The largest apple producer in the world is China with about 40% of the total production. The second producer is the U.S. with more than 7.5%. Other leading apple producers are Turkey, France, Italy and Iran. 60% of all the commercially sold apples in the U.S. are grown in Washington state.

Apples are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. One medium sized apple has about 13% of the recommended daily value of dietary fiber and 11% of vitamin C. One apple can supply you with 72 calories, two of them being from fat. Other nutrients that the apple has are vitamin K, vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium. Apples are 85% water. Apples contain carbohydrates which may increase blood sugar levels.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Today, this old proverb in backed up by science. Research suggests that due to the Vitamin C and other antioxidants in apples, this fruit may reduce risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage. Also, fibers control cholesterol levels helping with heart disease and weight loss.

Diets low in fat and high in fiber are associated with lower incidents of prostate cancer. Phytoestrogens are preventive agents against prostate cancer. One class of phytoestrogens is flavonoids, which are found in a high proportion in apples, onions and tea leaves. According to a study by Mayo Clinic in 2001, quercetin, a flavonoid found in apples, prevents growth of prostate cancer cells.

A study by Cornell University indicated that phytochemicals from apple skin inhibit the reproduction of colon cancer cells.

The National Cancer Institute stated that foods containing flavonoids can reduce lung cancer risk by 50%. Scientists at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii stated that “foods rich in certain flavonoids may protect against certain forms of lung cancer.” Also, British studies indicate that eating apples is good for lung health. A study shows that people who ate five apples per week had better lung function and lower risk for respiratory disease. According to the University of Groningen, apples can reduce the risk of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) at smokers by 50%. COPD makes its victims gasping for breath. Dutch scientists studied if the flavonoids (found in a high amount in apples and tea) could help against COPD. Their results were that a high intake of catechins (a flavonoid) and solid fruits are beneficial against COPD.

Finnish researchers have studied the effect of the flavonoid quercetin on cardiovascular diseases. It was concluded that being a major source of quercetin, apples could decrease the risk of thrombotic stroke.

The same researchers associated the dietary consumption of flavonoids with heart attack cases and stated that people with very low intake of flavonoids are more exposed to coronary disease. Dutch scientists studied the effect of the catechin flavonoid found in apples, tea and chocolate. They concluded that intake of catechin may reduce risk of ischemic heart disease.

A recent study on more than 34,000 women published in the March 2007 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that three foods rich in flavonoids (apples, red wine and pears) lower the risk of mortality for coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Flavonoids are also found in other fruits and vegetables, tea, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. Even thou the study focused on postmenopausal women, groups of all ages are encouraged to eat more fruits and vegetables, including apples.

Also, many studies have shown that apple consumption reduces the blood cholesterol. The substance responsible for this is thought to be pectin found in also other fruits and vegetables. A study at University of California at Davis showed that apple juice inhibits oxidation of harmful cholesterol. The specific substances that acted this way are not yet known, but both fresh and commercial apple juices inhibited LDL oxidation.

A group of apple compounds could protect the brain from damage that causes Alzheimer and Parkinsonism. Apple phenolics found in fresh apple can protect nerve cells. Research from University of Massachusetts Lowell suggests that apple consumption can protect brain cells from age related memory loss. There were performed tests on mice that confirmed that apple juice protects against oxidative brain damage. The mice with apple juice diet had significantly better results at the maze tests than the other mice. However, more research is needed.

Also, other studies suggested that apples may also help with wrinkles. Sun caused skin damage may be repelled with consumption of fruits like apples and prunes, vegetables and olive oil. Meat and butter have adverse effects.

A Japanese study on animals suggests that procyanidin, a chemical compound in apples may help with hair growth. However the results were inconclusive to make an assumption on the effects of procyanidin on humans.

Apples can also clean teeth, but the malic acid in the fruit is capable of eroding teeth over time through excessive consumption.

The seeds are poisonous because of the small amount of amygdalin, however it won’t have any toxic effect unless eaten in a high quantity.

