An apple a day keeps the doctor away: A review of scientific literature and novel research
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
YU Faculty Profile
Abstract
Apples have been a staple of a healthy diet for centuries. In recent years, there have been major breakthroughs uncovering the far reaching health benefits of apples. Apples have been shown to positively affect many organ systems like the digestive and immune system and combat and decrease risk of many diseases such as diabetes type 1 and type 2, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. These health benefits can be attributed to polyphenols found in apples. Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds with many hydroxyl groups mainly found in plants. Although the precise mechanism of action remains unclear, possible explanations mainly center around polyphenols’ antioxidant properties. This paper focuses on apples' effects on diabetes type 1 and type 2, obesity, and cancer and explores the mechanisms in which apple polyphenols effectively positively influence and treat these diseases to raise awareness of this superfood. Included in the paper is a synopsis of a novel research project conducted at SCW on the nutraceutical properties of apple extract to inhibit metastasis of oral tumor cells, specifically from the HSC-2 line.