An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
“An apple a day” is one of those phrases a lot of people have heard growing up as a way to “keep the doctor away.” But does that actually work?
As one of the most consumed fruits in the world, with thousands of varieties grown worldwide, and dozens of varieties available in orchards and grocery stores, this humble fruit is packed with a ton of nutrients. Eating an apple a day can make a big impact on your health, at a very affordable price.
Here are a few clear benefits of eating apples daily.
So is this saying just folklore, or is there real science behind it? As it turns out, apples have been quietly earning their reputation in the research world. Modern nutrition science gives us a clearer answer than folklore ever could.
Consuming Apples for Neurodegenerative Disease
Beyond basic nutrition, apples may play a meaningful role in protecting the brain as we age. From the population enrolled in the Nurse’s Health Study, researchers looked at 80,000 women and 50,000 men and their intake of five foods rich in flavonoids: apples, berries, oranges and orange juice, tea and red wine.
Over a 20-year period, men with the highest intake of flavonoids, had a 40% lower risk of Parkinson disease than those with the lowest intake. When looking at apples specifically, men eating five or more apples per week, cut their risk of Parkinson’s in half! Five or more servings per week of berries or oranges also reduced the risk in men. [Gao, 2012] In another study of nearly 3,000 men and women from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring, the team looked at the risk for dementia and fruit intake. The average fruit intake in the cohort was 11-13 servings per week.
Similar benefits have been observed when researchers examine cognitive decline and dementia. When comparing those with the highest to lowest intake of fruit in mid-life and late-life, the risk for dementia was reduced by 35-40% in those eating the most apples, compared to the least, with the highest intake at only two and a half to three apples per week. The other beneficial fruits to brain health? Raisins or grapes (45% reduction), oranges (31-42% reduction), and blueberries (41-21% reduction). [Lyu, 2024]
Colon and Breast Cancer RiskReducing Colon and Breast Cancer Risk
A hospital-based case control study compared 592 patient cases of colorectal cancer to 765 participants without cancer. The average intake of fruit among Those who developed colon cancer ate 9.5 servings of fruit per week compared to 11 servings per week among those without cancer. When they looked at specific fruits, apples showed clear benefit. Eating more than one apple a day, compared to those eating less than an apple a day, reduced the risk of developing colon cancer by 47%. [Jedrychowski, 2010]
Apples help Asthma
In a community-based, cross-sectional study of 1,601 young adults in Australia, those with the highest apple and pear intake reduced the risk of developing asthma by 12-17% compared to those with the lowest intake, and reduced airway spasm and hyperreactivity. [Woods, 2003] In a study of 2,600 children in the United Kingdom, consuming 100% apple juice was associated with lower rates of wheezing in those with asthma. [Okoko, 2007] Finally, a study of 68,000 women, with 2,100 cases of asthma, the highest vs the lowest apple intake was associated with a 10% lower risk for asthma. [Romieu, 2006]
Misconceptions about the sugar in fruit
Now that we have seen a few of the various benefits of eating apples, let’s address a couple of common misconceptions. Despite these benefits, fruit, especially apples, often gets a bad reputation because of the sugar content. Sugar in fruit is not the enemy, it contains many nutrients that support your body’s needs and is not nearly as sugar rich per gram compared to something like soda. Comparing fruit sugar to added sugar tells a very different story.
Myth 1. Eating fruit, including apples, is not good for those with high blood sugar, or diabetes.
Numerous large and well-done studies (hundreds of thousands of people over many years) have shown that eating fresh fruit, including apples, reduces the risk of developing diabetes, and even protects vital organs like your eyes and kidneys if you have diabetes. The more you eat, the greater the benefits. [Du, 2017]
Myth 2. Eating an apple is just like eating a large lump of sugar.
You could eat about ten apples and still not match the sugar and calories in about three and a half soda-cans.
Have you ever eaten ten apples in one day? Probably not. Could you drink more than 48 oz of soda in one day? Much more likely. With a single nutrient in the sugar, compared to hundreds of nutrients and bioactive compounds in the apple, the choice for your health is pretty clear.
HOW TANNER CLINIC CAN HELP YOU NAVIGATE CULINARY MEDICINE
At Tanner Clinic, Dr. Richmond Doxey is an Internal and Culinary Medicine Specialist. Culinary Medicine is a special certification that clinicians have for incorporating healthy food into their patient’s diet to help them in addition to their medications.
Not only does Culinary Medicine help you decide what foods will help nourish you according to your health needs, but certified specialists can also teach you how to cook and flavor your food for those dietary needs. Providers like Dr. Doxey will help provide you with the culinary techniques, keep within your budget, address time constraints, and go over nutritional ideals.
Contact our clinic to schedule an appointment today to get on the right track with your dietary needs!
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