Favorite Food Friday: Apples

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In honor of being back in the Big Apple after a month of travel, today I'll share some of the surprising ways this popular produce benefits your body. 

One of the most highly-consumed fruits in the United States, apples are a delicious, portable and doctor-approved sweet treat. Twenty-five hundred kinds of apples are grown in the U.S. and species triple worldwide.

Apples have always been a favorite pre-workout snack for me but I never realized how much good this fruit was doing for my entire body until recently. A few months ago on a press trip with I Love NY, I had the chance to tour Fly Creek Cider Mill, a water-powered mill operating outside Cooperstown for over 150 years. Between cider samples and doughnut tastings, I learned the following apple tidbits:

  • The abrasive texture acts like a mini toothbrush, removing plaque and helping whiten teeth by stimulating saliva production. 
  • The natural sugars are more potent than coffee without the inevitable caffeine crash. 
  • Apple skins contain a compound that breaks up cholesterol before it solidifies on artery walls, preventing coronary diseases.
  • Studies have proven fruits high in antioxidants -- like apples -- help protect eyes against cataracts.
  • Fighting the effects of aging on the brain, apples can keep Alzheimer's symptoms at bay.