Myth or Truth: Apple Skins Are Not Safe For Consumption

Apple; this is one of the first few words a child learns when they are started on their alphabets, and yet it follows us around in adulthood. It is a well-known fact that apples contain rich amount of nutrients and vitamins that help in the body’s optimal functions. But here is the age-old question about apple skins which still perplexes many to this day:

Are apple skins safe for consumption?

The case for ‘yes’

Apple skin contains a completely different range of nutrients compared to the juicy apple flesh. It is a form of fibre that helps to promote bowel movement, which in turn can prevent some types of gastrointestinal health problems.

Furthermore, apple skin is a rich source of ursolic acid which is a chemical compound that increases brown fat. As a result, it speeds up metabolism of the bad fat and lowers risk of the obesity. Besides, there are also tons of nutrients in apple skins that benefit the skin and brain.

When some people scrap or peel apples, they may notice a white substance. That is wax, but it is produced by the apple itself and thus, considered to be food-grade and safe to consume. The wax helps to keep the apple less prone to bug attacks and other external factors that can damage the flesh.

The case for ‘no’

There are some people who are against eating apple skins and will always pare them before consumption. To this, they said that pesticides and additional chemical wax used to preserve the apples stick to the apple skin. Eating it would be equivalent to eating a range of chemical. And that can’t be good for the body at all.

With the pros evening out a very strong con, what should we do?

For starters, it is important to know that some farmers do indeed apply extra wax to apples to increase their length of freshness. However, they used food-grade wax, which, by FDA standards, are consumable.

There are other farmers which use wax that may not be food-grade, and that’s where you need to conduct more research. When in doubt, find out from the farms, whether the wax used is food-grade or not. If it is not, then pare it away.

Here’s the advice: if you want to steer clear of absolutely any kind of chemicals, then you should pare the skin of non-organic apples. If so, how do you get the nutrients from the apple skin? The answer: buy organic apples, but only occasionally. If you know you are buying organic apples, then you shouldn’t have to be concerned about any extra chemicals, and you can consume the apple skin without worry while enjoying its health benefits.