You must have definitely heard the age-old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. What does it mean? Does it really keep the doctor away?
An Apple
Not really; it was just a polite way of saying that this habit helped prevent constipation and other related ailments. It was believed that the juice of a raw people helped in fermentation of undigested foods.
Although one might question such a sweeping statement in modern times, none ca deny that apples are good for health because of their high nutritious value. Some people have modified this statement and suggested that it keeps the dentist away more than the doctor. According to the dentist, biting a crisp apple is an effective way of removing food particles lodged between the teeth. Eating an apple after meals and cleaning the teeth first thing in morning and before retiring at night, are the best ways of keeping your teeth and gums healthy.
Moreover, apples contain vitamins A and C, re rich in cellulose and carbohydrates, and also contain some minerals. This means that apples also help me the prevention ad cure of several deficiency disorders, e.g., scurvy, night blindness, etc., as well as in purifying the blood. They also help in healing, protection against cold and building of ones, teeth and gums. Thus, an apple being rich in these nutrients and helping in keeping the body healthy justifies the old saying.
Apples are eaten raw, both for taste as well as their beneficial values. They contain 80% water, and the remaining 15% comprises sugar, ascorbic acid vitamin C and other acids, and rough indigestible matter. Apart from their nutritious value, apples are also used for making sweet dishes. Cider is brewed from fermented apples.
Apples belong to the family of Rosaceae. In the ripened state, they are usually red, yellow or green. Apples grow in temperate zones, I relatively cold weather. By the end of 300 A.D., a roman writer named 37 varieties of apples, but today hundreds of varieties are available with varying degrees of sweetness and flavor.