Apple Seeds Nutrition: Does An Apple A Day Really Keep A Doctor Away?

The apple fruit is famous for its nutritional benefits and has been bestowed with the tags of 'nutritional powerhouse' and 'miracle food' in the past.

The saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' is actually meaningful and has proved its worth ever since it was first said more than 100 years ago. Apples are one of the healthiest fruits humans eat with antioxidant properties, low calories, low fat, hardly any cholesterol trace, and minimal sodium presence.

The first-ever apple tree was known to have originated in Central Asia, and it has been in Asia and Europe for over a thousand years. The fruit was then brought to North America by the European colonists.

Apple is a very old fruit and is known to have been consumed since 6500 BC. It was the traders and the travelers who picked up the fruit from the large trees and dropped the seeds everywhere they went.

These seeds also contain the famous apple seed oil which is used as edible oil, as well as a beauty product to add shine and strength to the skin. As a fact about apples, a large Fuji apple contains about 95 calories.

If you enjoy this article, why not also read about potatoes' nutrition facts and pomegranates' nutrition facts here on Kidadl?

Apple Seeds Vs. Whole Apple

We have been eating apples for centuries, and doctors and our family members largely recommend them owing to the myriad health benefits.

If you eat an entire apple, you will be consuming a lot of healthy bacteria, other nutrients. It is always better to consume fresh produce organic apples as they absorb pesticides and it is almost impossible to get rid of them even by vigorous scrubbing of their skin or peeling.

Not only is the apple fruit beneficial, the apple seed too contains plenty of good bacteria and antioxidants but along with some potential health threats.

Apples contain a lot of fiber, mostly present in their skin; the fiber helps us in diarrhea, constipation and can also be credited for reducing acid reflux.

Apples also play a big role in strengthening the lungs, heart, improving bone health, maintaining the immune system, body weight, gut health, and also reducing the chances of cancer.

An apple contains around 100 calories, 0.88 oz (25 g) of carbohydrates, 0.14 oz (4 g) of fiber, and 0.67 oz (19 g) of sugar. Although apples do not contain proteins, they are packed with vitamin C, fiber, and beneficial bacteria.

The apple seeds, on the other hand, although are rich in protein and fiber, contain amygdalin which is a plant compound and can have toxic effects.

On eating apple seeds, as you chew them, the amygdalin turns into hydrogen cyanide which is poisonous and can lead to cyanide poisoning if consumed in large quantities.

Apple Seeds Vs. Other Fruit Seeds

Fruits like apples are known to protect the human body from a number of health problems and particularly cardiovascular disease but their seeds do not follow the same path exactly. Some believe that apple seed is good for health and contains good bacteria, ursolic acid which helps prevent food allergy.

Although this is true, the cons of eating apple seeds significantly outweigh any real health benefits they offer.

When compared with other fruit seeds, fruits like pears, papaya, avocado, jackfruit, and watermelon contain seeds that are beneficial for the human body.

These seeds help in regulating blood pressure levels, lower cholesterol levels and also ease bowel issues. At the same time, fruits like apple, peach, apricot, and plum are known to contain seeds that can have a negative effect on the health of a person and prove to be of fatal dose if consumed in large quantities.

If by mistake you eat a seed or two, you do not need to worry as your digestive system will flush it out.

The Apple Core Diet

Most of us toss out the core of an apple due to the seeds present within it. Apart from the fact that they contain cyanide and are harmful to our health, they are bitter in taste which is why we avoid consuming them.

However, we can at times consume the apple core as it contains a lot of health benefits.

Studies have shown that in addition to fibers, a large amount of good bacteria is present in the apple cores which protect the gut of the human body.

Researchers have advised that occasionally eating an apple core doesn't lead to acute toxicity of cyanide from seeds but if consumed in large amounts in a small time frame, the cyanide can prove to be of a lethal dose.

Moreover, if you eat the apple cores, peels and flesh you are consuming all the nutrition the apple fruit has to offer.

Apple Seed Benefits

Many people deem apple seeds poisonous and that they should not be eaten at any cost, although the presence of cyanide within the seed is true, the apple seed contains a lot of benefits. Eating an occasional seed or two would never put your health in danger although it isn't wise to include it in your daily diet.

Apple seeds contain good bacteria which promote the growth of Lactobacillus, a beneficial bacteria in our gut and also reduce the number of harmful bacteria entering our body. This bacteria also helps the human body in reducing the severity, as well as the frequency of food allergies.

These seeds also contain ursolic acid which is antibacterial, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiprotozoal.

The Disadvantages Of Eating Apple Seeds

Apples contain a lot of benefits and so do their seeds, but the cons of their seeds outweigh their benefits. The amygdalin present in the seeds of apples is the main issue behind apple seeds being considered harmful.

On consumption, the seeds degrade into hydrogen cyanide which is quite poisonous and can prove to be harmful. Cyanide consumption, in a considerably large dose, can also prove to be fatal.

The cyanide is activated from the four or five seeds present in apples when we crush those seeds. It will take around 80-500 apple seeds to potentially lead to the death of a human. Amygdalin can be extracted from apple seeds by submerging them in menthol and using ultrasonification.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for apple seeds nutrition facts, then why not take a look at olives nutrition facts or nuts nutrition facts?