What Will Happen If I Only Eat Apples Everyday?

October 27, 2025 •

4 min read

While apples are a healthy source of fiber and antioxidants, comprising just 100g of a medium apple, relying on them as your sole source of nutrition is extremely dangerous. If you only eat apples everyday, you will rapidly develop severe nutrient deficiencies that can cause serious long-term health problems.

Quick Summary

A diet consisting solely of apples lacks essential macronutrients and micronutrients, leading to severe malnutrition and health problems over time. This restrictive diet can cause muscle loss, digestive distress, and organ damage, making it unsustainable and unsafe.

Key Points

Severe Malnutrition: An exclusive apple diet lacks essential nutrients like protein, fat, calcium, and B vitamins, leading to severe malnutrition.
Muscle Loss: Without adequate protein, your body will break down muscle tissue for energy, resulting in muscle atrophy.
Digestive Issues: The extremely high fiber intake can cause digestive discomfort, including gas, bloating, and cramps.
Metabolic Damage: Severe calorie restriction can slow down your metabolism, making future weight management much more difficult.
Bone Weakening: Insufficient calcium and vitamin D intake increases the risk of bone loss and osteoporosis.
Unstable Blood Sugar: The high sugar content in apples, even if natural, can cause blood sugar fluctuations, which can be problematic, especially for diabetics.
Increased Risk of Illness: A compromised immune system due to nutritional deficiencies will make you more vulnerable to infections.

Why the Apples-Only Diet Is Dangerous

Although the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" suggests health benefits, it's a profound misinterpretation to assume more is always better. The idea of consuming only apples, known as a mono diet, is a short-sighted and harmful approach to weight loss or detoxification. A balanced diet provides a spectrum of macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that a single food simply cannot offer. While apples contain some vitamins and fiber, they are deficient in many critical elements necessary for human survival.

The Immediate Short-Term Effects

Initially, switching to an apples-only diet may lead to rapid weight loss, which can be misleading. This is primarily due to a severe caloric deficit, as apples are low in calories. However, this weight loss is not healthy or sustainable. The body will lose water weight and eventually begin to break down muscle tissue for energy, not just fat. The high fiber content can also cause significant digestive distress in the beginning.

Sudden Calorie Reduction: You will consume far fewer calories than your body needs to function, leading to fatigue and weakness.
Initial Weight Drop: Much of the initial weight loss is due to water and glycogen depletion, not fat loss.
Digestive Discomfort: A sudden spike in fiber can cause bloating, gas, and abdominal cramps.

The Long-Term Consequences of Nutritional Deficiencies

Continuing to eat only apples will lead to severe malnutrition and systemic health failures. A medium apple contains negligible amounts of protein and fat, and lacks essential vitamins and minerals like B12, iron, and calcium. Your body cannot sustain itself on carbohydrates alone.

Missing Nutrients and Their Impact

Lack of Protein and Fat: Without these macronutrients, the body cannot build and repair tissues, leading to muscle atrophy, hair loss, and a weakened immune system. Essential fatty acids, crucial for brain function, are completely absent.
Iron Deficiency: The iron found in plant sources is less easily absorbed by the body. This will lead to anemia, causing extreme fatigue, dizziness, and cognitive impairment.
Calcium and Vitamin D Deficiency: These are vital for bone health. A lack of both will accelerate bone loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Found almost exclusively in animal products, a lack of B12 can cause nerve damage and serious neurological issues.
Electrolyte Imbalance: Apples contain potassium, but relying on them can lead to an imbalance of other crucial electrolytes, which can result in heart problems.

The Impact on Teeth and Metabolism

Apples are naturally acidic, and constantly exposing your teeth to this acid can erode tooth enamel over time, increasing the risk of cavities and decay. Furthermore, prolonged calorie restriction from an apples-only diet can slow down your metabolism significantly, making it harder to lose weight in the long run. Once you resume normal eating, the body will store fat more efficiently, leading to rapid weight regain, a phenomenon known as the "yo-yo effect".

Comparison: Apples-Only Diet vs. Balanced Diet


Feature	Apples-Only Diet	Balanced Diet
Nutritional Profile	Extremely narrow, lacking protein, fat, B vitamins, and many minerals.	Broad spectrum of macronutrients and micronutrients from all food groups.
Energy Levels	Initially high (sugar rush), followed by severe fatigue and weakness.	Sustained, consistent energy throughout the day.
Physical Health	High risk of malnutrition, muscle loss, digestive problems, and organ damage.	Strengthens immune system, builds bone density, supports muscles, and lowers disease risk.
Mental Health	Can lead to mood swings, irritability, and disordered eating patterns.	Boosts mood and supports brain health.
Sustainability	Highly restrictive and impossible to maintain long-term.	Encourages healthy, lifelong eating habits and weight management.

Conclusion

While apples are a nutritious component of a healthy diet, exclusively eating them is a dangerous and unsustainable practice. An apples-only mono diet will lead to severe nutritional deficiencies, rapid muscle loss, and a host of other health complications, potentially causing irreversible damage to your body. For sustainable weight management and overall well-being, the best approach is to follow a balanced, varied diet that incorporates a wide range of foods from all food groups. If you are considering a restrictive diet for weight loss, it is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian to develop a safe and effective plan. For more information on healthy eating, visit the World Health Organization's website on healthy diets.(https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet)

Potential Health Symptoms from an Apples-Only Diet

Cardiovascular Issues: Electrolyte imbalances and weakening heart muscle.
Digestive Distress: Severe bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements from fiber overload.
Cognitive Decline: Memory issues and brain fog due to lack of essential fatty acids and B vitamins.
Weakened Immunity: Compromised immune system, making you more susceptible to illness due to lack of diverse vitamins and minerals.
Bone Deterioration: Increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures from calcium and vitamin D deficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

A person cannot survive indefinitely on apples alone. While you might survive for a limited period depending on your starting health, you will quickly become severely malnourished and face serious health consequences. Your body will deplete its reserves of essential nutrients, leading to rapid health decline.

An apples-only diet is severely deficient in protein, healthy fats, iron, calcium, and several B vitamins, including B12. It also lacks other crucial minerals and vitamins needed for bodily functions.

You will likely experience short-term weight loss due to extreme calorie restriction. However, much of this will be water weight and muscle mass, not just fat. This type of weight loss is unsustainable and detrimental to your health.

Severe caloric restriction forces your body into 'starvation mode,' slowing down your metabolism to conserve energy. This makes it harder to lose weight and increases the likelihood of gaining weight back quickly once you stop the diet.

No, there is no scientific evidence to support the idea that an apples-only diet 'detoxifies' the body. Your liver and kidneys naturally detoxify your system. Restrictive mono diets can actually stress your body and cause more harm than good.

Yes. A lack of essential fats and other nutrients necessary for brain health can lead to mood swings, irritability, cognitive impairment, and potentially disordered eating behaviors.

A well-rounded and balanced diet is the best alternative. Incorporate apples as part of a varied diet that includes lean protein, healthy fats, and a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.