US JUICE ® Health Benefits of Apples

Apples Malus pumila (M. domestica) have long been considered healthy, as in the proverb, an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Like many fruits, apples contain vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which explains the reduced risk of cancer (with the free radical explanation of reduced cancer risk due to the prevented DNA damage). The fiber in the fruit (while less than most other fruits) helps keep the bowels healthy, which may be a factor in the reduced risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol.

A group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism. Chang Y. "Cy" Lee of Cornell University found that the apple phenolics, which are naturally occurring antioxidants found in apples, can protect nerve cells from neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress. The researchers used Red Delicious apples grown in New York state to provide the extracts to study the effects of phytochemical. Lee said that all apples are high in the critical phytonutrients and that the amount of phenolic compounds in the apple flesh and in the skin vary from year to year, season to season and from growing region to growing region. The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.