Apples

What’s new and beneficial about apples

• A large percentage of apple polyphenols survive digestion intact and reach the colon, where they directly alter microbial populations. Specifically, apple polyphenols increase populations of Actinobacteria, a phylum that includes Bifidobacteria species known for producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate. Colonic bacteria also metabolize the arriving polyphenols into secondary metabolites with their own bioactive properties.
• Apples are the second most-consumed whole fruit in the U.S. after bananas. A study comparing apple-consuming children and teenagers (ages 2-18) with non-consumers found obesity was 30% less likely among those eating whole fresh apples, dropping to 25% when all apple forms (juice, sauce) were included. The whole-fruit advantage likely reflects greater fiber intake and polyphenol preservation.
• Total antioxidant capacity in a 1-cup serving of whole fresh apples averages 504 TE (trolox equivalents) versus 230 TE in store-bought apple juice. Polyphenols oxidize during pulping, pressing, and clarification, reducing their bioactivity even in pulp-containing cloudy juices. Whole fresh apples preserve more of the original polyphenol profile.
• Among the Top 10 varieties of apples consumed in the United States are Gala, Fuji, and Golden Delicious. In this context, we very interested to see a recent study from Brazil that measured the phenols and total antioxidant capacity in exactly these three apple varieties. Several aspects of this study seemed notable. First, the researchers found 4.2 times the amount of total phenols in the peel versus pulp of the Gala apples, and 3.4 times the amount in Golden Delicious and Fuji. Since the skins of apples are known to play a protective role in their health and since part of this protection is provided by polyphenols, this greater concentration of phenols in the peels was not surprising. But the extent of this concentration was. The researchers determined that by combining their consumption of both peel and pulp, consumers could obtain up to 89% terms of total antioxidant capacity available from fresh Gala, Red Delicious, or Fuji apples.

Apple, fresh
1.00 medium
(182.00 grams)

Calories: 95
GI: low

NutrientDRI/DV

 fiber16%

 vitamin C11%

Food Rating System Chart

• Health Benefits
• Description
• History
• How to Select and Store
• Tips for Preparing and Cooking
• How to Enjoy
• Nutritional Profile
• References

Health benefits

Phenolic phytonutrients in apples

Apples contain dozens of phenols and polyphenols that account for much of the fruit’s measured antioxidant capacity. The major classes include:

• Anthocyanins (red varieties only)
  • cyanidin galactosides
  • cyaniding arabinosides
• Dihydrochalcones
  • phloretin
  • phloridzin
• Flavonols
  • catechins
  • epicatechins
  • procyanidins
• Flavonols and flavonol glycosides
  • quercetin
  • isoquercetin
  • kaempferol
  • rutin
  • reinutrin
  • hyperoside
• Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives
  • caffeic acid
  • chlorogenic acid
  • coumaric acid

These phytonutrients concentrate 3-4 times more densely in the skin (peel) than the flesh (pulp). However, the far greater mass of flesh means it still contributes meaningfully. Consuming both peel and pulp captures nearly 90% of the total antioxidant capacity. About 100 grams of a medium fresh apple yields 66-212 milligrams of total phenolic phytonutrients.

Cardiovascular effects

In a 4-week human trial, one apple per day significantly decreased circulating oxidized LDL cholesterol, a form of LDL that initiates foam cell formation in arterial walls. Animal studies with apple extracts show broader LDL reductions, likely through apple fiber binding bile acids in the intestine and promoting their fecal excretion. The liver then converts circulating cholesterol into replacement bile acids, lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Total cholesterol and triglycerides also decrease in animal models given apple extracts, suggesting fiber and polyphenols both contribute.

An emerging line of research examines gut bacterial conversion of bile acids. Deconjugated bile acids, produced by gut bacteria, activate farnesoid X receptors (FXRs) that suppress hepatic fat synthesis. Apple fiber may deliver bile acid substrates to lower intestinal bacteria, amplifying this signaling pathway.

Fiber, blood sugar, and digestive tract effects

One medium apple provides about 4.4 grams of fiber. Pectin, the dominant soluble fiber, slows gastric emptying and intestinal transit time, moderating the rate of carbohydrate absorption and the resulting blood sugar response. Apple pectin’s structural components, homogalacturonans and rhamnogalacturonans, have each been studied independently for these effects.

