With over seven thousand varieties, the mela is the undisputed queen of the bank fruit not only for its sweet and juicy flavor but, mainly, for the countless property that it contains like a precious casket. Not bad for this small and round fruit spread all over the world or almost, able to be present practically all year round. Eaten according to the seasonal timing, the apple is born and ripens naturally in August until the end of October, dates that can change according to the variety they belong to.
Small but so important, the apple is botanically considered the false fruit of the apple tree or Malus domestica, which instead is well represented by the only part that is thrown: the torsolo. An exceptional protagonist in the food sector, the apple has also gained an important role in many other areas, from art to mythology, from medicine to narration and poetry. He has traveled through time and historical eras, leaving traces of his incredible passage.
Apple, here are the origins
The apple, as we have discovered, is considered the non-fruit of the apple tree or a plant that is not able to self-pollinate, which is why it is essential to presence of bees e insects, as well as human intervention. Although Italy is among the most productive nations of this fruit, the apple tree comes from the Middle East; the ancient plant was known as Malus sieversii and was able to grow spontaneously on the Tian Shan mountains in Kazakhstan, a certainly inaccessible place from which the spread of the apple tree originated, thanks also and mainly to the displacement of earthly clods and to the selection carried out by bears.
These animals so greedy for fruits and sweet products they learned to select the less sour apples, eating them and spreading them along the way through their feces. A completely natural process that has thus established a selection of the sweetest products and relative diffusion, transforming the apple tree into one very adaptable plant and strongly present. Man has taken care of the rest with precise crops and selections, but also with imports and exports throughout the rest of Europe and the world.
Apple, benefits and properties
It is always said that an apple a day manages to preserve health by keeping the doctor at a distance, a singular but true metaphor. The apple is a beneficial fruit, complete and that can be eaten both raw and cooked. Contains a high percentage of fibre able to regulate intestinal transit, while if it is taken raw it boasts an antidiarrheal effect. Nothing is thrown away from the apple: the peel counteracts the action of free radicals because it contains proanthocyanidins, monomers and polymers of flavonoids, polyphenols friends of well-being. It lowers blood cholesterol levels, but is also an invaluable source of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium and iron as well as vitamins such as C, PP, B1, B2, B6, A and E.
Despite the sweet taste, it does not contain excessive doses of sugar but low percentages of fructose, easily metabolized without using insulin, thus becoming a perfect fruit for diabetics. Hydrates, strengthens the immune system, does not contain fats or proteins, is low in calories and facilitates digestion thanks to the presence of citric and malic acids. The apple also contains pectin which, by fermenting in the body, favors the production of butyric acid with a strong antitumor action, under the scrutiny of scholars and scientists.
A beneficial gluttony
We have discovered that nothing is trashed from the apple: each part of it offers very important properties for the body, except i semi that contain Amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycosidic compound that is particularly toxic when subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis known as vitamin B17. Man does not produce beta-glucosidase enzymes that favor this kind of reaction, but the bacterial flora it is however capable of degrading amygdalin. For this reason it is always good to throw the seeds and consume everything else, both raw and cooked but always washing the peel carefully.
For example, you can assimilate it through a delicious decoction, creating tasty jams, making a simple dish like cooked apple flavoring it with cinnamon or preparing a strudel. But also a classic one Apple pie, a spoon dessert, a smoothie, a detox smoothie, a greedy juice or even many soft biscuits add to the appeal, turning it into a tasty side dish or ingredient for savory dishes, main courses, salads and carpaccio.
Varieties and uses for beauty
the variety of apple they are infinite, almost over 7000, with similar but at the same time different shapes and colors. Among the best known we find the renetta followed by Golden Delicius, passing through Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Stark delicius, fuji, Annurca and many others.
With apples you can make delicious recipes but also beauty products of the skin and body. A classic is the apple bath that is obtained by immersing many slices in the water of the tub. You can create one hair mask blending two apples with a banana and a little honey, obtaining a mixture to be spread on the hair for ten minutes, but also a face mask by mixing an apple with half a jar of natural yogurt and honey, or a scrub with the addition of a handful of coarse salt or raw sugar.