Weight Loss and An Apple a Day
You all know the old saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" and often wondered why anyone ever said it. After all, what has an apple got that is so good that it can keep you so healthy that you won't ever need to see a doctor?
In this original article written for this website by the author (if a copy turns up on another website, then it has been stolen and should be reported), he looks at the role the humble apple plays in not just keeping you healthy, but also in helping you to lose weight.
Healthy Apples
From a health perspective, apples contain malic acid which has been shown in tests to help the body reduce the build up of uric acid deposits in the joints, which is a major aspect of conditions such as arthritis and gout.
When apples are made into cider vinegar, this can be taken daily as a natural remedy that reduces the hard and abrasive uric acid deposits in the joints (see ref #1 below). Red skinned apples are also now known to be rich in antioxidants, which help mop up harmful free radicals in the body.
They are a great energy source thanks to their high content of fructose (a sugar easily broken down into glucose by the body) and they contain low GI carbohydrates that release their sugars slowly into the bloodstream. They are also high in dietary fiber, which is essential for maintaining a healthy colon and a healthy colon is essential for a healthy metabolism.
Apples and Weight Loss
So how does eating an apple help you lose weight? Well, it goes back to what I just said about the low GI carbohydrate and dietary fiber content of the apple. When you eat an apple, it can make you feel full up quite quickly.
It then takes a long time before you feel hungry again. Anyone who is on a diet will tell you one of the problems with eating a restrictive diet with small portions is that you can feel hungry soon after eating and that is when dieters break their diets and go in search of a hunger busting snack, which is more often than not a high GI carb or high sugar snack that is loaded with calories.
But the savvy dieter knows a thing or two about beating that mid afternoon hunger pang and eats an apple to stave of the hunger. The apple does contain carbohydrates (albeit low GI) and it does contain fruit sugars (fructose) and is not altogether particularly low in calories but it is an awful lot better than eating potato chips or cookies.
In fact according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the number of calories in a standard, medium size apple with the skin still on is 100, along with 4g of dietary fiber, 19g of sugars and 25g of carbohydrate (see ref #2 below).
What this all adds up to is a much better way to snack, if have to snack. And even if you do not, replacing a similar diet item each day for a medium size apple will bring many health benefits while also helping you to lose weight more effectively and naturally.
References:
- Treating Arthritis the Drug-Free Way by Margaret Hills SRN
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Calories in an Apple
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Posted on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 in Diet | 9 Comments
9 thoughts on "Weight Loss and An Apple a Day"
James Smith says:
Thanks for sharing such an informative article on how apples help with the weight loss process. I never really thought of them in that way, so it was a real eye opener for me to read this. I'm glad I did cause I like apples but never seem to get around to eating them. Now I will and they'll be instead of my usual handful of cookies! Thanks :-)
Lafrate says:
Interesting. I never heard that apple can really help reducing excess fat in our body. There's so many things that I don't know about apples. Haven't wondered what is its benefits whenever I ate one. Glad I know how it can be good to my body. Apples are my favorite fruit now!
Terry says:
Fran, apples contain malic acid but in amounts relative to their size, which is not "great amounts", that's just sensationalism.
You maybe missed the point of this article, which is that apples are a very good SUBSTITUTE for the bad processed and high sugar snacks that people eat between meals which makes them get overweight. It provides an alternative to the high calorie/sugar/salt/saturated fat/artificial additive laden snack in a fresh, nutritious and ready-to-eat food package made by nature with nothing artificial added.
There is far more goodness in an apple than in any candy bar, cookie, cake or pie. They also make you feel full despite the hunger stimulating properties of malic acid, which are there to make you want to eat the apple in the first place. Once you have eaten it, your hunger is satisfied (in part thanks to its fiber content) and the apple has done its job.
I do understand the nature of dissolvable fibers, thank you. But this article was not about them but the specific job the humble apple is capable of doing in helping people avoid becoming overweight. The idea of this whole website is to connect with readers with topics that interest them and may help them understand things in terms that everyday folks can take in. I could certainly write an article on dissolvable fiber and it may be very informative. But it will also send the average reader who is just looking for some honest advice and information straight for the "back" button because it would not capture their interest sufficiently.
Medical journals are the places for such articles as they are more interesting to people who want to get into such subjects more deeply. Most people don't.
If this article helps just one person to understand they can make a small change to their diet and avoid needless weight gain, then I have done my job as a nutritionist and writer.
Mike says:
The more you can replace snacks like chips or cookies with an apple you will be benefiting yourself in many ways. Another great thing about eating a good size apple is it takes some time to eat it. Whenever you eat slower you will feel like you are full.
Kayla says:
Hey Awesome Post! I always new apples were goo but now I'm going to start eating them everyday!
If anyone is interested in losing weight (like me) they should do it a safe and healthy way.
Chocolate Lover says:
I have always enjoyed apples but did wonder about the old saying about keeping the Dr away! Love them covered in dark chocolate too, though know that is does not sound as healthy as eating them alone.
dagregory says:
This is a great tip for weight loss. Fruits as a snack instead of chips and cookies are a sure fire way to eat healthier and limit the number of excess calories we intake on a daily basis. Combining these healthy eating habits with exercise results in lost weight and better health. Also, learning these tips and healthy lifestyles helps you to maintain these healthy habits for a lifetime. Great article!
Fran says:
Apples contain a great amount of malic acid, which is capable of stimulating hunger, then between the main mealtimes try to avoid apples and give preference for plum, strawberry, pear, tangerine or guava these fruits has more dissolvable fibers. Search more information about dissolvable fibers and then you are going to understand better the functions of theses fibers.
Rahm says:
I eat apples and bananas on a daily basis. I try to avoid eating too many sweets and apples and bananas help me with my sweet tooth when it's late and I'm starving.