Introduction: Apples are rich in various health-beneficial nutrients, with countless health-preserving effects, and are loved by people all over the world. However, an article recently published on the Australian "Perfect Health" website reminded us not to eat apples too aggressively because the core contains hydrocyanic acid, which is detrimental to health.
As we all know, apples are rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, polyphenols, and flavonoids, all of which are natural antioxidants and are particularly effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Apples contain much more calcium than most fruits, which can help metabolize excess salt.
However, few people know that apple cores contain hydrocyanic acid. Australian researchers have found that apple cores contain a small amount of harmful substances - hydrocyanic acid. A large accumulation of hydrocyanic acid in the body can cause dizziness, headache, and accelerated breathing rate. In severe cases, it may even lead to coma.
But there's no need to worry too much. The hydrocyanic acid in apples mainly exists in the core, not in the flesh. It should be noted that if you habitually bite into the core while eating an apple, although it won't immediately lead to poisoning, doing so over the long term is indeed detrimental to health.
The potential "poisoning" danger of apples: coloring agents enhance the color.
Nowadays, people often complain that "eating fruit doesn't taste fruity anymore," because many fruits use excessive growth accelerators, coloring agents, or swelling agents during their growth, or excessive preservatives during storage, or coloring agents, waxing, bleaching, and dyeing when sold, satisfying consumers' psychology of "judging a fruit by its appearance." These toxic fruits have become a serious public hazard threatening people's health.
The danger of eating apples: swelling agents enlarge them, coloring agents enhance the color, preservatives keep them fresh. Excessive use of swelling agents, coloring agents, and preservatives can harm the liver. Retailers may also apply industrial wax to apples to retain moisture and make the fruit look fresh and appealing.
What to do if there's wax on the apple peel?
From a nutritional perspective, it's best to eat apples with the skin on because compared to the flesh, the apple peel contains more antioxidant substances. In fact, the wax on apple peels can be divided into the following three types:
Firstly, the natural wax inherently present on the apple surface. This is a lipid component and serves as a plant protection layer on the apple surface. It can effectively prevent the invasion of external microorganisms and pesticides into the flesh, serving a protective function. This type of wax does not need to be removed.
Secondly, some imported apples have artificial edible wax applied. This "artificial fruit wax" is actually a chitosan substance, mostly extracted from crabs, shells, and other crustaceans. This substance is harmless to the body and is mainly used for preservation, preventing apples from rotting and deteriorating during long-distance transportation and long-term storage. Removing this layer of wax is simple; just rinse it with hot water.
Thirdly, there's industrial wax, which may contain mercury and lead that could seep through the peel into the flesh, posing a risk to human health. A method to identify this is: wipe the surface of the peel with your hand or a napkin. If you can wipe off a faint red substance, it might be industrial wax.
Apples come in different colors, each with different health benefits.
The color of apples can predict their health benefits. For example:
Red apples: better for the heart, improve memory, maintain urinary system health;
Green apples: better for strong teeth and bones;
Yellow apples: strengthen the immune system and help prevent certain cancers.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), different colored apples have different health benefits.
Red apples benefit the heart: they have a stronger effect in softening blood vessels, protecting cardiovascular health, and elderly people can eat more of them.
Green apples: have the effect of nourishing the liver and detoxifying, and can combat depression, making them more suitable for young people to consume. Moreover, green apples can promote tooth and bone growth and prevent gum bleeding.
Yellow apples: are good for vision protection and can be appropriately consumed by office workers who frequently use computers.
Cute apples - "General Practitioners"
As early as ancient Egypt, people did not only see apples as food but also as medicine. Canadian research shows that apple juice has a powerful effect in killing infectious viruses in test tubes, and people who eat more apples have a much lower chance of catching a cold than those who don't eat or eat fewer apples.
Apples contain a lot of potassium, which can combine with excessive sodium in the body and excrete it. When the body consumes too much sodium, eating some apples helps balance electrolytes in the body. The phosphorus and iron contained in apples are easily absorbed by the intestinal wall, having a brain-nourishing and blood-enriching effect, calming the mind and aiding sleep. The aroma of apples is a good remedy for depression and stress. Experts have found after multiple experiments that among various scents, the scent of apples has the greatest psychological impact, showing a clear effect in eliminating psychological stress. Clinical use proves that allowing patients with mental stress to smell the aroma of apples significantly improves their mood, making them feel relaxed and happy, and eliminating feelings of stress. Experiments also show that insomniacs smelling the fragrance of apples before sleeping can fall asleep more quickly. Washing and squeezing apples for juice, consuming 100 milliliters at a time, three times daily, with 15 days as one course of treatment, can lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
Therefore, some scientists and doctors call apples "all-round healthy fruit" or "general practitioners."
It’s best to chew apples slowly for fifteen minutes
Apples have high nutritional value, rich in various vitamins and acidic substances.
Experts suggest that eating apples should not be rushed. If you chew longer in your mouth, more saliva and gastric juice will be secreted, which promotes the absorption and digestion of nutrients from the apple.
From a nutritional standpoint, we do not advocate the 'wolf-swallowing-tiger-devouring' style of eating. People with weaker gastrointestinal systems should especially pay attention to the speed at which they eat apples. Eating too fast can easily lead to indigestion and cause discomfort.
You may have experienced this: when eating an apple for a longer period, the bitten part turns yellow, and the moisture content decreases, becoming softer and less crisp. Fu Jinru explained that this is actually the result of oxidation. Although the appearance might not be appealing and the texture may not be as good, the nutritional elements haven't been lost. Generally speaking, eating oxidized parts of the apple won't cause harm.
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