Phloretin, a dihydrochalcone phenol found in apples, stabilized blood glucose, plasma insulin, and insulin resistance (measured by HOMA-IR) in animal models. Human trials on this specific mechanism are still needed.

Colon cancer prevention is an active research area. Apple extracts inhibit growth in colon cancer cell lines and in rodent models. Since apple polyphenols survive digestion and reach the colon intact, the biological plausibility for a protective effect is established, though large-scale human studies have not yet been conducted.

Recent research

A 2022 review in Nutrients examined 20 human intervention trials on apple juice consumption and found the strongest and most consistent evidence for oxidative stress reduction, particularly from cloudy apple juice. Cloudy juice retains substantially more polyphenols than clear juice because clarification removes the pulp fraction where procyanidins and other phenolics concentrate. The review also documented effects on inflammation markers (including CRP), lipid profiles, and fasting glucose, though results across these endpoints were more variable and often dependent on baseline metabolic status of participants.

A 2024 narrative review in Nutrients covering apple varieties and chronic disease risk added emerging evidence for apple consumption and neurodegenerative disease outcomes. Apple polyphenols, particularly quercetin and catechins, have shown neuroprotective effects in preclinical models, with proposed mechanisms including reduction of oxidative stress in neuronal tissue and modulation of amyloid-beta aggregation pathways. Clinical evidence on this front remains observational; no controlled human trials have yet established a causal link between apple intake and reduced neurodegenerative disease risk.

Both reviews document measurable polyphenol losses from thermal processing and mechanical juice extraction. Juicing disrupts cell walls, exposing phenolics to polyphenol oxidase enzymes; pasteurization and clarification reduce them further. This gradient from whole fruit to cloudy juice to clear juice aligns directly with the antioxidant capacity data noted in the “What’s New” section above, where whole fresh apples average 504 TE (trolox equivalents) per cup versus 230 TE in store-bought juice. The practical implication is that whole fresh apples with skin intact deliver the broadest spectrum of bioactive phenolics.

Description

In terms of their diversity, apples aren’t likely to take a back seat to any other fruit. As mind-boggling as it might seem, thousands of varieties of apples are produced and enjoyed worldwide. Even within U.S. supermarkets, it is not unusual to see more than a dozen varieties available for purchase in a single produce section. Apple varieties can differ widely in texture, aroma, color, and taste. Apple lovers often talk about “crunchy” versus “crisp” or “bold” versus “hints” of tartness. You can find apples with skins that range in color from pale to vibrant shades of yellow, green, and red, as well as those that are gold, pink, scarlet or extremely dark crimson/purple. Apple flesh can also vary widely in color, from virtually white to diverse shades of most colors listed above. Apple skins may also feature a mixture of colors (and may be referred to as bicolor, tricolor, etc.). The chart below will give you a quick look at some popular apple varieties in the United States.

Name

Flavor/Texture

Place of Origin

Year Introduced into the Marketplace

Granny Smith

crunchy and tart

Australia

1868

Red Delicious

crunchy and mildy sweet

Iowa, U.S.A.

1874

Golden Delicious

crunchy and sweet

West Virginia, U.S.A.

1914

Golden Delicious

crisp and sweet

West Virginia, U.S.A.

1914

Fuji

crunchy and sweet

Japan

1962

Gala

crisp and aromatically sweet

New Zealand

1965

Honeycrisp

crisp and sweet

Minnesota, U.S.A.

1991

All information obtained from the Washington Apple Commission, Wenatchee WA

Given the unusual diversity of varieties for this fruit, we also wanted to provide you with a more comprehensive alphabetical list of apple types that you may hear about or come across in the grocery. These include: Akane, Almata, Ambrosia, Arkansas Black, Aurora, Autumn Glory, Black Twig, Braeburn, Cameo, Cortland, Crispen, Criterion, Early Gold, Elstar, Empire, Enterprise, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Gold Russet, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Hunt Russet, Ida Red, Jersey Mac, Jonagold, Jonalicious, Jonamac, Jonathan, Kanzi, Keepsake, Lady Alice, Lodi, Macoun, McIntosh, Melrose, Mutsu, Newton, Northern Spy, Pacific Rose, Paula Red, Pink Lady, Pippin, Red Cort, Red Delicious, Rome, Sonya, Spartan, Sundance, Sunrise, Sweet Tango, Winesap, and Yates.

