Apples’ Popularity Has Grown Significantly Since Garden of Eden

Native to temperate areas of Europe and Asia, apples have been harvested from the wild since prehistory and were well known to the Phoenicians in Mesopotamia. The Romans encouraged apple cultivation and the Roman historian Cato noted six varieties in the 2^nd century B.C. Pliny wrote of 36 varieties by the 1^st century A.D. Despite a significant decline in apple production during the Dark Ages, by the late 17^th century Vorlidge had recorded 92 apple varieties. The first apples in North America were said to be planted on Governor’s Island in Boston Harbor.

The expansion of the colonies in North America is credited for the enormous explosion of apple varieties. Apples today are grown extensively in every temperate region around the world. Today there are over 5,000 apple varieties representing about 2,000 distinguishable clones. Apples can be green, yellow, scarlet orange, dark red and almost purple. The texture can be crisp to soft and may be juicy or dry, acid or insipid, bitter, bland or aromatic.

While apples contain minimal nutritional value, apples contain numerous phytochemicals such as Quercetin that helps prevent heart disease by preventing LDL cholesterol from being oxidized to a more dangerous form. Apples are also low in calories, high in soluble fiber that also helps lower cholesterol. Apples also enhance dental hygiene.

The only potential negative about apples is that the skin may contain pesticides. There is also one recorded case of someone dying from eating too many apples because apples contain small amounts of cyanide. Best to stick to the old adage, “…an apple a day…”.