Apples are the most commonly consumed fruit in Russia. This fruit, well known from childhood, has a high taste, and is also a good source of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the inclusion of apples in the diet is good for health.
The wild apple tree was one of the first fruit trees to be domesticated by man. Approximately 200 years BC, there were already 25 apple varieties. The homeland of the apple tree is considered the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, from where it was brought first to Egypt and Palestine, and then to Ancient Greece and Rome. In Russia, the first apple trees appeared in the 9th century. Currently, about 7,500 varieties of apples have been bred.
Vitamins in apples
Most of all, apples are rich in the powerful natural antioxidant vitamin C. It increases immunity, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, promotes the production of collagen and serotonin, and participates in the formation of blood cells. The amount of ascorbic acid in an apple depends on its variety. Usually sour green apples contain more vitamin C than sweet red and yellow fruits. The amount of ascorbic acid is also influenced by the duration of storage of apples: the longer they are stored, the less vitamin C remains in them.
In addition to ascorbic acid, apples contain a complex of B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine), vitamin E, vitamin PP, vitamin K and carotene. The B-complex is necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system and the implementation of important metabolic processes in the body. Vitamins A and E, like ascorbic acid, are powerful antioxidants that prolong youth. Vitamin PP improves metabolism, heals the cardiovascular system and participates in the synthesis of hormones. Vitamin K is important for calcium absorption, normal blood clotting, and kidney function.
Apples are also rich in other healthy substances, including various minerals (iron, potassium, copper, chromium, molybdenum, boron, vanadium, cobalt, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, manganese, zinc, chlorine, sulfur, selenium), organic acids, dietary fiber, pectin, tannins and phytoncides.
The benefits of apples
Since apples contain a significant amount of vitamins and minerals, it is very useful to include them in the diet for hypovitaminosis and anemia. In addition, regular consumption of apples lowers cholesterol levels, promotes good digestion, has a general strengthening effect on the body, normalizes metabolic processes, stimulates the brain, improves the functioning of the heart and nervous system, and removes harmful toxic substances. Due to the presence of phytoncides, apples disinfect the oral cavity well, eliminate bad breath and protect tooth enamel from carious bacteria.
