Apples
are nutritionally known to be a wealthy mine of nutrients which will optimally
compliment the dietary needs of any individual.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” was
coined and popularized at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis, Missouri (Wales) by
J.T. Stinson, a fruit specialist. This 19th century Wales proverb was coined
during a lecture addressing the health effects of the fruit (apple). Wales is
known to have apples available throughout the year and it might just be a
considerable reason for this proverb.
Research
findings published by JAMA internal
Medicine, tends to rather paint a different ideology about apples necessary
keeping you away from the hospital/doctor.
This
however is not undermine the nutritional wealth of apple fruits and as a
Nutritionist I still recommend you eat an apple a day because it’s one of the
only fruits out there that has a remarkable list of different nutrients.
The
Study informs that “Our findings suggest
that the promotion of apple consumption may have limited benefit in reducing
national health care spending. In the age of evidence-based assertions,
however, there may be merit to saying 'An apple a day keeps the pharmacist away”
This
is to say, episodes of visits to the hospital/doctor is not EXACTLY determined
by the following the said proverb but, might safe you spending on
pharmaceuticals like supplements.
THE
STUDY
The researchers looked at data on about 8,400
U.S. adults who took part in government health surveys in 2007-08 and 2009-10.
The adults answered questionnaires that included queries about foods they’d
eaten in the previous 24 hours and medical care in the past year. About 9
percent of adults studied ate the equivalent of at least one small apple daily.
Those who ate less than that were considered apple shunners.
Apple eaters had more education and were less
likely to smoke than apple shunners, and fewer of them were white. Apple eaters
were slightly less likely to use prescription drugs, but the study lacks
information on use of over-the-counter medication and alternative medicine.
CONCLUSION
An
apple a day MIGHT help you keep the doctor away but it not a 100% guaranteed “doctor-abstinence”.
It also to a large extent depends on the other foods in your daily diet
pattern.
The study did fail to provide conclusive information
about accompanying foods the study subjects ate within the duration of the
research. Also, there was not an exact closure on whether persons who ate an
apple a day ended-up healthier than those who did not.
Therefore,
a much comprehensive study that tackles all these parameters would be needed to
totally bury the proverb.
When the sun sets on this, a practice of
generally adopting a healthy meal choice is what will definitely help keep the
doctor away.
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