Apples Regulate Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Cholesterol: Component Analysis and Two Healthy Recipe Recommendations

Apple: Softens blood vessels and regulates blood sugar. Also known as Taopo, Nai, Naizi.

Taste and properties: Sweet and sour in taste, neutral in nature; enters the spleen and lung meridians.

Recommended daily intake: 1-2 apples.

Nutritional components: Carbohydrates, protein, fat, crude fiber, pectin, malic acid, carotene, vitamin B₁, vitamin B2, vitamin C, niacin, sorbitol, hesperidin, flavonoids, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iodine, copper, manganese, iron, chromium, zinc, etc.

Apples contain a relatively high amount of malic acid, which can lower cholesterol, soften blood vessels, and has anti-arteriosclerosis effects; the abundant potassium promotes the excretion of sodium from the body, thus lowering blood pressure; the rich chromium content can improve the insulin sensitivity of diabetic patients; malic acid can stabilize blood sugar and prevent age-related diabetes.

Effective Remedies

High Blood Pressure: Take 30g of apple, 30g of fresh hawthorn, and 3 fresh celery roots. Wash and chop them, put them in a bowl, add a small amount of rock sugar and appropriate amount of water, steam over water, and consume the soup and solids together. Take once every other day, for 3 months as one course of treatment. It has a good effect on treating high blood pressure.

Apple Chicken:
Main ingredients: 500g chicken, 2 apples, 25g soaked shiitake mushrooms.

Seasonings: Appropriate amounts of scallions, ginger, soy sauce, white sugar, salt, vinegar, chicken broth, starch, clear broth, and vegetable oil.

Instructions:
1. Slice the shiitake mushrooms thinly; cut the apples into small pieces; cut the chicken into small pieces; blanch in cold water and remove.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add the blanched chicken pieces and stir-fry quickly. Add white sugar and vinegar and stir-fry quickly, then add a little soy sauce for color, and then add the chopped apples.

3. Add a little water, cover, and cook until the broth is reduced. Before serving, drizzle with a few drops of chicken broth and stir well.

◆ Kiwi, Pineapple, and Apple Juice
Ingredients: 1 kiwi, half a pineapple

1. Scoop out the kiwi flesh with a spoon.

2. Wash the apple, remove the core, and cut into chunks.

3. Peel the pineapple, cut into chunks, and soak in lightly salted water for 10 minutes.

4. Put the kiwi flesh, apple, and pineapple into a juicer, add a suitable amount of cooled boiled water, and blend until smooth.