What is green apple? Is it healthier than red apple? | The Times of India (2024)

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but which apple is it that does the trick best. Is it the regular red coloured apple, is it golden apple, or is it green apple? While fruits in general are healthy and important for our body, apples are popular because of their year-round availability, high fiber content, ease of consumption, and rich antioxidant and nutrient content. Today, we will take a look at one of the many varieties of apple - green apple, and take a look at whether it is as healthy as its red counterpart.

Green apple is a variety of apple that was first cultivated in Australia by Maria Ann Smith, which is why the apples of this variety are often called Granny Smith apples. It is believed to have been created as a hybrid between the French Crab apple and the Rome beauty. It originated in 1868, and since it is a hybrid, it is thought to possess more nutrition and added health benefits. But how far are these claims true? Let’s find out.

Green apples and regular apples contain a similar nutritional profile, although green apples take the lead as the healthier option in some cases. Green apples have less sugar and carbs, and more fiber, protein, potassium, iron, and vitamin K, taking the lead as a healthier variety, although the differences are ever so slight. The only major difference in nutrition is that of vitamin A, which is almost twice more in green apples as compared to red apples. On the flipside, red apples contain a significantly higher quantity of antioxidants than green apples.

Since there are mostly only minor differences in nutrition, there aren’t many health benefits of green apple that red apple can’t replicate. Since green apples are packed with almost double the amount of vitamin A, the only added health benefits would be those that are associated with the vitamin. This means that green apple would be a more potent source of improving eyesight, boosting immunity, reducing the risk of acne, and supporting bone health. However, since red apples are more common and more widely consumed, eating them regularly will serve the same purpose and provide the same benefits.

Essentially, green apple is equally if not more beneficial than red apple. As mentioned earlier, red apples are more of a household staple, therefore the likelihood of consuming them is higher. Therefore in the long run, both green and red apples will have the same effect on the body even though green apples have a slightly better nutritional profile.