Apple tree orchards can be as diverse as their fruit. Standard apple trees often reach approximately 30 feet in height and 30 feet in diameter (at the crown), and their size limits the number that can be planted in one acre. In addition, they take a number of years to reach full size. It is common to imagine this type of orchard when thinking about apples—a relatively spacious landscape with a relatively small number of trees that stand out individually. However, apple growers can also select from a variety of tree (or “rootstock”) types including semi-dwarf trees that stop at 14–22 feet in height, or dwarf trees that stop at 6–12 feet or less. Due to their smaller size, these apple trees can be planted more closely together, allowing for 150–750 trees per acre. In addition, they are typically provided with a training or trellising system to support growth. These different orchard options can allow growers to take advantage of relationships between apple varieties, landscape conditions, and angles of sunlight. The net result is an amazing diversity of apples that we enjoy.

You may find a bit of discrepancy in the scientific naming of apples. Without question, all apples belong to the Rosaceae family of plants. This broad family includes a large number of plants with edible fruits, including not only apples but also apricots, cherries, loquats, peaches, plums, raspberries, and strawberries. As the name implies, roses are also a key member of this plant family, as are their seed pods—namely, rose hips.

Also without question is the genus to which apples belong. This genus is called Malus. However, once you arrive at the species name for apples, you will find some inconsistencies. The most common genus/species name that you will find for this fruit is Malus domestica. However, you may also find the following variations in naming: Malus pumila, Malus sylvestris, Malus communis, Malus praecox, and Malus pumila var. domestica. For the most part, these different science names point back to the role played over time by different authorities in the field of taxonomy in their efforts to create an accurate naming system.

One final note about apples and their variety: also found in this Malus genus are the close relatives of apples—namely, crabapples. Crabapple trees produce smaller fruit than their fellow apple trees—usually less than two inches in diameter. They are sometimes grown primarily for ornamental reasons, even though most of their fruits are edible. While more often used in sauces, jellies, and preserves, some varieties of crabapple (like Chestnut Crabapple) are popular as fresh fruits.

History

The history of this much-loved fruit has some unique aspects. Current genetic evidence points to a wild species of apple (Malus sieversii) in the Tian Shan Mountains of Central Asia as the key ancestor for present-day apples. However, this wild species was quickly domesticated and then carried along the Silk Trade routes to parts of the Caucasus Mountains in Western Asia and also into Europe, where natural crosses took place with other wild apple species. As a result, the early development of apples involved a wide range of habitats and many different species. This early diversity helped pave the way for the thousands of apple varieties that exist today.

On a worldwide basis, China is currently ranked as the top apple-producing country. It is followed (in order) by the United States, Turkey, Poland, Italy, India, France, Chile, Iran, and the Russian Federation.

Within the U.S., more than 30 different states grow apples for commercial sale. In terms of total production volume, the top-ranked states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California. This large-scale domestic production also leads to the export of approximately 25% of all U.S. apples. The top 10 varieties of apples produced within the U.S. include Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, McIntosh, Red Delicious, Rome, and Pink Lady.

Due to the popularity of apples as the second most widely-consumed whole fruit in the U.S. (following bananas), many groceries seek to stock a full range of apple varieties year-round. To boost year-round availability of this fruit, about 5% of apples consumed in the U.S. each year are imported from other countries, including Chile, Canada, and New Zealand.

How to select and store

Look for firm fruits with rich coloring, but expect the exact shading to differ depending on the specific variety involved. Depending on the taste and texture that you are seeking, there is no reason to limit yourself to apples of any particular color. Yellows, greens, reds, pinks, scarlets, bicolor, and tricolor—all of these types can make excellent choices. If you are seeking mostly sweetness, Red Delicious and Golden Delicious can make great choices. At the tart end of the taste spectrum, consider choosing a Granny Smith. For fascinating mixtures of sweet and tart, good choices would include Fuji, Braeburn, Gravenstein, Jonagold, and Jonathan. Many apple varieties— including Braeburn, Cortland, Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Melrose, Mutsu, Pink Lady, and Winesap— retain their texture well during cooking. In the Northern Hemisphere, apple season begins toward the end of summer and lasts until early winter. Apples available at other times have either been in cold storage or have been imported from the Southern Hemisphere.

