Apples 101: Benefits, Weight Loss Potential, Side Effects, and More

An apple a day keeps the doctor away: It’s a “mom” saying, but scientifically speaking, there’s some truth to it. While eating apples may not reduce the number of times you visit the doctor, it is associated with taking fewer prescription medications, according to a study from 2015. (1)

“Apples are healthful foods that you should include in your diet more often,” says Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, who is based in Ojai, California. “They have important nutrients linked with disease protection, are portable, and have their own natural food ‘packaging,’” she says. Because there are so many types of apples, chances are, there’s a variety for everyone.

Apples come in a variety of sizes, of course, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one medium (⅓ pound) Red Delicious apple, with skin, contains: (2)

• 93 calories
• Protein: 0.3 grams (g)
• Fat: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrate: 22 g
• Fiber: 3 g (11 percent of the daily value, or DV)
• Vitamin C: 8 milligrams (mg) (9 percent of the DV)
• Magnesium: 7 mg (2 percent of the DV)
• Potassium: 143 mg (4 percent of the DV)

For such a small fruit, apples pack a huge health punch, potentially helping with:

Disease Prevention

Apples are packed with a variety of disease-fighting phytochemicals, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, RDN, a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic who is based in Colorado. There are many lifestyle forces working against your health — like stress, lack of sleep, or sitting too much — that generate free radicals. Of course, an apple cannot alone make up for any of those, but getting more antioxidants into your diet will help support your body’s defenses against diseases like cancer, notes the American Cancer Society. (3)

Supporting Immunity

What’s more, apples contain vitamin C: One medium-size fruit has 9 percent of your daily value. “That’s not as much as an orange, but vitamin C is important for immunity,” says Kirkpatrick. Maintaining a healthy immune system is especially important in the fall and winter, when cold and flu season is in full swing, so any extra bump in C helps.

Promoting Blood Sugar, Heart, and Gut Health

Finally, apples pack an impressive amount of fiber — about 10 percent of your daily recommended amount in just one apple. This comes from a combination of both insoluble fiber (from the peel) and soluble fiber (from the pectin in apples), explains Kirkpatrick. Fiber in general slows down digestion to help keep blood sugar balanced. Insoluble fiber will promote bowel movement regularity, while pectin is associated with both cardiovascular and gut health. (4)

Apples have a couple of things going for them when it comes to a weight loss diet: They are low in calories (less than 100 in one medium fruit) and have 14 percent of the daily value of fiber per serving, Palmer points out. Not only does the fiber fill you up, but you have to spend time chewing the apple. “The more chewing you do and the more time it takes to eat something, the greater your satiety,” she says. For the biggest effect here, eat an apple whole rather than sliced.

Now you know how apples can help your health, but how do you make sure you’re picking the best fruit and then doing all you can to retain its texture and flavor?

Tips for Picking Apples

To find the tastiest apples in the store or at the farmers market, select those that have shiny skin and are firm to the touch, recommends the Washington Apple Commission. (5) Don’t eat apples that are bruised or have holes.

Tips for Keeping Apples Fresh

Apples can be stored in the pantry at room temperature for five to seven days or the refrigerator for a whopping one to two months, according to the website StillTasty, which offers information about the shelf life of various foods. (6) The site recommends storing them in a plastic bag in the fridge to prolong shelf life. Apple slices can also be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Whatever way you slice it, an apple tastes good! Here are 10 ways to enjoy them:

1. Whole or sliced as a snack
2. Drizzled with nut butter and sprinkled with granola for “apple nachos,” like the recipe found on the Simple Veganista
3. Cooked in a slow cooker with cinnamon for applesauce, like the Homemade Crock Pot Applesauce on Yummy Healthy Easy
4. Cooked into apple butter
5. Baked into muffins, quick breads, and more
6. Sautéed with cinnamon and used as a topping on oatmeal (or ice cream), like Palmer’s Pistachio Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
7. Rings fried in a food dehydrator or a low-heat oven
8. Baked into a crumble and topped with plain Greek yogurt
9. Mixed into a Thanksgiving stuffing, like Palmer’s Cranberry Apple Leek Whole Grain Stuffing
10. Baked in the oven like the Easy Cinnamon Baked Apples from Minimalist Baker

Apples are best eaten, but you can also use them in several ways, including by boiling in water with spices to add a lovely fall scent to your home, as a stamper for kids’ crafts, or placed in a bowl on your table as an edible centerpiece.

Apple cider vinegar, which is created when apples are exposed to yeast then changed into alcohol and acetic acid, has several touted uses.  But don’t go overboard, advises the University of Chicago School of Medicine, and especially on some of the claims around apple cider vinegar’s effects on things like diabetes and weight loss. (7)

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), apples may trigger the telltale bloating and abdominal pain of the condition. That’s because apples contain a high amount of fructose. (8) Apples would not be included if you are following a low-FODMAP diet. This type of diet is very restrictive — and you certainly wouldn’t want to eliminate apples if not necessary — so working with a knowledgeable registered dietitian can help you determine what foods you should avoid for digestive comfort.

Also important to note: While apples contain about 20 to 25 g of carbs per medium fruit, if you have type 2 diabetes, you can still include apples in your diet, says Kirkpatrick. Talk to your doctor, a registered dietitian, or a certified diabetes care and education specialist about what aligns with your dietary goals.