I was thumbing through a copy of BEST HEALTH MAGAZINE the other day and found this intriguing information:

“USDA scientists investigated over 100 foods to measure their antioxidant concentration per serving size. Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples ranked 12th and 13th on the list, respectively. The more antioxidants the better, because they fight disease by helping to prevent and repair oxidation damage that happens during normal cell activity.

“Apples are also full of a fiber called pectin (a medium-sized apple contains about 4 grams of fiber). Pectin is classed as a soluble, fermentable and viscous fiber, a combination that gives it a huge list of health benefits.” For instance, take a look at just 15:

WHITER, HEALTHIER TEETH: While it won’t replace your toothbrush, biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva, reducing tooth decay by lowering levels of bacteria.

ALZHEIMER’S DETERRENT: Research shows that drinking apple juice helps keep Alzheimer’s away and fights the effects of aging on the brain.

PARKINSON’S PROTECTION: Parkinson’s is a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked the apple’s ability to fight this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants they contain.

CANCER PROTECTION: Scientists agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples helps reduce pancreatic cancer risk by up to 23%. This is due to the apple peel’s triterpenoids.

DIABETES DETERRENT: Eating just one apple a day makes you 28% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Because of their high soluble fiber content, they blunt blood sugar swings.

CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION: This soluble fiber also binds with fats in the intestine, which translates into lower cholesterol levels.

HEALTHIER HEART: High soluble fiber intake is linked with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in arteries. The peel’s phenolic compound prevents cholesterol from solidifying on artery walls.

GALLSTONE PREVENTION: Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in bile, so it solidifies. Here again, the apple’s high fiber does its job.

DIARRHEA AND CONSTIPATION PREVENTION: Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, apples help. Its fiber either pulls water out of the colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or this fiber absorbs excess water from your stool to slow the bowels down.

HEMORRHOID PROTECTION: While not life threatening, these can be very painful. Part and parcel with controlling constipation, fiber can prevent the need for excess straining when using the bathroom, thereby helping to alleviate hemorrhoids.

WEIGHT CONTROL: We’re all familiar with the many health problems associated with being overweight (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, etc.). To manage weight and improve overall health, doctors recommend a fiber-rich diet. Fiber is not only healthy, it’s filling.

LIVER DETOXIFICATION: We’re constantly consuming toxins and the liver is responsible for clearing them out. While many doctors are skeptical of fad ‘detox’ diets (saying they have the potential to do more harm than good), they do say one of the best (and easiest) things you can do to help detoxify the liver is to eat an apple a day.

IMMUNITY BOOST: Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. It helps boost and fortify immune system, especially against stress.

CATARACT PREVENTION: Recent long-term studies suggest a diet rich in high antioxidant fruits, like apples, are 10% to 15% less likely to develop cataracts.

My mom must have instinctively known all this. She always kept a bowl full of apples on the dining table and more in our fridge’s crisper drawer. And she consistently inserted grated apple into just about everything. Grated Jonathan apples (with the skin) were added to pancake batter, muffin batter, spice and carrot cake batters, oatmeal cookies, and salads. She’d also sprinkle this atop our wintertime dessert bowls of peaches, pears, plums, and cherries.

And there was always apple pie. This treat leads me to conclude with the answer to a common apple question: What are the best apples for apple pie? Here’s what professional chefs, bakers, and seasoned home cooks say:

Basically, you want an apple that'll hold its shape when cooked (you don't want an applesauce pie, after all). Sometimes you'll see apples labeled as "cooking apples" or "baking apples" in the store. While these can be eaten raw, too, they're exactly what you need for pie. Favorites include Jonagolds, Granny Smiths, Galas, Northern Spys, and Braeburns.