Apple trees are grown worldwide and are the most extensively grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild relative, Malus sieversii, is still seen today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were returned to North America by European colonists. Apples have mythological and religious significance in various cultures, including Norse, Greek, and European Christian traditions.

Apple Nutrients:

Name	Amount	Unit
Water	85.56	g
Energy	52	kcal
Protein	0.26	g
Total lipid (fat)	0.17	g
Carbohydrate, by difference	13.81	g
Fiber, total dietary	2.4	g
Sugars, total including NLEA	10.39	g
Calcium, Ca	6	mg
Iron, Fe	0.12	mg
Magnesium, Mg	5	mg
Phosphorus, P	11	mg
Potassium, K	107	mg
Sodium, Na	1	mg
Zinc, Zn	0.04	mg
Copper, Cu	0.027	mg
Selenium, Se	0	µg
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	4.6	mg
Thiamin	0.017	mg
Riboflavin	0.026	mg
Niacin	0.091	mg
Vitamin B-6	0.041	mg
Folate, total	3	µg
Folic acid	0	µg
Folate, food	3	µg
Folate, DFE	3	µg
Choline, total	3.4	mg
Vitamin B-12	0	µg
Vitamin B-12, added	0	µg
Vitamin A, RAE	3	µg
Retinol	0	µg
Carotene, beta	27	µg
Carotene, alpha	0	µg
Cryptoxanthin, beta	11	µg
Lycopene	0	µg
Lutein + zeaxanthin	29	µg
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	0.18	mg
Vitamin E, added	0	mg
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	0	µg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	2.2	µg
Fatty acids, total saturated	0.028	g
4:0	0	g
6:0	0	g
8:0	0	g
10:0	0	g
12:0	0	g
14:0	0.001	g
16:0	0.024	g
18:0	0.003	g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	0.007	g
16:1	0	g
18:1	0.007	g
20:1	0	g
22:1	0	g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	0.051	g
18:2	0.043	g
18:3	0.009	g
18:4	0	g
20:4	0	g
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	0	g
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	0	g
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	0	g
Cholesterol	0	mg
Alcohol, ethyl	0	g
Caffeine	0	mg
Theobromine	0	mg

Data Type:Survey (FNDDS)

Published:4/1/2019

Research Source Nutrients: APPLE, RAW (SURVEY (FNDDS), 341508)

Apple Facts

• Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
• The crabapple is the only apple native to North America.
• Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
• Two thousand five hundred varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
• One hundred varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
• Seven thousand five hundred varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
• Apples are grown in all 50 states.
• Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
• Apple blossom is the state flower of Michigan.
• A medium apple is about 80 calories.
• Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol-free.
• Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber.
• The science of apple growing is called pomology.
• The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
• Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
• Apples are propagated by two methods: grafting or budding.
• The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
• Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.
• Apples are a member of the rose family.
• Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.
• Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
• The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.
• The average size of a United States orchard is 50 acres.
• Many growers use dwarf apple trees.
• Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland.
• Most apple blossoms are pink when they open but gradually fade to white.
• Europeans eat about 46 pounds of apples annually.
• Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet high and live over 100 years.
• Most apples can be grown farther north than most other fruits, because they blossom late in spring, minimizing frost damage.
• 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.
• In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.
• The largest U. S. apple crop was 277.3 million cartons in 1998.
• Apples have five seed pockets or carpels. Each pocket contains seeds. The number of seeds per carpel is determined by the vigor and health of the plant. Different varieties of apples will have a different number of seeds.
• World’s top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland, and Italy.
• Newton Pippin apples were the first apples exported from America in 1768, some were sent to Benjamin Franklin in London.
• The Lady or Api apple is one of the oldest varieties in existence.
• In 1730, the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
• One of George Washington’s hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
• America’s longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard and was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.
• Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.
• A peck of apples weight 10.5 pounds.
• A bushel of apples weighs about 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
• Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.
• The world’s largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, NY. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long. (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery.)
• It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
• Apples account for 50 percent of the world’s deciduous fruit tree production.
• The old saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This saying comes from an old English adage, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”
• 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.
• In 2005, United States consumers ate an average of 46.1 pounds of fresh apples and processed apple products. That’s a lot of applesauce!
• Sixty-three percent of the 2005 U.S. apple crop was eaten as fresh fruit.
• In 2005, 36 percent of apples were processed into apple products; 18.6 percent of this is for juice and cider, two percent was dried, 2.5 percent was frozen, 12.2 percent was canned and 0.7 percent was fresh slices. Other uses were the making of baby food, apple butter or jelly and vinegar.
• The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and Virginia.
• In 2006, 58% of apples produced in the United States were produced in Washington, 11% in New York, 8% in Michigan, 5% in Pennsylvania, 4% in California and 2% in Virginia.
• In 2005, there were 7,500 apple growers with orchards covering 379,000 acres.
• In 1998-90 the U.S. per capita fresh apple consumption was around 21 pounds.
• In 2005, the average United States consumer ate an estimated 16.9 pounds of fresh market apples
• Total apple production in the United States in 2005 was 234.9 million cartons valued at $1.9 billion.
• In 2006/2007 the People’s Republic of China led the world in commercial apple production with 24,480,000 metric tons followed by the United States with 4,460,544 metric tons.
• In 2006/2007 commercial world production of apples was at 44,119,244 metric tons.
• Almost one out of every four apples harvested in the United States is exported.
• 35.7 million bushels of fresh market apples in 2005 were exported. That was 24 percent of the total U.S. fresh-market crop.
• The apple variety ‘Red Delicious’ is the most widely grown in the United States with 62 million bushels harvested in 2005.
• Many apples after harvesting and cleaning have commercial grade wax applied. Waxes are made from natural ingredients.
• National Apple Month is the only national, generic apple promotion conducted in the United States. Originally founded in 1904 as National Apple Week, it was expanded in 1996 to a three-month promotional window from September through November.
• On August 21, 2007, the GoldRush apple was designated as official Illinois’state fruit. GoldRush is a sweet-tart yellow apple with a long shelf life. The apple is also the state fruit of Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.

