Apples
Malus domestica
Fruits. Folk & home remedies and Modern nutrition.
Also called Common apple, Eating apple
Pinyin: Píng Guǒ
Spanish: Manzana
Apples are crisp fruits first grown in Central Asia, eaten fresh, cooked or as juice, and valued for fiber and vitamin C.
Did you know? Apples belong to the rose family, the same family as roses, cherries, almonds and strawberries.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Digestion & gut health. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that can soften stools. Trials of apples or apple pectin are small and mixed.Traditional proof
- Heart health. People who eat more apples have lower heart disease rates in observational studies. These studies cannot prove apples cause the difference.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Apples have been grown since ancient times in Central Asia and spread along trade routes to Europe. Folk sayings and European herbal books praise apples for digestion and heart health, but those claims are weakly tested.
How it is classified
How people take it
Eat whole, with the skin, for the most fiber. Apple juice has less fiber and more sugar per cup.
Food and juice.
Where to get it
Grown worldwide, with major crops in China, the US, Poland, Turkey and Italy. Sold fresh in many varieties, dried, as juice, sauce and cider. Key nutrients: pectin (fiber), vitamin C, potassium and quercetin (a plant compound in the skin).
Be careful
Apple seeds contain amygdalin, which can release cyanide when seeds are crushed and eaten in large amounts. Swallowing a few whole seeds is usually harmless. People with birch pollen allergy may get mouth itching from raw apple.
Avoid if: birch pollen allergy.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Apple and cinnamon are a classic pie and baking pairing.
- Works well together
Beet and apple juice is a common blend, and apple adds sweetness.
The honest take
Apples are a healthy, fiber-rich fruit. The idea that an apple a day keeps the doctor away is folk wisdom, not proof. The heart and gut claims come mostly from observational studies or small trials.