Are apples high in polyphenols?
What Is Apple Polyphenol?
Apple polyphenols are a type of polyphenols contained in apples, and are the general term for the various polyphenols contained in apples. In particular, the content is higher in the peel of unripe apples. When an apple is cut and left alone, the flesh will turn brown. This is because apple polyphenols come into contact with oxygen in the air and browning occurs. If the cut apples are soaked in salt water or sprinkled with lemon juice, discoloration can be prevented, thereby preventing the loss of apple polyphenols. In addition, if the discolored apples are soaked in lemon juice, oxygen will separate from the apple polyphenols that have been combined with oxygen, restoring the apples to their original color. Generally speaking, we peel apples when we eat them, but since the apple peel contains a high content of apple polyphenols, eating them with the skin can ingest more apple polyphenols.
Apple polyphenols are brown-red powdery substances, 20% aqueous solution is reddish brown, and 100% powder is yellow-brown; both liquid and powder have a slight apple flavor, a little bitter, and are easily soluble in water and ethanol, with good stability. Apple polyphenols include a variety of phenolic substances, which can be divided into phenolic acids and their hydroxy acid esters, sugar derivatives and flavonoids (such as Catechins, epicatechins, proanthocyanidins, dihydroxychalcone, flavonol glycosides, etc.). It has a variety of physiological functions such as scavenging free radicals, anti-oxidation, lowering blood pressure, preventing heart disease, anti-caries, anti-allergy, anti-virus, etc. Its antioxidant capacity is 10 to 30 times that of vitamin E.
What Are The Functions Of Apple Polyphenol?
1.Anti-aging and disease prevention
Apple polyphenols have strong antioxidant capacity, so they have the effect of removing reactive oxygen in the body. Originally, reactive oxygen can attack viruses that enter the body and is indispensable for protecting the body, but due to the influence of ultraviolet rays and pressure, reactive oxygen will accumulate excessively in the body and even attack normal cells, accelerating aging and causing disease. Modern people are under great pressure, which leads to excessive reactive oxygen in the body. Apple polyphenols have strong antioxidant capacity and can protect the body from reactive oxygen. Apple polyphenols can remove excessive reactive oxygen in the body, which helps anti-aging and prevent diseases.
2.Improve blood circulation Apple polyphenols help prevent lipid oxidation and improve blood circulation. When fat is oxidized, the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body will increase, making the blood turbid and viscous, leading to an increased risk of diseases such as arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis refers to excessive bad cholesterol (LDL) attached to the blood vessel wall, making the blood vessels hard and fragile. It is precisely because apple polyphenols have strong antioxidant capacity that they can prevent lipid oxidation, improve blood circulation, and prevent diseases caused by high-fat diets such as arteriosclerosis.
3.Weight loss
Apple polyphenols have the effect of inhibiting the activity of lipase, which is an enzyme that breaks down fat and prevents the fat ingested in the diet from being absorbed by the small intestine and excreted from the body. In addition, apple polyphenols can inhibit the action of fatty acid synthase, which synthesizes fat in the liver, and activate the enzyme that burns fat.
4.Anti-allergy
Apple polyphenols have the effect of inhibiting enzymes that cause allergies. Allergies are excessive immune responses to specific stimuli. Experimental results show that apple polyphenols have the effect of inhibiting this excessive response.
5.Oral care
The main cause of bad breath is a component called methyl mercaptan. When this component increases in the mouth, bad breath occurs. Apple polyphenols have the effect of inhibiting the increase in methyl mercaptan to less than half. So some people prevent bad breath by drinking 100% pure apple juice. At the same time, apple polyphenols can also inhibit the enzymes that form dental plaque produced by caries bacteria.
6.Whitening
Apple polyphenols have the effect of inhibiting the excessive production of melanin, making the skin white and beautiful. Apple polyphenols have also begun to be added to skin care products and have been proven to block ultraviolet rays.
What Is The Application Of Apple Polyphenol?
1.Food application: Apple polyphenols have the functions of anti-oxidation and scavenging free radicals, and can be used as a high-efficiency and low-toxic natural antioxidant in the food industry to extend the storage period of food, improve the quality of food, and increase the added value of food.
2.Cosmetic application: Apple polyphenols are a class of natural products with unique physiological and chemical activities, with good astringency and adhesion. They can maintain the synthesis of collagen, inhibit elastase, assist the body in protecting collagen and improve skin elasticity, thereby avoiding or reducing the formation of wrinkles and maintaining the delicate appearance of the skin. It is usually added as an active ingredient in cosmetics, bath lotions, hair dyes, toothpastes, deodorants, etc., and plays multiple roles such as anti-oxidation, anti-aging, anti-radiation, whitening and moisturizing. It has unique effects on skin aging, wrinkles and pigmentation caused by various factors.
3.Application of medical and health products: Apple polyphenol health products can remove free radicals in the human body, inhibit the damage of free radicals to cells, and improve cell immunity; reduce cholesterol and improve body fat rate; Apple polyphenols can also be used in anti-allergic drugs, which have good anti-allergic effects and no other side effects.