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Nutrition and daily life

Apple — fruit card: from Guba orchards to the table

Guba apples are Azerbaijan’s pride. The apple is one of the most available, long-keeping and stomach-friendly fruits. This card explains how to choose and eat apples during treatment.

Last updated: ~1 min read
Red and green apples on a dark board.
Figure 1.Guba apples, a familiar fruit.

01Short answer

The apple is a gentle fruit with fibre (pectin), vitamin C and water. Choose whole apples without spots, wash under running water, and peel during neutropenia. Baked apple and apple purée can be easier during nausea, mouth sores and diarrhoea. Apple juice has no fibre and plenty of sugar; choose pasteurised juice.

02Simple explanation

Apple: pectin and water.

Peel during neutropenia.

Baked apple is a gentle choice.

Juice: pasteurised.

03Scientific explanation

Pectin: a soluble fibre; baked apple and purée are thought to help firm loose stools a little.

WHO: at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day is recommended; during treatment the amount may vary with appetite and your doctor’s advice.

FDA: wash produce under running water before cutting or peeling, because a knife can carry germs from the skin into the flesh.

04What happens in the body?

How to eat it

Peeled slices, baked apple, compote or purée. With mouth sores, soft baked apple is comfortable.

A spiral of apple peel on a white plate.
Figure 2.Peel apples during neutropenia.

Apple juice

Not loose fresh-pressed market juice; choose sealed pasteurised juice.

Baked apples steaming in a ceramic dish.
Figure 3.Baked apple: soft and warm.

Washing and peeling

Wash your hands, rub the fruit under running water, dry it with a clean towel, then peel or cut it. Soap or bleach solutions are not needed.

Cut fruit

Keep cut fruit in the fridge and eat it within 1 day; do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

05Fruit: four steps

Whole fruit, swap bruised, wash and peel, eat cut fruit soon.

Whole fruit — No spots.1Whole fruitNo spots.
Not bruised — Fresh and whole.2Not bruisedFresh and whole.
Wash and peel — Running water.3Wash and peelRunning water.
Eat soon — Fridge, 1 day.4Eat soonFridge, 1 day.
VitaminsA natural source.
FibreFor the gut.
SafetyWashing.

06Key points at a glance

TopicIn brief
How to eat itPeeled slices, baked apple, compote or purée. With mouth sores, soft baked apple is comfortable.
Apple juiceNot loose fresh-pressed market juice; choose sealed pasteurised juice.
Washing and peelingWash your hands, rub the fruit under running water, dry it with a clean towel, then peel or cut it. Soap or bleach solutions are not needed.
Cut fruitKeep cut fruit in the fridge and eat it within 1 day; do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

07Key terms

Pectin
The soluble fibre in apples.
Pasteurisation
Heat treatment that kills germs.
Neutropenia
Low neutrophils, raising infection risk.
Potassium
A mineral for the heart and muscles.
Fibre
The part of plants that helps the gut work.

08Key points

  • Apples are gentle.
  • Peel during neutropenia.
  • Baked apple is soft.
  • Wash under running water.
  • Eat cut fruit soon.

09Frequently asked questions

Can I eat the skin?

Without neutropenia, yes, well washed; the skin is rich in fibre.

Is apple fine with diarrhoea?

Peeled baked apple and purée usually suit.

Does this fruit treat leukemia?

No. It is a pleasant part of eating, not a treatment.

10Questions for your doctor

Take these questions to your appointment. The ones you save are collected on the “My questions” page and stay on this device only.

  1. Can I eat the skin?

  2. Is apple fine with diarrhoea?

  3. Does this fruit treat leukemia?

My questions

12Sources

  1. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Diet Guidelines for Immunosuppressed Patients
  2. U.S. FDA. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely
  3. NHS. 5 A Day: what counts?
  4. National Cancer Institute. Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment
  5. USDA. FoodData Central
  6. National Cancer Institute. Physical Activity and Cancer
  7. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products
  8. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2018. Johnson SB et al. Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival
  9. JAMA Oncology, 2018. Johnson SB et al. Complementary Medicine, Refusal of Conventional Cancer Therapy, and Survival Among Patients With Curable Cancers
  10. NHS. How to wash your hands
Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
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