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Consuming apples boosts your intake of essential nutrients, including fiber and the essential mineral potassium. Apples also benefit your appearance, since they contain nutrients that nourish your skin. Vitamin C Apples benefit your health by boosting your intake of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps you make collagen, a protein found abundantly in your skin. Collagen is a crucial structural component of skin and helps maintain your skin's waterproof barrier. Low collagen production caused by vitamin C deficiency affects your skin, leading to a re-opening of old wounds and skin tearing. A large apple contains 10.3 milligrams of vitamin C, 14 percent of the daily vitamin C requirements for women, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, or 11 percent for men. Copper Apples also provide a source of copper, an essential mineral that contributes to healthy skin. Copper helps you make melanin, the brown-black pigment that colors your skin. Melanin in your skin protects you from the sun's ultraviolet rays, so being able to produce melanin provides natural sun protection.
Melanin also makes up an essential part of other tissues, including your eyes and hair. Each large apple contains 60 micrograms of copper, or 7 percent of your daily copper requirements, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Vitamin A Apples provide a small amount of skin-friendly vitamin A, a family of chemicals called retinoids. Vitamin A plays an important role in skin development -- it helps immature skin develop into mature and functional skin tissue. Vitamin A might also reduce the risk of skin cancer, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, although more research is needed to know its exact role in cancer prevention. A large apple provides 120 international units of vitamin A. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, this makes up 5 percent of the daily vitamin A requirements for women or 4 percent for men. Serving Suggestions and Tips Apples travel well, so they provide a healthy snack option, but the fruit can also contribute to a range of dishes. Top a piece of whole-grain toast with thinly-sliced apple, sharp cheddar shavings and cinnamon for a savory and sweet open-faced sandwich.
Add apples to your salad -- the fruit pairs well with dried cranberries, spinach and a maple-balsamic vinaigrette. Try adding apples to your pureed soups -- butternut squash and apple soup or a carrot-ginger-apple soup make for comforting meals in cooler weather. References USDA National Nutrient Database: Apples, Raw, With SkinLinus Pauling Institute: Vitamin CLinus Pauling Institute: CopperUSDA ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Much Fruit Is Needed Daily? 2017 St. Joseph Media All Rights Reserved Why You Need Vitamin C in Your Skincare Most dermatologists consider retinol the go-to ingredient for defying your D.O.B. But not everyone is all rah-rah retinol. “If I were on a desert island, I would bring vitamin C,” says Dr. Dennis Gross, citing its ability to firm skin, lighten dark spots, brighten complexions and minimize the appearance of pores. “The anti-aging benefits of vitamin C exceed those of any other ingredient out there today,” he says, adding that a topical dose does far more for the skin than supplements or a fresh-pressed juice.
Vitamin C isn’t new to skincare, but advancements in packaging—such as airless pumps and light-blocking containers (the nutrient is highly unstable, so oxygen and light are its enemies)—as well as new delivery systems designed to drive it deeper into skin have helped spark a resurgence of C-infused serums, masks and moisturizers. Gross created a range around the vitamin and is kicking it off with a facial mist. (The rest launches in January 2017). He became a super-fan over a decade ago when he read a Swiss study that showed vitamin C could do more than just fight free-radical damage. “We always knew it was an antioxidant,” he says. “We didn’t know that it was also a collagen builder.” An even earlier adopter than Gross, facialist Ole Henriksen has been preaching its benefits since he opened his Beverly Hills spa in 1975. Henriksen believed in vitamin C’s nutritional benefits, but it was Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist known for his research on vitamin C, who opened up Henriksen’s eyes to its broader possibilities and inspired him to create the first vitamin C facial serum in 1998.