Don’t Peel Those Apples

Well Fed Network, Alisa Fleming
Published January 8, 2008

Yes, I realize that the peak of apple season has passed, but it seems that somewhere in the world apples are being harvested with fervor, as my local market continues to put several varieties of these beauties on sale. And I must admit, I am grateful, as my hearty apple crisp cravings seem to last well through the winter months. In the United States, three-fourths of the apples consumed are eaten fresh, most of the time with peel and all. However, when baking up this wholesome food, the majority of recipes call for peeled apples. Never one to follow instructions, I have always left the peels on for both flavor and nutrition. In fact, my recently created Fruit Crisp recipe included both unpeeled pears and apples. Luckily, it seems that my instincts and taste buds may have been correct, as I just stumbled across a semi-recent study stating that apple peels contain approximately a dozen cancer-fighting compounds. Researchers at Cornell University published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry on the benefits of triterpenoids in apple peels. This collection of compounds seemed to have strong anti-proliferative activities against liver, colon and breast cancer cells. The only catch is that the Environmental Working Group has awarded apples with the not-so-honorable second place spot for the highest concentration of pesticides among a large selection of produce (even after proper washing). While it can certainly cost a bit more, organic unpeeled apples are the best way to go. Click here to read this post.