Broccoli

A member of brassica family, broccoli contains a lot of healthy nutrients needed by the human body, like: antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron and potassium. Besides the upper mentioned nutrients, broccoli is considered to be one of the best sources of glucosinolates, which is proven to reduce cancer, especially lung and colon cancer. Also, it seems like in 100g of broccoli there are less than 35 calories.

Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains the phytonutrients indoles and sulforaphane, which have anti-cancer effects. Specialists found that sulforaphane boosts the body’s detoxification enzymes, potentially by altering gene expression, thus helping to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly.

In the past, researchers believed that many phytonutrients work as antioxidants to disarm free radicals before they can damage DNA, cell membranes and fat-containing molecules such as cholesterol. Now, new research demonstrated that phytonutrients in broccoli have a much larger importance. These compounds actually signal our genes to increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification, the cleansing process through which our bodies eliminate compounds that can damage the human body.

A very important study on Chinese women in Singapore, a city in which the air pollution level is very high (causing a lot of damage to resident’s lungs), found that in non-smokers, eating cruciferous vegetables lowered the risk of lung cancer by 30%. Also, in smokers, regular cruciferous vegetables consumption reduced lung cancer risk with 69%.

So, eating broccoli sprouts in your sandwich or in your salad can offer huge health benefits that medicine can not offer. Broccoli sprouts are mainly recommended because they are 10 – 100 times more effective than mature broccoli, when referring to the capacity to boost enzymes that detoxify potential carcinogens.

Special research conducted at Harvard and Ohio State universities proved that drinking fluids, especially water and eating broccoli and cabbage can reduce bladder cancer.

Note: smoking can increase the risk of bladder cancer by four times!!! It seems like men who eat often broccoli or cabbage have 44% lower incidence of bladder cancer as compared to men who do not eat such vegetables. Also, men drinking a lot of fluids have a 51% lower incidence of developing bladder cancer.

Steven Clinton, a co-author of the upper mentioned research projects and the leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, stated that the key to reduce the risk of bladder cancer is: “Don’t smoke, drink fluids, and eat cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli and cabbage.” Clinton mentioned that the findings of the research were very important: “This gives us a wonderful foundation for future research. Now, we can try to identify the specific agents that are involved in protection from bladder cancer. Perhaps we can purify these agents and use them in chemoprevention studies; perhaps we can grow cruciferous vegetables under different conditions to enhance the amount of these potentially beneficial substances and improve the nutritional value of these foods or make extracts or powders that can be used by those who are at particularly high risk of bladder cancer”.

“Researchers have hypothesized a link between smoking and bladder cancer for a long time”, said Clinton, “but this is the largest prospective study to assess the influence of smoking, and it showed a clear and strong three- to four-fold increase in risk in smokers compared to nonsmokers.”

Bladder cancer is the fourth leading cancer to occur to men, and the ninth leading cause of cancer mortality in men. It is the eighth leading cancer in women.

Incredible Broccoli Pie

• 125 mg (1/2 cup) – green onions, chopped

• 1 – clove garlic, finely chopped

• 375 mg (1 ½ cups) – broccoli, cooked, chopped

• 125 mg (1/2 cup) – low fat cottage cheese

• 6 – eggs

• 125 mg (1/2 cup) – milk

• 125 mg (1/2 cup) – variety baking mix

• To taste – salt and pepper

• 15 mg – goat cheese, crumbled (or light cream cheese)

• 15 mg – parmesan cheese, grated

Spray a 23 cm (9-inch) pie plate with cooking spray. Set aside. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Sauté green onions and garlic for 5 minutes or until transparent. Stir in broccoli. Layer broccoli mixture and cottage cheese in pie plate. Set aside. Whisk eggs with milk and baking mix; season with salt and pepper. Pour over cottage cheese mixture in pie plate. Sprinkle top with goat cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Makes: 4 servings / Preparation: 10 minutes / Cooking: 5 minutes / Baking: 25 minutes.

Nutrients per serving:

• Calories: 240
• Protein: 19 g
• Carbohydrate: 16 g
• Fat: 11 g