To give reason to proverbs and ancient sayings is never wrong, especially when there’s half our well-being. If it is true, in fact, that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, it is also true that this fruit becomes an important ally for our health especially when eaten with the peel. We consumers of apples with the peel, something frowned upon by many but not by some skeptical friends who continue to look at us like we were aliens. So we decided to inform us by contacting doctors, pharmacists, nutritionists of our knowledge, coming to the conclusion that we will continue to eat apples with peel and a bit of ‘you too will understand why.
Benefits of eating apples with the peel
The studies about the benefits of consumption of apples with the peel are not new.
Surfing the web we found that in 201, for example, the University Of Iowa (USA) conducted a research that has highlighted the properties of the apple skin, including to prevent muscle decline associated with aging that advances. All this thanks to a substance, which is right in the skin of apples, the ursolic acid (which is also found in plums, blueberries and some herbs such as thyme, basil and oregano).
The study at the University of Iowa is very important since focused muscular atrophy, a common condition, especially among the elderly that causes major disruption in the life of every day and for which there is no cure, nor a form of medical prevention except ursolic acid (which we can assume just by eating the apples with the peel, in which this substance is particularly concentrated).
The ability of this substance to inhibit the muscle atrophy and promote muscle growth derives from the fact that it is able to influence the insulin-like growth factor (known as IGF1). This hormone and insulin (which is the “cousin” narrower) bind either to receptors on muscle cells, thus triggering a cascade of cellular pathways that improve both muscle growth that the block caused atrophy of the muscles.
In substance, ursolic acid appears to increase the activity of the receptors for IGF1 and insulin, amplifying the beneficial effects of these hormones in muscle.
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4 beneficial substances in apple peel
After a dutiful doctor excursus on Food on ursolic, here we are “discoveries” we made contacting our wellness professionals friends, who have confirmed that the apple peel contains substances and elements that bring significant benefits to our body.
Let’s see what they are
Fibers
The apple skin contains most of the fibers present in this fruit, fundamental elements for the well being of the organism and the regularity of our intestines.
Vitamins
The extra vitamins, in fact, comes from the consumption of an apple with the peel. Suffice it to say that an apple with the peel contains about 9 milligrams of vitamin C, an amount that falls to 6 milligrams about whether we consume an apple without his precious skin.
Quercetin
Some of you know it, others now cannot do without : the quercetin is an antioxidant that may help alleviate breathing problems, strengthen memory and fight damage to brain tissue that, over time, can cause Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases.
Triterpenoids
These substances are considered cancer and apple peel is rich in them. Even in this case, it is an American study to confirm the goodness of apple skin and of the substances that it contains : it seems, in fact, that inhibit or even kill the cancer cells that develop in organs such as liver and colon or breast.
Almost forgot
We also discovered that ursolic acid is an essential substance to keep under control our body weight. It appears that, in addition to the properties mentioned before, this substance is able to increase brown fat (the good kind of fat considered for our health) as it can burn a lot of calories, thus reducing the likelihood of putting extra pounds.
So, after these studies we will continue undeterred to eat apples with peel all day, so the doctor and scale will take away out of the way (hopefully).