"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Eating apples regularly is good for your health, but some people prefer red apples while others like green apples. So, what is the difference between these two types of apples?
Regular apple consumption aids digestion and improves memory.
Apples are known as the "fruit of wisdom" and the "fruit of memory." Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers apples to be cool in nature with a sweet and slightly sour taste. They are associated with the lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. Eating apples can clear heat, relieve vexation, promote body fluids to quench thirst, benefit the spleen to stop diarrhea, and aid digestion.
Nutrition experts have found that eating more apples can enhance memory and improve intelligence. Apples are not only rich in essential nutrients for the brain, such as sugars, vitamins, and minerals, but more importantly, they are rich in zinc. A deficiency in zinc can impair the development of the hippocampus in the cerebral cortex, affecting memory.
In addition, apples can also stop diarrhea and prevent constipation. The cellulose in apples softens stool in the large intestine. They are also rich in organic acids, which can stimulate gastrointestinal motility, promoting smooth bowel movements and preventing constipation. On the other hand, apples contain pectin, which can inhibit abnormal intestinal peristalsis, slow down digestive activity, and thus help control mild diarrhea.
Green and red apples have different therapeutic effects.
Apples can be divided into red, green, and yellow by color, and these three types have significantly different medicinal effects in TCM.
TCM believes that red apples enter the heart meridian. Eating them regularly has a stronger effect on lowering blood lipids and softening blood vessels, protecting cardiovascular health. They are therefore more suitable for the elderly.
Green apples have the effect of nourishing the liver and detoxifying, and can also help combat depression, making them more suitable for young people. Additionally, green apples can promote the growth of teeth and bones and prevent bleeding gums.
Eating yellow apples regularly is very beneficial for protecting vision, making them a suitable snack for office workers who frequently use computers.
Apples can also be used in cooking.
In addition to being eaten directly, apples can also be juiced, used to make fruit tea, or incorporated into dishes.
Orange Apple Tea: Take 8 grams of your favorite black tea and place it in a teapot with a strainer. Brew with boiling water. Cut half an apple and an orange into small pieces. Put an appropriate amount of ice in a container, pour in the brewed black tea, and add the chopped fruit. Grate the remaining half of the apple into apple puree and add it to the container. Add orange juice and mix well.
Black Pepper Apple Pork Loin: Cut the pork loin into nail-sized pieces, as well as the green pepper and onion. In the pork loin, add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, black pepper powder, ginger slices, and a little starch. Mix well and marinate for about half an hour to let the flavors infuse. Prepare a small bowl and add 1 large spoon of light soy sauce, 1 large spoon of dark soy sauce, 2 large spoons of oyster sauce, 1 large spoon of sugar, 2 large spoons of cooking wine, and 1 small spoon of black pepper powder. Mix well and set aside. Take a medium-sized apple, cut the flesh into small cubes, and soak them in water to prevent them from turning black. Heat a wok with a generous amount of cooking oil. When the oil is about 80% hot, add the marinated pork loin cubes and fry for about 15 seconds, then quickly remove and drain. Pour out the oil, leaving a little at the bottom. Add a small amount of butter, then add the green pepper and onion and stir-fry over high heat for a few seconds. Add the apple and continue to stir-fry, then add the fried pork loin cubes and stir-fry over high heat. Finally, pour in the sauce from the small bowl and stir-fry until everything is well combined.