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Komal Jethmalani |481 Answers |Ask -Follow

Dietician, Diabetes Expert - Answered on Apr 01, 2026

Komal Jethmalani is a practising dietician and nutritionist with over 26 years of experience.
She specialises in weight loss and diabetes management.
Jethmalani has completed her MSc in food and nutrition from SNDT University and trained at Jaslok Hospital.
She is a NDEP-certified diabetes educator.... more

Asked by Anonymous - Mar 26, 2026Hindi

While roaming in the market recently, I saw apples being sold in a very attractive plastic container, priced around ₹700–₹750 for just 4-5 apples. I was quite surprised by the price, so I asked the fruit vendor about it. He told me these were imported apples from New Zealand and said they are of ‘premium quality.’ That made me curious. At home, we usually buy regular Indian apples, which are much more affordable and easily available. So now I’m wondering — what exactly is the difference between these expensive imported apples and our local Indian apples? Is it just about appearance and packaging, or is there an actual difference in taste, nutrition, or health benefits? Do New Zealand apples really have better nutritional value compared to Indian apples, or is it mostly marketing and presentation? And from a health point of view, is it worth spending so much on imported fruits, or are our local apples just as good?

Ans: New Zealand apples are not more nutritious than Indian apples. In fact, evidence shows that Indian apples (especially from Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir) often retain more nutrients because they reach you fresher and undergo far less storage time. Imported apples spend months in cold storage and travel thousands of kilometres before reaching India. If you enjoy the taste and don’t mind the price, that’s a personal choice, but nutritionally, Indian apples are an excellent (and often superior) option.

DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

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Question by Prakash - Mar 21, 2022Hindi

Dear Komal, Is eating overripe fruits bad for heath? Sometimes, fruits do get overripe and I don’t like throwing them away so I end up eating them because no one else in the family will. Prakash

Ans:

Overripe fruits may be still good to eat or can easily be converted into a smoothie, juice or used as an ingredient in dishes such as banana bread.

The main thing you lose when fruit ripens too much is its texture. You no longer have the plump juiciness or crunchiness.

However, more often than not, these fruits will actually be at their sweetest.

Hence, though not the best to eat as is, there's still a lot you can do with them.

Overripe fruit will smell really sweet. A rotten fruit will smell nasty, sour or similar to vinegar. This indicates that the fruit has started to ferment.

Unless you've intentionally fermented it in the right, sterile conditions, fermented fruit is not safe to eat.

High levels of the fruit sugar fructose in overripe fruits can cause digestive upsets in people with sensitive stomachs.

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