The Hebrews, meanwhile, were the forerunners of modern preventive lifestyle medicine. Much of Judaic nutritional wisdom makes sense when examined in a modern light. The foods that were enjoyed throughout the Middle East were considered to have healing as well as nutritive value. Adam and Eve may have lost Eden for eating this fruit, but they kept the doctor away. Scientists now know that apples assist in combating heart disease by lowering cholesterol and helping to control blood pressure.
Apples also contain chemicals that stabilize blood sugar in diabetics.
Apples are rich in life-extending nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and iron, along with vitamins A, C, B and folate. And chlorogenic acid in apples has inhibited cancer growth in a number of animal studies. Garlic may have saved the lives of slaves recruited to build the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Modern medical anthropologists credit the plant with helping to prevent epidemic diseases. Slaves recruited to build the Great Pyramids of Egypt subsisted largely on this odorous herb.