Visit a supermarket just about anywhere in North America any time of year and you’ll find several different kinds of apples: Macintosh Red and Golden Delicious Granny Smith Gala and maybe if the store is especially well-stocked an occasional Fuji Rome Honeycrisp or Pink Lady. Visit a farmers’ market in certain areas however and you may come across cultivars you’ve never heard of: Smokehouse Elstar Empire Jonagold Winesap. Each cultivar has a unique flavor profile and texture making some better suited for snacking while others are better baked in pies or cooked in savory dishes.

If an apple a day ever kept the doctor away though it probably wasn’t because of apples’ nutrient content. The truth is when it comes to vitamins and minerals apples don’t have all that much going for them. But that doesn’t mean they don’t belong at the table or in the lunch sack. Apples have a long and storied mythology and culinary history and they wouldn’t have the staying power they’ve had through the millennia if there weren’t something good about them.

The nutrient content of individual apple cultivars varies slightly but generally raw apples consumed with the skin contain small amounts of vitamins C and K potassium and trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals. Apples are fairly high in natural sugars but also provide a good amount of dietary fiber. Beyond the basics apples are rich in several beneficial phytochemicals. In the United States apples are the largest dietary source of phenolics accounting for 22% of the total phenolics consumed from fruit. Among thirteen different apple cultivars tested all were high in phenolics but Fuji Red Delicious Gala and Liberty apples were the highest. Among commonly consumed fruit in the U.S. apples are second only to cranberries in total antioxidant activity (even ahead of red grapes and strawberries).

One of the many antioxidants in apples is quercetin also found in red onions red wine dark colored berries parsley and olive oil. A number of health-promoting properties have been ascribed to quercetin including inhibition of growth of cancer cells from breast colon prostate ovarian endometrial and lung tumors. Some studies suggest quercetin is an even more powerful anti-inflammatory agent than resveratrol and may be especially helpful for ameliorating insulin resistance.

Another potent antioxidant apples are a rich source of is chlorogenic acid (CGA). CGA is an anti-inflammatory compound may help improve blood glucose control and reduce insulin resistance and may be beneficial for neurological and brain health. There may also be a role for CGA in cancer treatments with CGA showing promise in inducing apoptosis in leukemia cells and inhibiting hypoxia-induced angiogenesis via decreasing levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α a protein that triggers metabolic adaptations in cancer cells such as upregulation of glycolytic and fermentative pathways allowing them to thrive under conditions of low oxygen. Additional sources of CGA are other fruits coffee tea wine and olive oil—foods that typically appear on lists of “healthful foods” and foods consumed by centenarians. Perhaps CGA is one of the many elements these foods have in common and why epidemiological studies consistently cite fruits and vegetables as being major contributors to health and longevity.

As for ways to incorporate apples into the diet nothing’s easier than grabbing one from the fridge or fruit bowl and biting right in. But when times call for something a little more impressive or just an interesting new dish to bring to the table apples go way beyond pie and after-school snacks. Apples are a classic pairing with pork dishes in autumn (think bacon & apple smothered pork chops apple-cinnamon pork loin or honey-ginger-apple shredded pork) and they’re an excellent ingredient in stuffing/dressing or as a side dish at Thanksgiving.

Apples might not keep the doctor away but they’ll keep boring meals at bay!