“Older people who exercise three or more times a week are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.”

– Annals of Internal Medicine,

April 2006

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ as the saying goes. Old wives tales often have a grain of truth to them and recent research is showing that apples can help to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, allergies and inflammation.

The skin of the apple is actually more beneficial than the flesh and it is important to buy organic apples so that you can eat the skin free of pesticides. The important nutrient in the skin is quercetin which is known as a flavonoid and is a powerful anti-oxidant. It has remarkable anti-tumour properties and can also help stop inflammation.

Quercetin also plays a part in reducing allergies as it stops the manufacture and release of histamine.

But there is more to apples than just quercetin. The insoluble fibre found in apples is helpful for constipation and the soluble fibre helps to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

Apples also contain pectin, one of the soluble fibres, which is known to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.

Best Tip: Eat the whole apples not the juice as the juice contains very little quercetin and fibre.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 3 cups of apple juice
• 3 cups organic wholewheat flour
• 1 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
• ¼ cup of vegetable oil preferably corn oil
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 4 cups organic raisins
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 4 cups of chopped organic eating apples

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 F/160 C. Combine the raisins and apple juice in a large saucepan and simmer with a little water over a medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Set aside to cool. Roast the flour in a dry frying pan on a medium heat, stirring constantly until it is slightly browner.

Combine the oil, lemon rind and juice, salt and vanilla with the raisins and apple juice. Sift the flour into this mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in the chopped nuts and apple.

Pour this batter into a greased 9-inch cake tin, cover with an oven proof plate and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the plate and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cake is set.