Strengthening Apples’ Healthy Reputation

Over the past couple weeks, there has been widespread press on research conducted by nutrition and public health experts that strengthens the apple’s healthy brand for consumers, giving them even more reasons to enjoy apples and apple products. The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) works to increase apple sales by funding and promoting positive research on the health benefits of apples and apple products.

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Last fall, USApple funded a review study by Dr. Dianne Hyson that looked at much of the research done on the health benefits of apples. She concluded that there was strong evidence apples and apple products (like apple juice, cider, and apple sauce) can reduce the risk of major diseases — especially cancer, lung health, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Last month alone, research studies linking apples to lowering risk of developing type 2 diabetes, lowering bad cholesterol, and raising good cholesterol were released.

A long-term study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that participants who ate five or more apples per week had a 23% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the research study monitored the eating habits of around 200,000 adults for as long as 24 years and was created to determine whether flavonoids, a kind of antioxidant, had any effect on the incidence of diabetes. While no significant associations were found for total flavonoid intake, the study concluded that higher consumption of anthocyanins (a subclass of flavonoid found in apples and some other fruits) was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

A study at the Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging at Florida State University found that women who ate 2.5 ounces of dried apples experienced a 23% decrease in LDL “bad” cholesterol and increased their HDL “good” cholesterol by 3.5% — a boost difficult to achieve with drugs or exercise. The study’s author, Bahram H. Arjmandi, Ph.D., director for the Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging at Florida State University, put it simply: “I consider apples a magic food.”

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Growing evidence suggests that a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, can help slow cognitive decline associated with aging. Apples and apple products contain antioxidants and compounds that help improve markers related to behavioral changes associated with aging and even diseases of aging, like Alzheimer’s disease. As Dr. Hyson pointed out last year, “the data suggests apples may suppress aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and also help slow cognitive decline associated with aging.”

The USDA ranks apples and apple juice among the top antioxidant sources for Americans. These antioxidants may play a role in protecting the body from chronic disease. In fact, apples have one of the highest concentrations of the powerful antioxidant quercetin compared to all fruits and vegetables. Additionally, apples and apple products are among the top three or four dietary sources of polyphenols consumed in the U.S. and worldwide.

Understanding the health benefits of apples can help you reach your retail and foodservice customers whose consumers have an increasing interest and awareness of the health benefits from the foods they eat. These new research discoveries on the health benefits of apples and apple products serve to build and reinforce consumer confidence and the positive image for our fruit. The health benefits of apples and apple products have given consumers an easy, convenient, and delicious way to improve daily nutrition and help prevent illness. In addition to promoting health benefits, you may want to consider promoting apple-centered recipes for meals and snacks for any time of day.

When activists disparage our industry, this good health news is critical to tell the right — and truthful — story. As a true “Superfood,” apples are antioxidant-rich, portable powerhouses linked to controlling and even preventing major disease as well as losing weight.

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