Source Apple Statistics:
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
United States Apple Association

Apples & Weight Loss

One 10-week study in 50 overweight women shows that participants who consumed apples dropped an average of 2 pounds (1 kg) and consume fewer calories overall, compared to those who consumed oat cookies with a similar amount of calorie and fiber content.(source)

Researchers find that apples are more filling because they are less energy-dense, yet still provide enough fiber and volume.

Another research in obese mice discovered that those given a supplement of ground apples and apple juice concentrate dropped more weight and produced lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol than the control group. (source)

Apples & Heart Health

Apples have been connected to a lower risk of heart disorder. (Source)
One important reason may be that apples contain soluble fiber — the fiber that can help decrease your blood cholesterol levels. Apples also contain polyphenols, which possess antioxidant effects. Several of these are concentrated in the peel of the apple. One of those polyphenols is the flavonoid epicatechin, which may decrease blood pressure.

A review of studies discovered that high consumptions of flavonoids were connected to a 20% lower risk of stroke. (Source)

Flavonoids can improve and prevent heart illness by lowering blood pressure and reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol and helping as antioxidants. (Source) For every 25 grams — about 1/5 cup of apple slices — eaten, the risk of stroke lowered by 9%. (Source)

 

Apples & Risk of Diabetes

Numerous studies have linked consuming apples to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.(Source)

In one extensive study, consuming an apple a day was connected to a 28% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to not consuming any apples. Even consuming just a few apples per week produced a similarly protective effect.(Source)

Apples & Prebiotic Effects That Promote Good Gut Bacteria

Apples have pectin, a kind of fiber that plays as a prebiotic. This means it supports good and healthy bacteria in your gut.

The small intestine doesn’t absorb fiber during digestion. Instead, it continues to your colon, where it can promote the growth of good bacteria. It also changes into other essential compounds that circulate back through your body (Source).

New research implies that this may be the cause behind some of the protecting effects of apples against obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Apples & Compounds That Can Help Fight Asthma

An extended study in more than 68,000 women discovered that those who consumed the most apples had the lowest risk of asthma. Consuming about 15% of a large apple per day was connected to a 10% lower risk of Asthma (Source).

Apple skin holds the flavonoid quercetin, which can improve and regulate the immune system to reduce inflammation. These are two methods in which it may affect asthma and allergic responses (Source).

Apples & Bone Health

Researchers find that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in fruit may help increase bone density and strength.

Few studies reveal that apples, specifically, may undoubtedly affect bone health (Source).

In one research, women had a meal that either included fresh apples, peeled apples, applesauce, or no apple products. Those who consumed apples lost less calcium from their bodies than the control group (Source).

Apples & Protection Against Stomach Injury From NSAIDs

The group of painkillers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can damage the lining of your stomach.

Research in test tubes and rats discovered that freeze-dried apple extract helped to protect stomach cells from damage due to NSAIDs (Source).

Two plant components in apples — chlorogenic acid and catechin — are considered to be especially helpful (Source).

Still, further study in humans is required to confirm these results.

Apples & Brain Protection

In animal studies, juice concentrate decreased harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) in brain tissue and minimized a mental decline (Source).

Apple juice may help protect acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that can decline with age. Low levels of acetylcholine are connected to Alzheimer’s disease (Source).

Furthermore, researchers, who fed elderly rats whole apples discovered that a marker of the rats’ memory was restored to the level of younger rats (Source).

That said, whole apples hold the same compounds as apple juice — and it is always a better choice to eat your fruit whole.