Why should you keep the skin on when eating apples or sweet potatoes?

To ensure safety and avoid harmful chemicals, dirt and parasites, many people always peel or remove the skin when eating potatoes and fruits. Removing the skin is sometimes just a habit. However, you should not do this with sweet potatoes or apples.

Why should you keep the skin on when eating apples or sweet potatoes?

The skins of many fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, fiber, and other valuable micronutrients, some of which are even more abundant than the flesh. That’s why it’s best to leave the skin on when eating apples or sweet potatoes.

Benefits of apple peel

In 2013, the British Medical Journal published a report showing that for Britons over 50, eating an apple a day has the same effect as cholesterol-lowering drugs. In addition, apples have been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer and colorectal cancer by 24%.

The most nutritious part of an apple is the peel, because the antioxidants in apples are most concentrated here. The peel is the first and very strong line of defense that helps the apple resist the invasion of harmful factors from the outside, thanks to which we can preserve this fruit for a long time in the natural environment. When peeling off the peel, the apple will quickly oxidize and change color, and its nutrition will also decrease.

The skin of a medium-sized apple contains about 4.4 grams of fiber (including both soluble and insoluble fiber), 8.4 mg of vitamin C, and 98 IU of vitamin A. Polyphenol antioxidants are found in the skin of the apple.

Fiber helps you feel full longer, prevents cravings, fights hunger, helps you consume fewer calories, thereby helping you lose weight. Polyphenols have the effect of reducing the absorption of starch and fat. Many studies have shown that polyphenols in apple peel can be helpful in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, while improving the elasticity of veins to ensure a healthy heart.

The fiber in apples also helps limit increased blood sugar, so it is very good for diabetics, prevents constipation, and helps reduce cholesterol.

The compound quercetin in apple peel is a natural anti-inflammatory that may protect your lungs and heart.

So eating apples with the skin is a very smart choice. However, you must remove the wax layer on the apple skin before eating.

What are the benefits of eating sweet potatoes with the skin?

Sweet potato skin also contains many nutrients that you should take advantage of. Don't worry because eating potatoes with the skin will not have any negative effects on the body.

Sweet potato skins are also high in fiber. A 2021 study published in the JournalAgronomyshows that peeling removes 64% of the fiber of sweet potatoes. The skin also contains manganese, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E.

A new study published this year in the Journal ofFood Researchshowed that cookies containing sweet potato peel powder had nearly three times more fiber than regular cookies - increasing from 0.8% to 2.3%.

However, you should note that sweet potato peel contains a large amount of alkaloids. If you eat too much, it can irritate the digestive tract and cause discomfort.

When washing sweet potatoes, if you see brown or dark brown spots on the skin, it means the potatoes have been infected with black spot bacteria, which can damage the liver and cause severe poisoning. Therefore, sweet potatoes should be eaten with the skin intact only when the potatoes are fresh and uncontaminated.

Nguyet Anh (Synthesis)