Fort Dodge Messenger, IA
09-29-07
A is for apple
Good and good for you
By SANDY MICKELSON, Messenger staff writer
A is for apple.
B is for big, juicy apples, sometimes red, sometimes green, sometimes yellow.
C is for crisp apples that crunch when you bite them.
That’s it — the ABCs of fall in an apple orchard.
As a little history, Iowa ranked sixth in the nation in apple production at the
beginning of the last century. A severe freeze in 1940 killed many of the trees,
and farmers opted to plant corn and soybeans instead of replanting apple trees.
Now Iowa produces only about 15 percent of the 1.3 million bushels of apples
eaten by Iowans annually.
Iowa State University Extension information says that most apples come to
Iowa from Washington state.
Statistics provided by the Washington Apple Commission say that more than half
of all apples grown in the United States for fresh eating come from orchards in
Washington state. Apples from Washington are sold in all 50 states and in more
than 40 other countries.
The Commission noted that “Americans eat approximately 19.6 pounds of fresh
apples annually, compared to about 46 pounds consumed annually by residents
of European countries.”
That’s unusual, perhaps, in that apples are high on the list of good foods to eat
— starting with the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Whole-body benefits known to be tied to eating apples include lower blood
cholesterol, improved bowel function and reduced risk of stroke, prostate cancer,
type II diabetes and asthma.
Preliminary research from Finland indicates that two apples a day or 12 ounces
of 100 percent apple juice reduced the damaging effects of the “bad” LDL
cholesterol, and two recent British studies indicate that eating apples can
improve lung health.
Researchers at the University of California-Davis reported that apples and apple
juice may help protect arteries from harmful plaque buildup.
But what might be the most useful information for a graying nation comes from
research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Cellular
Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research. That research suggests eating
apples and drinking apple juice may protect against cell damage that contributes
to age-related memory loss.
It’s good to know this, but the basic fact about apples is simple — apples taste
good, they’re a handy snack and children will never get in trouble asking for an
apple to eat.
Basically, a medium apple has 80 calories and 22 grams of carbohydrate, which
is minimal compared to cookies, cake or candy. A medium-size apple with skin is
a good source of fiber, especially pectin, which has been shown effective in
lowering elevated blood cholesterol levels. Apples are low in sodium and contain
no fat.
Apple seeds are the only part of an apple that should not be eaten because they
contain very small amounts of cyanide. That amount, however, is so minimal, the
concentration in a couple of seeds is too small to cause illness, according to ISU
Extension information.
Apples should always be washed before eating. If an apple is waxed — and most
apples coming into the state from elsewhere are waxed to preserve freshness
and increase storage time — it’s a good idea to peel off a thin layer of the skin
because waxing traps pesticide residue.
Fuji, golden delicious, granny Smith and Jonagold are among the many good
cooking apples. But they’re also good snacking apples — it all depends on
personal preference.