Why Eat Apples??? Why!?

You know Mac. Why they choose apples as their logo? And you must also know Yagami Light and Ryuk from Death Note series. Why they prefer apples than meatballs? Find the answer in this article. Enjoy, make sure to eat apples after reading this....

Fact About Apples :

• Apples are a member of the rose family
• Apples are available year-ground
• Apples are ripe when picked
• Apples are high in fiber
• There are more than 7000 varieties of apples grown in the world
• Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air
• About 50 percent of apples grown in the united states are sold fresh, and 50 percent are processed into apple juice, apple sauce or dehydrated apple products.

History of Apples :
It is believed that apples were grown in Neolithic times. They were known to ancient cave dwellers. About 5000 years ago, apples were gathered and stored. The Egyptians and Romans introduced apples to Britain. Early Americans brought apples seeds from Europe and planted trees in Massachusetts and Virginia. John Chapman became known as Johnny Appleseed because he planted apple seed wherever he went.

How to Select and Store Apples :

When selecting apples, press your finger against them to check for firmness. Choose apples that feel hard and don't dent. Make sure you do this when selecting larger apples because they're more likely to be overripe than smaller ones.

Apples are ripe when picked and need to be kept cold so they do not become soft. At home, store apples in your refrigerator to keep them crisp and delicious. When stored in refrigerator, apples can keep about 6 weeks.

In the refrigerator, do not store apples next to green vegetables and leafy greens. They are sensitive to a natural gas produced by apples, cold ethylene gas. Did you know that bananas, tomatoes, melons, and pears also produced ethylene gas.

Why Apples are Good for Us :

Eating apples is an easy, delicious, and nutritious. Beside being sweet and crunchy, apples have and exciting nutrition story.

Nutritional information 160 grams serving (1 medium apple)

• Energy 101 Cal (420 kJ)
• Protein 0,3 g
• Fat 0,6 g
• Dietary Fiber 4,3 g
• Sodium 0 mg
• Potassium 184 mg
• Percentage of Recommended Daily Intake Vitamin C 15%

Source : USDA

it's true, apples are high in fibers. Infact, just 1 apple has 20% of the fibers our body need everyday for good health. Wow, this a lot of fiber!

There's 2 kind of fiber: soluble and insoluble. About 80% of the fiber found in apples is soluble and the rest is insoluble. Soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and insoluble fiber may prevent certain types of cancer. Fiber also helps our bodies digestion and adds bulk to our diet.

Like our other fruits and vegetables, apples are in low calories and have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. No wonder apples are so popular- They're healthy!

Taken and edited from Bliss Magazine 3rd Edition, March 2006