“Golden apples in the morning, silver apples at noon, and poisonous apples in the evening”? When is the best time to eat apples?

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"Golden apple in the morning, silver apple at noon, poisonous apple at night."

This is a popular health proverb, which believes that morning is the best time to eat apples because the nutrients are better absorbed, which is good for the body. However, eating apples at night not only will the nutrients not be absorbed well, but the apples will also "rot" in the stomach, accumulating toxins and endangering health.

Rumor Analysis

That is not the case.

You can eat apples at any time, and the nutrients can be absorbed. If you really have to choose a time, it is recommended to eat apples half an hour before meals, which is helpful for controlling blood sugar and losing weight.

Among the large family of fruits, apples occupy an important position in people's hearts. However, when it comes to the time to eat apples, many people say "golden apples in the morning, silver apples at noon, and poisonous apples at night", believing that morning is the best time to eat apples, which can better absorb nutrients and is good for the body; while eating apples at night will not only poorly absorb nutrients, but also cause the apples to "rot" in the stomach, accumulating toxins and endangering health. What is the truth? When is the best time to eat apples?

Eat any time, morning, noon or night

Apple is a very common fruit. In terms of popularity, it can be said to be a star among fruits, but in terms of nutritional content, it is quite average. Although apples contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and other nutrients, none of these items are very prominent. The insoluble dietary fiber content of apples is only 1.7 g/100 g, carotene is only 50 μg/100 g, calcium and magnesium content is only 4 mg/100 g, and potassium content is only 83 mg/100 g. As for the vitamin C that everyone cares about, it is only 3 mg/100 g, which is not even 1/10 of that of oranges, and it is even more incomparable with winter dates (the vitamin C content of winter dates is as high as 243 mg/100 g). In this respect, it is considered a poor student among fruits. Although apples are very "poor" in these nutrients, they are very convenient to eat, common and cheap, and most of them have a crispy taste, which makes people happy with just one bite.

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As for the time to eat apples, there is no need to worry about it, you can eat them anytime. The saying "golden apples in the morning, silver apples at noon, and poisonous apples at night" has no scientific basis. First of all, no matter when you eat, the nutritional content of apples will not change much; secondly, as long as we eat, our body's digestive system can work all the time and will not be affected by the time of morning, noon and evening. It will not be indigestible just because the apples are eaten at night, nor will they be poisonous. If you work overtime at night and don't have time to eat, you can grab an apple to eat, which can also enhance your sense of fullness, and replenish your physical strength while also replenishing some nutrition. It should be noted that after a full meal at night, don't have a big apple, otherwise it may lead to excessive calorie intake and easy weight gain.

If I had to choose, this is the best time

If you have to choose a suitable time to eat apples, it is recommended to eat half an hour before meals. A study took overweight and obese people as the research subjects, using apples, sweet oranges and pears containing 15 grams of available carbohydrates as pre-meal load foods, white rice containing 50 grams of available carbohydrates as the main meal food, and drinking water before white rice as a control. The results showed that 30 minutes before meals, consuming an additional 15 grams of available carbohydrates, apples, sweet oranges and pears, can better control blood sugar to a certain extent, and the effect of apples and sweet oranges is better than pears. In terms of the weight of fruit intake, the study is 134~240 grams. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that we eat 200~350 grams of fruit every day. If it is a fist-sized apple, you can eat 1~2 half an hour before a meal. This is not only conducive to controlling blood sugar, but also enhances satiety, reduces the amount of food eaten at the main meal, and is also very helpful for weight loss and weight control.

Figure: Lady 1's fist weighs about 160 grams

It’s best not to waste apple peels

Many people are used to peeling apples when eating them, worrying that the apple peel is dirty, has pesticides, or is waxed. From a nutritional point of view, it is best not to peel apples. The vitamin C, dietary fiber, antioxidant ingredients and other nutrients in apple peel are richer than those in the flesh. Some literature mentions that the vitamin C content of apple peel is 8.4 mg/100 g. Although this content is not advantageous among fruits, it is nearly 3 times that of the flesh. The flavonoid content in apple peel is higher than that in the flesh, and flavonols and anthocyanins are only found in apple peel. In addition, the triterpene content in the peel of the same variety of apples is higher than that in the flesh. These antioxidant ingredients are very beneficial to health and can help our body resist chronic inflammation and prevent chronic diseases.

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As for the problem of dirty apple skin and pesticide residues that everyone is worried about, in fact, most of the pesticide residues in apples on the market are within the controllable range, and the probability of excessive pesticide residues is not high. A study selected apples from 9 urban districts in Yantai for monitoring. The types of pesticides monitored included 13 organophosphorus pesticides, 2 carbamate pesticides, 6 pyrethroid pesticides, and 12 fungicide pesticides. The monitoring results showed that there was a certain degree of pesticide residue in Yantai apples, but the residue level was not high, all lower than the maximum pesticide residue limit value stipulated in my country. If you are really worried, you can go to a large regular supermarket to buy it, which is relatively more secure. In addition, some people are more concerned about the wax on the surface of the fruit peel. In fact, there is no problem with natural fruit wax and regular artificial fruit wax. Applying fruit wax on the peel can prevent apple water loss and microbial contamination, which helps to keep apples fresh. If you really mind, buy unwaxed ones.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

From the proverb "golden apples in the morning, silver apples at noon, and poisonous apples in the evening", we can see that in the face of such proverbs about nutrition and health, we should be more rational about our views on nutrition information. The benefits of eating fruit for the body do not depend on the specific time of the day. What is important is to maintain a balanced diet and consume the right amount of fruit.

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Lu Xuejiao, Lu Jiacan, Fan Zhihong, Liu Anshu, Zhao Wenqi, Wu Yixue. Postprandial blood glucose and satiety response of three kinds of fruits before white rice meal[J]. Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, 2022, 22(12): 134-143

[3] Zhang Kun, Li Mingyue, Zhong Yi, Qi Jiawen, Zhang Shumeng, Lv Zhuanzhuan. Research progress on processing and utilization of apple peel[J]. Food Safety Guide, 2024(13):165-168

[4] Li Qipeng, Zhang Fusheng. Research progress on nutritional components and application value of apple[J]. Zhejiang Agricultural Sciences, 2017, 58(1): 132-134

[5] Guo Kai, Luan Ling, Zhang Xiaoyu, Liu Xiaoying, Jiang Yutong, Zhang Guifang. Analysis of 33 pesticide residue levels in Yantai apples[J]. Food Safety Guide, 2023(22):64-66.

Author: Xue Qingxin, member of Chinese Nutrition Society, registered nutritionist, health manager, public nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center