“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a saying many know, but a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in Taiwan is revealing the therapeutic secrets of apples, highlighting how eating and using them correctly can help combat eczema, heal leaky gut, and even aid in cancer prevention.

Apples offer extraordinary health benefits and may prevent various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. According to Zhang Wei-jun, the fifth-generation heir of Huai Sheng Tang, a TCM clinic, apples are highly nourishing from a TCM perspective. They strengthen the spleen, stimulate appetite, moisten the lungs, relieve coughs, generate fluids, and quench thirst. Their refreshing aroma also uplifts the mood.

Zhang said that most of the beneficial components of apples are found in the peel. To maximize their effectiveness, it’s best to eat apples with the skin on. Even when making juice, blend the apples with the peel and drink the juice with the pulp to retain all the nutrients. The juice should be enjoyed immediately to prevent oxidation and discoloration, he added.

If you’re concerned about store-bought apples being waxed, pour hot water over the apples to dissolve the wax. Then, gently scrub them with a soft brush and rinse thoroughly.

Apple Puree and Apple Cider Vinegar A Dual Approach to Eczema Relief

Many people have suffered from allergic eczema since childhood, with modern medicine unable to pinpoint the cause. Zhang, who struggled with hand eczema earlier in his life, found that using apples was a helpful strategy.

Zhang believes that allergic eczema is caused by “heat toxins” in the body, meaning that the body is too hot and dry, causing inflammation. The primary source of these heat toxins is often dry, hot foods.

TCM classifies foods and medicines as either warming or cooling. Warming foods don’t necessarily feel hot to the mouth but they can create internal heat, leading to inflammation. Primary sources of internal heat include foods that undergo high-temperature processing, such as fried foods and processed snacks. Apples, on the other hand, can help balance a hot, dry constitution and relieve itching. Zhang discovered that drinking apple cider vinegar and applying apple puree externally on the affected skin can help reduce allergic eczema.

Apple Puree Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 apple
• 1 tablespoon soy flour
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions:

1. Remove the seeds from the apple, cut it into chunks, and blend it with the skin in a juicer or blender.
2. Add the soy flour and all-purpose flour, then blend everything into a smooth apple puree.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and store it for later use.

Applying directions:

1. Take a small spoonful of apple puree and dilute it with twice the amount of cold boiled water, then mix well.
2. Let the apple-water mixture sit to allow the sediment to settle. Take the clear water from the top and apply it to the affected eczema area using a cotton ball. Once dry, reapply, repeating this process three times. Use at least twice a day.
3. Alternatively, dip small cotton pieces in the apple puree and apply them directly to the itchy, damaged skin areas. Once dry, remove them. Repeat this at least twice a day.

Caution: This remedy is only suitable for eczema with dry skin. It should not be used for eczema with wet or oozing skin (where the skin exudes tissue fluid).

Simple Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients:

• Fresh apples: 600 grams
• Natural rice vinegar: 600 ml
• Rock sugar: 200 grams

Instructions:

1. Wash a sealable glass jar, sterilize it with boiling water, and let it air dry.
2. Wash and dry the apples, then slice them thinly with the skin on. Place the slices into the glass jar.
3. Add the rock sugar, followed by the rice vinegar.
4. Seal the jar tightly and store it in a cool, ventilated place. The vinegar will be ready to drink after about one week.
5. Dilute the vinegar with 4 to 5 parts of boiled water before drinking. Adjust the concentration to taste if needed.

Caution: Drinking vinegar on an empty stomach may harm your stomach, so it is recommended to consume it after meals. People with chronic gastritis, stomach ulcers, or duodenal ulcers should exercise caution or avoid consuming vinegar altogether, as acidic substances can worsen these conditions.

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

• Improves Appetite: It can stimulate appetite and aid digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Stabilizes Blood Sugar: Helps reduce post-meal blood sugar fluctuations.
• Enhances Calcium Absorption: By increasing stomach acid levels, it assists in calcium absorption.
• Supports Skin Health: Drinking apple cider vinegar may help improve eczema, likely due to its positive impact on gut microbiota, reducing harmful fungi and bacteria while promoting beneficial bacteria.

Zhang said that people with allergic eczema often experience significant stress, anxiety, and tension. Chronic stress can harm gut health and may lead to leaky gut syndrome, where tiny food particles pass through the damaged intestinal lining into the bloodstream, activating the immune system and exacerbating eczema symptoms.

