help reduce high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and help you live longer. That’s good to know since today is National Eat A Red Apple Day.
With over 7,500 varieties and over 7.5% of the world’s production of apples coming from the United States, this natural preventative is easily available.1 That’s a good thing since the average American eats 15.77 pounds of apples per year.2 Speaking for myself, that seems a bit high!
According to the Cleveland Clinic, apples are a good addition to our diets and have several health benefits3:
Stabilizes blood sugar. A study of more than 38,000 people found that those who ate more than one apple a day were 28% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t eat any apples. This is likely due to the high levels of antioxidants and fiber.
Lowering cholesterol. Multiple studies in people with high cholesterol show that consuming a few apples a day can reduce total cholesterol levels by about 5% to 8%. Can’t down that many apples in 24 hours? Try a daily serving of 3 ounces of dried apples (no sugar added). One study’s participants reduced their total cholesterol by 13% in six months after eating that much.
Reduces blood pressure.
Eases inflammation. Apples contain anti-inflammatory substances — mainly fiber and quercetin, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation, especially in your respiratory system. According to multiple studies, eating apples lowers c-reactive proteins in your blood, a sign that chronic inflammation is improving.
Boosts your microbiome. Quercetin stops those harmful microbes from growing in
your gut. Pectin acts as a prebiotic (food for beneficial microorganisms), promoting good gut health.
Satisfies hunger longer. Allegedly, the high fiber content doesn’t digest quickly. Therefore, you feel full longer. Eating cookies, chips, or other snacks will not have this affect – even though they may taste better and be more enjoyable to eat.
Helps you live longer. Now, this isn’t because apples stretch your life expectancy. It’s due to the fact that apple intake reduces other killers like cancers and heart disease.
I have to believe that the Cleveland Clinic might be right about all of this, not because they are a premier health provider in the United States but because the Lord uses apples in such positive ways. They must be good for you!
Psalms 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” David sees himself as the apple of God’s eye.
Proverbs 7:2 “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.” Do we keep God’s Law as the apple of our eye.
Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Good, appropriate words are viewed positively with the metaphor of apples.
Song of Solomon 2:5 “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.” Solomon uses references to apples in this romantic tale. Evidently, apples provide comfort even to those experiencing love sickness.
Zechariah 2:8 “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” The preceding verses tell us that Israel and Jerusalem are the apple of God’s eye.
Let your life be filled with the “apples” of Scripture. It’s good for your health! When those apples are missing, Joel 1:12 tells us what the cause might be. “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.”
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
1https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-eat-a-red-apple-day-december-1
2https://www.statista.com/statistics/257167/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-apples-in-the-us/
3https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-apples
