The old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” doesn’t make sense anymore, because who wants to keep a doctor away? It’s hard enough getting an appointment to see one as it is. The saying does make for some interesting graduation pictures at medical schools. But is an apple really all that nutritious?
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Apples don’t have all that many vitamins, compared to other fruits and vegetables, but they fall into a class that fairly new, called a functional food. That’s a fairly new class of foods that contain bioactive substances. Such substances are not vitamins, nor do they provide caloric energy, but they convey some benefit to our health when eaten, like repairing cells or staving off cancer. An example would be the antioxidant beta-carotene, which apples do not have. But apples have plenty of other beneficial ingredients like anthocyanins, phloridzin, and fiber. Lots of fiber.
But back to the original question. Studies show that people who an apple every day does make a significant difference in how many doctor visits a person makes, nor in the number of prescription drugs they take. But apples can help in losing weight and in glucose management. Read about the health benefits of apples and other functional foods at the Conversation.
(Image credit: Betsy Weber)
Source: neatorama