Apples can protect your skin against sunburn

Recently, I read that Song Joong Ki’s secret to having beautiful skin is that he eats apples and drink yogurt everyday. “Through regular motions I take care of my health and my skin as well at the same time”, he said. (source) I have no idea who he is except that he’s a Korean celebrity who endorsed Tony Moly but boy, no way do I want to stand beside him because I eat apples almost daily and my skin is nowhere close to his. (Okay, maybe because I didn’t eat them with yogurt!)

Fiber to flush out toxins
Anyway, the guy is young. He’s apparently 26 and yes, he’s also right that apples help to keep our body in order because it contains a good source of dietary fiber, which can help to flush out toxins as one apple contains about 20 percent of the daily recommended fiber intake.

Antioxidants to combat free radicals
It appears that apples contain only modest amounts of vitamin C but scientists have now calculated the antioxidant power of apple as equal to more than 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. The vast majority of its antioxidants come from flavonoids that can combat free radicals. (source)

Phenols to protect against UVB rays
And of the antioxidants present, apples contain phenols that can protect the skin against damage from UVB rays (the rays that cause sunburn and are linked to skin cancer) although I wonder how many apples one has to eat to obtain a good level of protection. But it will provide some level of protection from inside out and you’ll still need to slather sunscreen when you head out under the scorching sun as you’re not protected against the UVA rays by just eating apples.

In this context, it’s fascinating to see that recent research studies show polyphenols to be the favorite mechanism used by apples to protect themselves from UV-B radiation. Cells in the skin of apple that conduct photosynthesis are especially sensitive to UV-B light from the sun. Many of the polyphenols in the skin of apples can actually absorb UV-B light, and thereby prevent UV-B from damaging the photosynthetic cells in the apple skin. Polyphenols, then, are like the apple’s natural sunscreen. (Source:WHFoods)

Water for hydration
Apples also contain water that can help with internal hydration and I also found out that Phorizin, another flavonoid found in apples, helps prevent bone loss that may occur during menopause.

The benefits are in the skin
However, most of the antioxidants are found in the skin of the apple. Hence, it is important not to peel off the skin. So when it comes to apples, I usually try to get organic ones as that means I can also eat the skin since no pesticides were used. However, on days when I can’t get them, then I settle for the normal grade, and the skin comes off before we eat them. And although I find green apples tastier but it does look like red apples have more antioxidant benefits that I’ve discussed above.

You like apples?

Image credit for Song Joong Ki: TVREPORT.

Comments

  1. melmok says:

    i eat 1-2 apples a day.
    1 on the way to work and sometime another on the way back from work.
    hahaha …my skin is still the same.. ?

    i still love apples.. i think it’s such a good healthy snack.

  2. MereMakeupManiac says:

    i eat apple with skin all the time. it just tastes better that way, for me that is.

  3. claire says:

    hi there! this is quite random but I’d like to ask whether you know of any wholesalers/online shops that stock carrier oils, essential oils, clays and ingredients of all sorts? I have previously gotten stuff from yoursessentially which is closed now. and I currently get stuff from whopeekiddies/milagro. anywhere else you would recommend? thanks for your help ? been reading your blog rather regularly!

  4. TaraCrews says:

    I eat apples but no too often, though I have been hearing a lot of its good side. But does it matter what color of an apple we eat? I always tell my daughter that she’d be prettier if she eat lots of this.

  5. A.E. says:

    I eat apples whenever I can get my hands on them. I must say, though, that I prefer apples with skin rather than without.

  6. sesame says:

    It’s healthy…the best fruit in the sense that it’s neither ‘cooling’ nor ‘heaty’ IMO.

  7. sesame says:

    I used to eat apples with skin, even when they were not organic but over time, I started to peel for the sake of my son.

  8. sesame says:

    Thanks Claire for coming back regularly. ?

    It’s been a problem getting such DIY ingredients locally. It seems even whoopee is not stocking up on a lot of ingredients now. So the best option is to join a spree at livejournal and purchase from Garden of Wisdom from US.

  9. sesame says:

    I believe all apples are healthy but different colors seem to have slightly different nutrients and varying amount of sugar. It’ll be good to eat a mix.

  10. sesame says:

    I like the idea of not peeling the skin but I can’t discern much of a difference in terms of the taste though.

  11. Brownies says:

    Eat it everyday since I was young. I remembered having my mum boiling the apple for me when I was sick during my lower pri years to make me feel better and eat more. It tasted fantastic for me.

    Now, I rather eat it raw without skin as my mum do not buy organic stuff since she found it a hassle to travel long distance just to buy organic apples.

  12. Amanda says:

    I like eating apples with their peels because they seem to be crispy that way. I remember seeing a TV program LONG LONG time ago, which also said apples were the healthiest fruit compared to other common fruits like oranges.

  13. Pollya says:

    Haha, I eat apples practically every day too, and my skin is NOWHERE NEAR beautiful! I’m really doubtful that it’s the apples and yoghurt that are the reason for Song Joong Ki’s good skin; it’s probably a combination of factors: genetic, products used, lifestyle, etc.

  14. sesame says:

    There are still nutrients within the apple so all is not wasted.

  15. sesame says:

    I like it more than oranges…oranges may not suit some people who cough easily.

  16. sesame says:

    Yeah, probably he already has good skin to start with.

  17. Swati says:

    oh great!!! I do prefer red apples more than green but then I do eat both of them coz my mom forces them down but even my skin is nowhere as good as his ? and I do eat yogurt too ?

  18. claire says:

    ahh I see. wish there were more people who were into such stuff. thanks for the heads up ?

  19. sesame says:

    I think they are healthy fruits but to get good skin from eating it is a bit wishful. The Korean celeb probably already has good skin to begin with.

  20. pf1123 says:

    But all the goodness of apples will be transfered to our bodies of eaten?

  21. sesame says:

    It should work like any food/fruits that we take. Like we take them for their vitamin C, etc? But I wouldn’t recommend eating lots of apples and not slathering sunscreen. On another note, I found something for oral consumption that is good for sun protection. According to the many reviews by independent customers, they stopped wearing sunscreen after taking it and they don’t get burnt from sun exposure. I’ve ordered the item and hope to try it out soon.

  22. Xi Xi says:

    Well, he probably has undergone plastic surgery too and then, there’s Photoshop + lighting. ?

  23. sesame says:

    You think so? Photoshop probably but plastic surgery? Didn’t realize it’s popular among the guys too.

  24. purplevortex says:

    haha it’s so funny you’re posting about Song Joong Ki but you don’t know who he is. He really does have great skin and I appreciate how technical you get with the benefits of apples! It really seems you know a lot about skin and how to keep it healthy.

  25. Angel Saenz says:

    JoongKi oppa doesn’t do much to his skin on a regular basis usually just washing and using moisturizer but when hes stressed from work or tired (since he’s and actor and appears on many variety shows often) he puts on a face mask sometimes he even freezes green tea into cubes and rubs it on his face when he’s having skin trouble ?

    P.S sorry I’m kinda his fan and when i saw a none Kpop fan post an article about him i got a little excited and thankful #k8SjZc9Dxk#k8SjZc9Dxk”””

  26. sesame says:

    Oh the green tea cubes are a nice idea! Maybe I’ll give it a try. Thanks for sharing! ?

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