Bible food

No biblical food is more famous and none has gotten a worse reputation than the apple - despite the fact that Adam and Eve probably didn't even see an apple, much less munch on one.

The Bible never says exactly what fruit the serpent used to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden. Tradition holds that it was an apple, but many scholars who have studied the botany of the Bible think it was more likely an apricot - maybe even a citron, an orange or a quince, a central Asian fruit that resembles a hard-fleshed yellow apple.

But else where in the Bible, the apple gets high marks for its healthful, healing powers that modern science has since confirmed.

The Ancient Greeks who lived during Biblical times believed the apple healed all ailments. An Arabic author from the same era wrote: "Its scent cheers my soul, renews my strength and restores my breath."

An article in American Medicine magazine has praised the apple as ". therapeutically effective in all conditions of acidosis, gout, rheumatism, jaundice, all liver and gallbladder troubles, nervous and skin diseases caused by sluggish liver, hyper-acidity and states of auto-intoxication."

Modern researchers at Michigan State University call the apple ". the all-around health food."

Here are some of the potent healing powers of apples: · They lower both bad cholesterol and high blood pressure · The juices in apples are highly effective virus fighters · They help stabilize blood sugar, an important factor in controlling diabetes. · They suppress the appetite without robbing the body of necessary nutrients. · Depending on the need, they prevent constipation or help treat diarrhea.

Find recipes with apples