1. Apples are a dirty fruit
Apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated foods in the world.
Apples are ranked in the top 5 of the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2021 “Dirty Dozen” list along with strawberries, spinach, kale, silver-beet/collard greens and nectarines as produce with the highest amount of toxic chemicals.
2. Pervasive synthetic waxes
Apples, even if organic! are coated with multiple edible synthetic waxes to make them look shiny and to seal the moisture to extend shelf life.
Waxed apples may look glossy, shiny and firm, but they could be soggy & tasteless under their skin.
Although these waxes are classified “edible” by government authorities who hardly care about your health or science, they are very hard to digest and chances are they will turn into a toxic sticky substance (“ama”) that leads to disease.
Ironically, apples have their own natural wax which actually supports digestion, but this is scrubbed & washed off during the cleaning process of some farms.
Synthetic waxes on apples are hard to wash off, and essentially you got to peel them off to remove them. This is a shame as you miss out on beneficial antioxidants and fibre that was intended to keep the doctor away everyday.
3. Ayurvedic Properties of Apples
Apples in Ayurveda are known as Seva सेव
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Rasa (taste): madura (sweet)
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Virya (potency): sheeta (cooling)
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Vipaka (post-digestive effect): madura (sweet)
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Doshas: VP – K+
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Gunas (qualities): guru (heavy)
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Therapeutic affects:
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Apples help improve your taste capacity, hence digestion.
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Apples provide aphrodisiac effects & increase semen.*
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WHAT APPLES TO EAT?
Of course organic, but unfortunately you will still get added waxes because national organic certification programs (like USDA) allows waxing of organic fruit if it is a non-synthetic, food grade substance (e.g beeswax, shellac), but these still cause ama.
Go explore and forage wild or feral apples.
The Snowy Mountains of NSW are absolutely flourishing at this time of year! We made apple pies, cakes, crumbles, charoset (a traditional Jewish recipe for passover, consisting of apples, wine and nuts) & apple scrap vinegar with cores & peels.
Wild apples are more common than you think. If you harvest at the right time of the season before the birds do, you’ll have an abundance of days to keep the doctor away.
*Bhāvaprakāśa Pūrvakhanda
Related Reading: Feature Food: Banana (“Kadali”)
Did you know these attributes about apples & their properties according to Ayurveda? Comment below 👇
