NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
🍎

Apple

Malus domestica

Fibre-rich everyday fruit with steady heart evidence

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
9 verified / 9
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium (182 g)

182gSERVING
  • Water 155.8 g86%
  • Sugars 18.9 g10%
  • Fibre 4.4 g2%
  • Other carbs 1.8 g1%
  • Protein 0.5 g0%
  • Fat 0.3 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Fibre16%Vitamin C9%Potassium4%Vitamin K3%Calcium1%Vitamin A1%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
95 kcal0.5 g protein4.4 g fiber0.3 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Fibre4.4 g16%
Vitamin C8.4 mg9%
Potassium195 mg4%
Vitamin K4 mcg3%
Calcium11 mg1%
Vitamin A5.5 mcg1%
Total sugars19 g38%
Copper0.05 mg5%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Apple?

Apple (Malus domestica) is a fruit used for modestly lowers total and ldl cholesterol versus placebo (rct meta-analysis). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Human evidence for apples is moderate and rests largely on consistent observational cohorts plus a smaller body of RCTs. A 2022 meta-analysis of randomized trials found that more than a week of apple or apple-derived product intake significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol versus placebo, especially in people with elevated baseline levels, though it showed no clear effect on triglycerides, glucose, CRP or blood pressure (and a small HDL reduction). Large prospective cohorts link higher apple/pear intake to lower stroke incidence and reduced type 2 diabetes risk, and flavonoid-intake meta-analyses associate apple-rich dietary patterns with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. However, most outcome data are observational and confounded by overall healthy lifestyle, and the widely cited "apple a day" claim was not supported for reducing physician visits. Apples are nutrient-modest (low vitamin C, low micronutrient density) and act mainly through fibre and polyphenols rather than vitamins. Net effects on hard endpoints remain associational, not proven causal.

Purported Benefits

✓Modestly lowers total and LDL cholesterol versus placebo (RCT meta-analysis)
✓Associated with lower cardiovascular disease and stroke risk in cohorts
✓Whole-apple intake linked to reduced type 2 diabetes risk
✓Soluble fibre (pectin) supports satiety and digestive regularity
✓Higher flavonoid intake tied to lower all-cause mortality
✓Contributes to better overall diet quality and weight control

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
One medium apple (~182 g) per day, eaten whole with skin where most polyphenols and fibre reside; 1-3 servings/day fits dietary fruit guidance. Whole fruit is preferable to juice.
Active Compounds
Pectin (soluble fibre)Quercetin glycosides (flavonols)Flavan-3-ols / procyanidinsChlorogenic acid (hydroxycinnamic acid)Phloridzin (dihydrochalcone)Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)PotassiumTriterpenoids (ursolic acid, in peel)

Safety & Cautions

Generally very safe. People with oral allergy syndrome (birch-pollen cross-reactivity, Mal d 1 protein) may react to raw apple; cooking usually helps. The natural sugar/FODMAP (fructose, sorbitol) load can cause bloating or diarrhoea in sensitive or IBS individuals and counts toward carbohydrate intake for diabetics. Apple seeds contain amygdalin (cyanogenic) but are harmless unless large quantities are crushed and eaten. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 interaction. Skins may carry pesticide residues—wash well. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Apple with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Ghanavati 2023 ✓ PubMed
Dose-response meta-analysis of 181 RCTs (220 arms, 14,505 participants) found soluble fiber supplementation significantly reduced LDL-C by 8.28 mg/dL, total cholesterol by 10.82 mg/dL, and apolipoprotein B, with effects of pectin similar to oat and psyllium.
Meta-analysis Kim 2022 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 18 RCTs: >1 week of apple/apple-derived product intake significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol vs placebo controls, strongest at high baseline cholesterol; HDL also fell slightly and triglycerides, glucose, CRP and blood pressure were unchanged.
Meta-analysis Micek 2021 ✓ Source
Dose-response meta-analysis (39 cohorts, ~1.5M people): higher total flavonoid, flavan-3-ol and anthocyanin intake inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
Meta-analysis Liu 2017 ✓ Source
Meta-analysis of cohort studies: highest vs lowest total flavonoid intake associated with lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.72-0.92); CVD mortality only marginal.
Systematic review Gayer 2019 ✓ Full text
Systematic review/meta-analysis (22 studies): in cohorts, higher apple/pear intake associated with ~14-15% lower cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular death, type 2 diabetes and all-cause mortality; RCTs showed only a BMI reduction, no lipid/glucose/BP effect.
RCT AppleCOR (Yuste 2024) ✓ PubMed
In 121 hypercholesterolemic adults, 6 weeks of daily anthocyanin-rich red-fleshed apple improved ischemic reactive hyperemia (endothelial function) and lowered C-reactive protein and IL-6 versus white-fleshed apple, supporting cardioprotective effects beyond lipids.
Cohort Davis 2015 ✓ PubMed
NHANES analysis of 8,399 adults: daily apple eaters did not have significantly fewer physician visits after adjustment, though used marginally fewer prescription medications.
Cohort Muraki 2013 ✓ PubMed
Three US cohorts (>187,000 adults): higher whole-apple/pear intake associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk (pooled HR 0.93 per 3 servings/week); fruit juice raised risk (HR 1.08).
Cohort Oude Griep 2011 ✓ PubMed
Dutch cohort of 20,069 adults: each 25 g/day of white-fleshed fruit/veg (mostly apples/pears) linked to 9% lower 10-year stroke risk (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.97).
9 sources cited · 9 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Apple

What is Apple used for?

Apple is most often taken for Modestly lowers total and LDL cholesterol versus placebo (RCT meta-analysis), Associated with lower cardiovascular disease and stroke risk in cohorts, Whole-apple intake linked to reduced type 2 diabetes risk, Soluble fibre (pectin) supports satiety and digestive regularity. Fibre-rich everyday fruit with steady heart evidence

Does Apple work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Human evidence for apples is moderate and rests largely on consistent observational cohorts plus a smaller body of RCTs. A 2022 meta-analysis of randomized trials found that more than a week of apple or apple-derived product intake significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol versus placebo, especially in people with elevated baseline levels, though it showed no clear effect on triglycerides, glucose, CRP or blood pressure (and a small HDL reduction). Large prospective cohorts link higher apple/pear intake to lower stroke incidence and reduced type 2 diabetes risk, and flavonoid-intake meta-analyses associate apple-rich dietary patterns with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. However, most outcome data are observational and confounded by overall healthy lifestyle, and the widely cited "apple a day" claim was not supported for reducing physician visits. Apples are nutrient-modest (low vitamin C, low micronutrient density) and act mainly through fibre and polyphenols rather than vitamins. Net effects on hard endpoints remain associational, not proven causal.

What is the typical dose of Apple?

One medium apple (~182 g) per day, eaten whole with skin where most polyphenols and fibre reside; 1-3 servings/day fits dietary fruit guidance. Whole fruit is preferable to juice.

Is Apple safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally very safe. People with oral allergy syndrome (birch-pollen cross-reactivity, Mal d 1 protein) may react to raw apple; cooking usually helps. The natural sugar/FODMAP (fructose, sorbitol) load can cause bloating or diarrhoea in sensitive or IBS individuals and counts toward carbohydrate intake for diabetics. Apple seeds contain amygdalin (cyanogenic) but are harmless unless large quantities are crushed and eaten. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 interaction. Skins may carry pesticide residues—wash well.

How many studies support Apple?

NutriDex cites 9 sources for Apple, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Apple (Malus domestica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/apple

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_apple,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Apple (Malus domestica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/apple},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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