We all know the saying, that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Tracing back to 1866, the original mantra stated ‘Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread’. If only that were true, none of us would have to visit the GP ever again!

The reality is that our health is a complex issue, with multiple influences including our genetics, environment, diet, activity levels, accidents and much much more. However, trying to maintain a balanced and healthy diet can only support our health and the good old apple can play a big role!

From deep-rooted medical research to the more obvious of reasons, here are just a few benefits a Granny Smith or Red Delicious can provide:

1. Boost respiratory health: A study of 1,500 people in the UK and another of 1,600 Australian residents found that apples reduced the risk of asthma, with those eating 5 apples a week seeing the best effects.


2. Increase alertness: Apples are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, natural sugar, and phytonutrients that help you feel more alert. Unlike coffee, the sugars are slowly released into the body to avoid a subsequent crash.
   
   


3. Keep us looking young: Fisetin, a compound that occurs naturally in apples, strawberries, cucumbers, onions and persimmons, has been found to be the most potent of all flavonoids. To keep it simple, tests run on the compound suggest that apples could help slow down the ageing process and extend the period of health even towards the end of life!


4. Help lose or maintain weight: Apples have no fat or artificial ingredients. Add in that they’re full of fiber and water and it’s not rocket science to see that eating apples in a smarter nutritional decision than choosing a takeaway or bag of crisps. With around 90 calories per average apple, they fill you up without providing energy that may not be expended.


5. Good for your heart: Apples have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease. The soluble fiber found in apples can help to lower blood cholesterol levels, whilst other compounds have various other benefits such as antioxidant effects and reducing stroke risk.


6. Helps make us happy: Debatably the best benefit of them all, apples are linked to improvements in our moods. One of the many antioxidants found in our favourite fruit is known as quercetin, which helps to fuel neurotransmitters in the brain and also reduces inflammation, making it a powerful mood-booster. Also found in apples is vitamin C, which is linked to reducing stress and anxiety, as well as a fiber which stabilises insulin to ward off low moods due to reduced blood sugar levels. All these nutrients result in apples being a great tool to boost mental health alongside physical health benefits!

Whether you eat your apples whole or include them within crumbles and pies, there is no doubt that they will do you the world of good.