Within the U.S., between 25–30 pounds of apples per person are consumed each year if you include all forms of apple (e.g., apple sauce, apple juice, etc.). In fact, only one-third of total apple consumption comes from fresh whole apples. For this reason, we want to address the issue of quality in these other apple forms. To start with a general conclusion: the quality of apple sauces and apple juices can vary greatly! At one end of the spectrum you can find apple juices that have been ultrafiltered to remove the pulp and clarified to provide a clear juice with little-to-no fiber and a much depleted offering of polyphenols. At the other end of the spectrum, you can find apple juices that have been processed but later recombined with some percentage of the previously extracted pulp. This recombination of juice with pulp usually results in a cloudy appearance, and the pulpy portion can also sometimes be seen as having settled to the bottom of the bottle. Without question, you are likely to get more health benefits from apple juice if you select juices that contain sizeable amounts of pulp. However, even though these pulp-rich juices can provide you with greater nutrient benefits than filtered and/or clarified versions, they can still fall short in some critical nutrient areas due to the impact of processing. For example, polyphenols in apples can be exposed to oxidative conditions during pulping, pressing, and clarification. As a result, the polyphenol benefits from whole, fresh apples can be reduced during the processing of apple juice, even when pulp is included in the final product. This potential nutrient loss is one of the reasons that we favor consumption of whole (and whole-sliced) apples in a minimally processed form.

Because we often get asked about the use of wax on apples, we wanted to address this topic for you here in the selection section.

The use of “edible coatings” on fruits and vegetables has become a relatively high-tech segment of the food industry. When fresh fruits and vegetables require modified atmosphere storage (involving control of factors like temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration), this step in the food supply chain can become both complicated and expensive. To a certain extent, edible coatings on fruits and vegetables can accomplish some of the same goals that are provided by modified atmosphere storage, thus increasing shelf life at a lesser cost. In addition, coatings can provide a level of physical protection during handling.

A number of different coatings are approved for use on apples. These coatings can come from many different sources including lab polymers, petroleum products, trees, plant leaves, and insects. Use of fruit waxes has always been controversial. Many people who strive to avoid waxed fruit regard waxes as a type of food additive that is separate and apart from fruit in its natural form. In this context, it’s worth noting that many fruits—including apples—can synthesize their own wax-like coating (called the “cuticle”). So it is possible for the waxy sheen of an apple to be a natural part of this fruit’s development.

Strict limits on the use of added fruit waxes are provided in the organic regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its National Organics Program. For certified organic fruits, allowed coatings include carnauba wax (obtained from the leaves of the carnauba palm tree) and wood resin (typically produced from the oleoresins found in pine trees). The allowed use of these waxes on organic fruit (including organic apples) remains controversial, however. Despite their classification as “nonsynthetic” due to their natural sources, these waxes undergo considerable processing prior to their spray application and are different from the wax-like substances naturally produced by many apple varieties.

Fortunately, if waxed apples are a version of this fruit that you choose to avoid, you are likely to find some unwaxed versions in the produce department. However, you may have to ask the produce manager for help in selecting unwaxed apples, since it can sometimes be impossible to tell based solely on their appearance.

At WHF, we encourage the purchase of certified organically grown foods, and apples are no exception. Repeated research studies on organic foods as a group show that your likelihood of exposure to contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals can be greatly reduced through the purchased of certified organic foods, including apples. In many cases, you may be able to find a local organic grower who sells watermelon but has not applied for formal organic certification either through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or through a state agency. (Examples of states offering state-certified organic foods include California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.) However, if you are shopping in a large supermarket, your most reliable source of organically grown apples is very likely to be apples that display the USDA organic logo.

In general, apples are fairly resilient to home storage at typical refrigerator temperatures of 35°–40°F (2°–4°C). At these temperatures, you can expect your apples to stay in good shape for at least several weeks. It can be very helpful to maintain some moisture in the cold storage area, for example, by inclusion of damp cheesecloth in the crisper bin of a refrigerator. Some varieties of apples—for example, Granny Smith—will store well for considerably longer. However, when most apple varieties are successfully stored over a 3-4 month period of time, the storage temperatures are usually lower than 35°–40°F (2°–4C) and fall into the range of 30°–32°F (-1°–0–C). These longer storage periods are also typically accompanied by a high percent of relative humidity in the range of 90–95%.

