Cider is unpasteurized, unfiltered juice from apple mash. It contains the juice with sediment and pulp from the fruit. This differs from the apple juice you can buy in the store, which is filtered to remove sediment and pasteurized to improve shelf life. Ciders offer a distinctive way to take advantage of some health benefits:
- Flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants found in apples and also in cider. They can neutralize free radicals before they have a chance to do damage, and they may also help fight chronic illness, such as cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants found in apples and apple products can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and thrombotic stroke as well. It has been found that 8 ounces of hard cider have as many antioxidant compounds as a glass of red wine.
- Fiber. Apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber, but you lose this benefit when you drink the juice because the fiber is in the meaty part of the fruit. Cider offers pulp and sediment intake to improve digestion and lower blood cholesterol.
- Fruit serving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that you eat between three and five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. One 8-oz. glass of cider counts as one fruit serving! One glass also contains 4 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C and iron, as well as 190mg of potassium.
- Low in sodium. A 12-oz. serving of hard apple cider may contain just 10mg of sodium, less than 1 percent of the 2,300mg daily sodium limit suggested for the healthy American.
ATLAS Cider Co. sells hard apple cider, along with other flavors of cider, at the market each week. To learn even more about hard apple cider health benefits, check out this article. Special thanks to Shevlin Health & Wellness Center for presenting this handy tip!