Whole Apple Juice as a Remedy for Leaky Gut

For people with leaky gut syndrome, Zhang recommends blending whole apples with the skin intact to make whole apple juice. This juice is rich in pectin, which helps protect damaged gastrointestinal mucosa.

Animal studies have shown that apple pectin can regulate gut microbiota, improve intestinal barrier function, and reduce chronic inflammation associated with leaky gut syndrome, a condition when the lining of your intestines becomes permeable, allowing substances like bacteria to pass through into your bloodstream.

Instructions:

• Take 1 fresh apple with the skin on, add a splash of lemon juice or one vitamin C tablet, along with a little water.
• Blend into juice
• Drink immediately for optimal benefits.

Apples May Help Fight Cancer

Apples contain various phytochemicals that protect cells from free radical damage, helping prevent cancer and repair damaged DNA in cells.

With a remarkably high antioxidant content, studies suggest that among fruits commonly consumed in the U.S., apples rank second in antioxidant activity, just behind cranberries. However, given cranberries’ sour taste, they are not consumed in large quantities like apples. This makes apples one of the most efficient fruits for antioxidant benefits.

Studies have shown that people who regularly consume apples have a lower risk of developing various cancers, including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer.

The red apple peel contains quercetin, a powerful compound that not only combats free radicals but also inhibits tumor angiogenesis. By cutting off the nutrient supply to cancer cells, quercetin prevents their growth and proliferation.

Apple Energy Smoothie: A Gut-Friendly Start to Your Day

A popular breakfast trend involves blending various fruits and vegetables into a juice or smoothie, often referred to as a “green smoothie” or “energy drink.” This method allows for the intake of multiple cancer-fighting nutrients in one go. Apples are an excellent ingredient for this nutritious drink.

According to TCM, vegetable and fruit juices are considered cold in nature. For people with a cold-prone constitution—such as those who feel chilly, experience poor digestion, frequent urination, or edema—drinking these juices may lead to diarrhea. This is especially true for cancer patients, as drinking excessive amounts of such juices can further weaken the body, making it harder to recover from infections.

Zhang suggests adding warming ingredients like brown rice bran (finely ground brown rice or other grains) to vegetable and fruit juices. This helps balance their cold nature and prevents harm to the body’s yang energy—a warming force that promotes vitality and strengthens immunity.

Apple Rice Milk Recipe

Ingredients:

• Apple + and  3 to 5 types of other seasonal fruits
• Brown rice bran compound (grains like brown rice, millet, coix seeds, buckwheat, etc., steamed, dried, and then ground into powder)
• Yeast

Instructions:

1. Place the fruits and yeast into a blender, add a small amount of water, and blend until it reaches 2/5 of the desired amount.
2. Mix the brown rice bran compound with cold water first, then add 90°C hot water to extract 3/5 of the amount for the warm rice milk.
3. Slowly pour the warm rice milk into the fruit and vegetable juice mixture, ensuring the order is followed correctly.
4. When drinking, hold the mixture in your mouth for a few seconds before slowly swallowing.

This recipe is suitable for people of all constitutions and can be consumed as a breakfast drink for cancer prevention. Cancer patients are advised to drink one cup in the morning and one cup in the evening, ensuring it is consumed fresh.

It is recommended to avoid fruits with high sugar content, such as durian, cherimoya, bananas, longan, and lychees, to prevent a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.

In terms of grains, if you’re concerned about bloating, avoid legumes and nuts.

Who Should Eat Apples?

Zhang recommends people with the following conditions to eat more apples for health benefits:

Osteoporosis: Apples promote the absorption of minerals like calcium and magnesium. The polyphenols in apples can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, helping to prevent or slow down osteoporosis.

Constipation: The apple peel contains a large amount of dietary fiber, which can increase stool volume. Eating apples with the skin on can help promote regular bowel movements.

Diarrhea: Eating apples with the skin removed can help stop diarrhea. For infants and young children with diarrhea, peel and cut the apple into pieces, steam it, then mash it into apple puree.

White-Collar Workers: Studies have shown that nutrients like quercetin found in apples can stimulate nerve growth in the brain, benefiting brain function.

Hypertension, Cholesterol, or Diabetes (the “Three Highs”): Research has found that eating apples can help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, and improve blood vessel inflammation, thereby preventing various cardiovascular diseases. Eating the apples with the skin on enhances these benefits.