Over a period of time involving months, there is loss of total polyphenols from apples, including both flavonoid and non-flavonoid polyphenols. However, valuable amounts of polyphenols (and all other nutrients) remain. In some food traditions, cold storage of apples over the winter months is still counted on as a key part of dietary nourishment from fruits.

You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” Well, research studies agree. An apple that has been bruised from being dropped (or that has been damaged in some other way) can start to release higher than usual amounts of ethylene gas. This ethylene gas then acts as a hormone that speeds up the ripening of nearby apples that have not been damaged. As a result, the entire group of apples can too quickly become overly ripe. To avoid this problem, we recommend that you handle apples with care and remove any damaged apples from the group if you are storing multiple apples together.

Tips for preparing and cooking

Preparation

The skin of the apple is unusually rich in nutrients, and even if the recipe you’ve chosen requires peeled apples, consider leaving the skins on to receive the unique benefits found in the skins. Ideally, of course, choose organic apples to avoid problems related to pesticide residues and other contaminants on the skins. If you cannot obtain organic apples, and you are willing to accept some level of risk related to consumption of residues on the apple skins, we believe that it can still be a good trade-off between nutrients and contaminants if you leave the skin of the apple intact and eat the apple unpeeled. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse the entire apple under a stream of pure water while gently scrubbing the skin with a natural bristle brush for 10-15 seconds.

To prevent browning when slicing apples for a recipe, simply put the slices in a bowl of cold water to which a spoonful of lemon juice has been added. For use in future recipes, sliced apples freeze well in plastic bags or containers.

How to enjoy

A few quick serving ideas

• Add diced apples to fruit or green salads.
• Braise a chopped apple with red cabbage.
• Looking for an alternative to sweet desserts? Sliced apples (either alone or with other fruits) and cheese are a European favorite.

Recipes that feature apples

• 10-Minute Apple Sundae
• 10-Minute Fig and Fresh Apple Cobbler
• Apple Treats
• No-Bake Apple Walnut Tart
• Yogurt with Fruit

Nutritional profile

One medium (182g) at 95 calories provides fiber (16% DV), vitamin C (11% DV). Apple polyphenols are standout nutrients in this widely loved fruit. These polyphenols include flavonols (especially quercetin, but also kaempferol and myricetin), catechins (especially epicatechin), anthocyanins (if the apples are red-skinned), chlorogenic acid, phloridizin, and several dozen more health-supportive polyphenol nutrients. Apple nutrients are disproportionately present in the skin, which is a particularly valuable part of the fruit with respect to its nutrient content.

Recommendations

Apples belong to the Rose family of plants and are joined in that family by a wide range of very popular foods, including apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, and almonds. Foods in the Rose family are simply too diverse in their nutrient value to allow for any one single recommendation about the number of servings that we should consume from this family on a weekly basis. However, when focusing specifically on apples, several anti-cancer studies show daily intake of this fruit to provide better anti-cancer benefits than lesser amounts. So there may be some truth to that old phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Still, we don’t recommend that everyone eat one apple on a daily basis, given the wide variety of available fruits and the nutritional uniqueness of each type. But we do recommend that everyone eat at least 2-3 whole fresh fruits per day, or the equivalent of 2-3 cups’ worth of fresh fruit. Within this framework, if apples are a type of fruit that you strongly prefer, there would be nothing wrong with consuming one on a daily basis, and you may get some special health benefits by doing so.

Apple, fresh
1.00 medium
(182.00 grams)

Calories: 95
GI: low

NutrientDRI/DV

 fiber17%

 vitamin C11%

Food Rating System Chart

• Health Benefits
• Description
• History
• How to Select and Store
• Tips for Preparing and Cooking
• How to Enjoy
• Individual Concerns
• Nutritional Profile
• References

Individual concerns

If you do purchase non-organic apples, you may want to ask your grocer about the kind of wax used to protect the apple’s surface during storage or shipping. Carnauba wax (from the carnauba palm tree), beeswax, and shellac (from the lac beetle) are preferable to petroleum-based waxes, which contain solvent residues or wood resins.