We all know the familiar expression: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This couldn’t be more true, since apples shows a plethora of health benefits, from bone protection and asthma to supporting lungs and lowering cholesterol. But there’s a new health benefit that is very promising. Recent studies have demonstrated that apples can also help fighting against breast cancer. One study, conducted at Cornell University, shows that eating an apple a day can lower the risk of breast cancer by up to 17%. This study also says that more we eat apples, the better our resistance in breast cancer is. As example, 3 apples a day reduced the risk of developing breast cancer by 39%, and the double amount per day led to a 44% risk reduction.
It’s the enzymes and the potent antioxidants of the apple that give its cancer-fighting properties. Apple enzymes could counteract adenocarcinoma, a malicious form of breast cancer. Also, the triterpenoid compounds and flavonoids, two kinds of antioxidants, have been shown to inhibit cancer cells in vitro.
Enzymes are very sensitive to heat. And as most of the cancer-fighting antioxidants are found in apple peel, eating raw apples is the best way to reap up the most of apple’s health benefits. If you have a juicer, one easy way to add more apples to your diet is by drinking fresh homemade apple juice. You can also add some to your salads, sliced with nut butter at breakfast, or simply as is for healthy snack. Just remember to choose organic apples, as conventionally grown ones are on the EWG top ten fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.
What is your favorite way to eat raw apples?