An apple a day really does keep the doctor away

We've all heard the rhyme before: "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", but has anyone ever wondered if it's actually true?

Apples are indeed very good for you, but they have gotten a bit of a bad rap of late. A few years ago in New Zealand, apple growers and vendors were forbidden by law to tout the nutritional benefits of their produce due to a bureaucratic oversight that classified the natural sugars in apples the same as the processed sugars in junk foods.

Yes, it is true that apples are loaded in sugars, but those sugars are not the same ones that we use in cooking and baking. Still, one does have to watch out because as delicious as apples are they can cause cavities or exacerbate people with sensitive teeth.

On the flip side though, apples do come loaded with Vitamin C, which boosts our immune system, and Dietary fibres, which help our digestive system. As well, apples are a great way to get one of those afternoon energies boosts that so many of us often need. They are even great to enjoy in the morning before a jog or before hitting the gym as they offer plenty of carbohydrates for our bodies to burn off.

To cap it all off, a recent study has discovered that apples that eating one or two apples each day can help our bodies reduce bad cholesterol and help prevent heart disease!

So, what's stopping you? Add a little crunch to your fruit platters or pull out the pie crust and bake a nice warm apple pie to enjoy one cool spring evening.