We have often heard "An apple a day keep the doctor away." Is that really true?
According to an 1866 edition of the Oxford Journal, Notes and Queries:
"Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." In other words, "An apple a day does keep the doctor away."
People have already considered apples as a symbol of good health and is the official state fruit of several states:
- Rhode Island
- New York
- Washington
- Michigan
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Vermont
- Pennsylvania
- California.
What are the benefits of having an apple a day?
- Apples are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber and potassium.
- Apples may lower the risk of asthma, lung cancer and other diseases
- Apples combat tooth decay by cleaning teeth and gums and fighting off bacteria.
- Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
- Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
- 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
- 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
- 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
- Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
- Apples are grown in all 50 states.
- Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
- A medium apple is about 80 calories.
- Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber.
- The science of apple growing is called pomology.
- Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
- Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
- Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
- Apples are propagated by two methods: grafting or budding.
- Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.
- The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.
- Europeans eat about 46 pounds of apples annually.
- The average size of a United States orchard is 50 acres.
- Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet high and live over 100 years.
- It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
- Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first.
- The largest U. S. apple crop was 277.3 million cartons in 1998.
- Different varieties of apples will have different number of seeds.
- The Lady or Api apple is one of the oldest varieties in existence.
- Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.
- Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.
- Apples account for 50 percent of the world's deciduous fruit tree production.
- Don't peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel. Antioxidants help to reduce damage to cells, which can trigger some diseases.
- Consumers eat an average of 46.1 pounds of fresh apples and processed apple products per year.
- Sixty-three percent of the apples are eaten as fresh fruit.
- The apple variety ‘Red Delicious' is the most widely grown in the United States with about 62 million bushels harvest each year.
- Many apples after harvesting and cleaning have commercial grade wax applied. Waxes are made from natural ingredients.
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