Red Mountain Spa (Utah)

Author-naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man."

Apart from milk and honey, fruit is nature's only pleasure laden natural food. Apples have been associated with love, beauty, luck, health, comfort, pleasure, wisdom, temptation, sensuality, sexuality, virility and fertility.

In Greek mythology, Gaia, or Mother Earth, presented a tree with golden apples to Zeus and his bride Hera on their wedding day. Guarded by Ladon, a serpent who never slept, the apple tree was in the garden of the Hesperides, daughters of the Evening Star. These golden apples became involved with many tales of love, bribery and temptation ranging from the abduction of Helen of Troy to the defeat and marriage of Atlanta. The sexual and romantic connotations of the apple were reasons why apples came as dessert at the end of the meal. They not only did they taste wonderful but they were good for digestion and were regarded as a transitional aphrodisiac. They were a vital part of the pleasure gardens of the wealthy throughout the world, even with the knowledge that eating them may lead one to a life of chaos and destruction.

Cultivation of the apple, a member of the rose family, has been a part of rural life since the tenth century B.C., when it was first domesticated in the Near East. From there it traveled to ancient Rome, where apple trees were grown and prized for their fruit. It is believed that the Romans took cultivated apples with them into England when they conquered the country and apple-growing became common in England and many other parts of Europe

Around 1629, both the seeds of apples and the trees themselves were brought to America from England, by immigrants to the New World. Early settlers were required by law to plant apple orchards to establish the ownership of their homesteads. The cultivated varieties of apples gradually spread from the Atlantic coast to the west. Native Americans took seeds of these apples into the wilderness and planted them in their villages. John Chapman - who became known as "Johnny Appleseed" - also helped to spread apple growing in America. He carried apple seeds with him wherever he went, and planted them in thinly settled parts of the country. Today there are more than 7,500 varieties of apples growing worldwide, 2,500 of them in the United States alone. Each apple variety has its own unique flavor, and best uses.

My father was a true believer in the adage about an apple a day but now there's real science to back it up. The skin of the fruit is rich in antioxidants, in particular quercetin.

Each apple has nearly four grams of fiber in its crisp, white flesh - more than a bowl of oatmeal. This is delivered in the soluble form of pectin, (lowers cholesterol, steadies blood sugar levels) and insoluble (mostly in the peel) roughage that aid in digestion and elimination. Besides the lack of pesticides, organically grown varieties of apples have higher levels of fiber, vitamin C. and phytonutrients as well as better texture and flavor.

Quick Apple Facts:

No artificial coloring

Contains less than 1 gram of fat

Has almost no sodium

Is high in complex carbohydrates

Contains cellulose.

Contains the soluble fiber, pectin

Supplies vitamin C

Supplies potassium

Contains the trace mineral, boron

Has only 81 calories

Has other vital nutrients, including: calcium,

iron,

carotenoids, such as Vitamin A,

thiamin,

magnesium

phosphorus

The apple has a surprisingly longstanding role in homegrown beauty regimens. It contains malic acid which is a natural alpha hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates, smoothes and brightens the complexion. The fiber-rich pectin in the fruit has skin-soothing, restorative properties.

References:
1.Great Moments in Apple History - Mitch Lynd, Mid West Apple Improvement Association
2.U.S.Apple Association

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