Apples have been touted for centuries as a way to total body health. Every kid knows this. Science backs it up.

Why are apples so healthy? Lots of reasons, but maybe some that you never thought of.

Apples are high in:

Fiber (mostly pectin), vitamin C, and potassium. The skin is very rich in anti-oxidants. Apples are also high in phytosterols, a food nutrient that is shown to lower cholesterol levels. More later as to why apples improve cholesterol.

Proven cardiovascular benefits of apple consumption include:

Apples are also likely:

• Anti-cancer
• Prevention and treatment for inflammatory bowel disease
• Great for brain health

The Secret Ingredient in Apples

Apples are loaded with a secret ingredient…pectin.

Pectin (see below) is a starch molecule with fantastic health benefits. It is found in many fruits like apples and citrus, but also found in beets (another benefit of our organic beet root powder). It is used in the food industry to thicken items like jams and jellies.

Pectin is a prebiotic that nourishes the good bacteria in your gut. This is a KEY to heart and total body health.

Check out this study on how cholesterol is improved with pectin supplementation.

I have no problem with supplements, but why not do it by eating the apple itself, or the citrus that contains pectin?

The benefit of pectin with cholesterol is that it promotes a healthy gut microbiome. This leads to appropriate cholesterol production, utilization, and re-processing. Pectin also binds to cholesterol in the gut, so it goes out safely through the other end.

Pectin promotes happy and healthy gut bugs and this may be the key to health.

Apples must be organic

The main objective of this post is to support a healthy gut and gut microbiome. You cannot achieve this by eating pesticide produce. Pesticides kill pests and they kill us. How? By killing good bacteria, causing leaky gut, and interfering with the building of proteins in our body. If you know the grower, organic certification is not needed. Just make sure the grower/farmer does not spray the apple trees or in the post-picking processing and transport.

Recipe for your health

You can eat organic apples, buy pectin supplements or make your own pectin.  Here is a delicious recipe to make your own fresh pectin with organic apples.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 organic apples- any variety will work but must be organic.
• Quality water- we recommend Pristine Hydro and you can buy here
• Small box of organic raisins
• Cinnamon (if desired)

DIRECTIONS

• Wash the apples and leave the skin on.
• Cut the apple in quarters and dispose of the core and seeds.
• Dice apples in bit-sized pieces.
• Put apple pieces into a medium-sized pot and fill with quality water about 1/3 of the height of the apples.
• Add in the raisins and the cinnamon as desired.
• Bring it to a boil, cover and cook for about 10 mins.

Serving size is one heaping teaspoon, but you can certainly enjoy more of this delicious prebiotic. Store remainder in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!