Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The first fruit I ever associated with health benefits was the apple. Whenever I had a tummy ache as a child my mother’s prescription was a grated apple with a squeeze of lemon juice. It would be much later that I would hear the phrase, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” which is actually a shortened version of the aphorism that first appeared in 1866 in a Welsh publication as
“Eat an apple on going to bed and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Sounds good, but does an apple a day really deliver the goods?
How would one go about determining this? What about questioning some 8000 people about their apple eating habits and asking them about their visits to physicians. Essentially that is what a group of scientists did by analyzing data collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that was carried out in the U.S. between 2007 and 2010. Respondents were identified either as “apple eaters” if they reported eating at least one apple a day, or as “non-apple eaters.” The survey also asked about the number of doctor visits during this period. Much to the disappointment of the apple industry, the results did not back up the old adage. There was no statistical difference between the number of physician visits between the apple eaters and the non-eaters. On a more positive note, the apple eaters used somewhat fewer prescription medications. So, perhaps the maxim should be, “an apple a day keeps the pharmacist away.”
Does this mean that apples have no health benefits? Not at all. The study did not determine what foods the non-apple eaters were consuming. Maybe they didn’t like apples and were eating other healthy foods like bananas, oranges or strawberries instead. A number of other studies actually support the health benefits of apples. They point out that apples are a source of antioxidant polyphenols that can neutralize those nasty “reactive oxygen species” that form as a result of our inhaling oxygen. These have been linked with various diseases as well as with aging. Although usually left out of the effusive media articles about antioxidants is that their benefits have only been documented in cell cultures and to what extent polyphenols are absorbed into the bloodstream is a mystery. However, apples also contain pectin, a form of fiber that feeds the “good” bacteria in our gut and helps them keep disease-causing bacteria in check. Furthermore, apples harbour their own beneficial bacteria that can contribute to the diversity of microbes in our gut, the importance of which is becoming more and more established.
Apples are particularly rich in a class of polyphenols called flavonoids. The Biobank study in the UK, a survey similar to NHANES in the U.S., revealed an association between moderate to high flavonoid intake and better lung function, including a reduced risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). That was not the only apple-related result to come out of the Biobank study. With the aging population there is more and more concern about dementia. The survey found that high adherence to a flavonoid diet was associated with a lower risk of dementia especially for people who have high blood pressure and have exhibited depressive symptoms. Studies have also associated apple consumption with reducing blood cholesterol and British researchers have even speculated somewhat audaciously that an apple a day may have the same effect as using statin drugs to lower cholesterol.
Finally, apple consumption has also been shown to increase plasma levels of nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that dilates blood vessels. This improves blood flow and reduces blood pressure. For a little added enticement to keep eating that apple a day, Viagra also works by generating nitric oxide.
To end on a realistic note, an apple a day isn’t going to do much if the rest of the diet consists of hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and French fries. However, if you are following the science backed advice to consume five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day, a solid argument can be made for one of those servings being an apple.
The first fruit I ever associated with health benefits was the apple. Whenever I had a tummy ache as a child my mother’s prescription was a grated apple with a squeeze of lemon juice. It would be much later that I would hear the phrase, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” which is actually a shortened version of the aphorism that first appeared in 1866 in a Welsh publication as
“Eat an apple on going to bed and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Sounds good, but does an apple a day really deliver the goods?
How would one go about determining this? What about questioning some 8000 people about their apple eating habits and asking them about their visits to physicians. Essentially that is what a group of scientists did by analyzing data collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that was carried out in the U.S. between 2007 and 2010. Respondents were identified either as “apple eaters” if they reported eating at least one apple a day, or as “non-apple eaters.” The survey also asked about the number of doctor visits during this period. Much to the disappointment of the apple industry, the results did not back up the old adage. There was no statistical difference between the number of physician visits between the apple eaters and the non-eaters. On a more positive note, the apple eaters used somewhat fewer prescription medications. So, perhaps the maxim should be, “an apple a day keeps the pharmacist away.”
Does this mean that apples have no health benefits? Not at all. The study did not determine what foods the non-apple eaters were consuming. Maybe they didn’t like apples and were eating other healthy foods like bananas, oranges or strawberries instead. A number of other studies actually support the health benefits of apples. They point out that apples are a source of antioxidant polyphenols that can neutralize those nasty “reactive oxygen species” that form as a result of our inhaling oxygen. These have been linked with various diseases as well as with aging. Although usually left out of the effusive media articles about antioxidants is that their benefits have only been documented in cell cultures and to what extent polyphenols are absorbed into the bloodstream is a mystery. However, apples also contain pectin, a form of fiber that feeds the “good” bacteria in our gut and helps them keep disease-causing bacteria in check. Furthermore, apples harbour their own beneficial bacteria that can contribute to the diversity of microbes in our gut, the importance of which is becoming more and more established.
Apples are particularly rich in a class of polyphenols called flavonoids. The Biobank study in the UK, a survey similar to NHANES in the U.S., revealed an association between moderate to high flavonoid intake and better lung function, including a reduced risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). That was not the only apple-related result to come out of the Biobank study. With the aging population there is more and more concern about dementia. The survey found that high adherence to a flavonoid diet was associated with a lower risk of dementia especially for people who have high blood pressure and have exhibited depressive symptoms. Studies have also associated apple consumption with reducing blood cholesterol and British researchers have even speculated somewhat audaciously that an apple a day may have the same effect as using statin drugs to lower cholesterol.
Finally, apple consumption has also been shown to increase plasma levels of nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that dilates blood vessels. This improves blood flow and reduces blood pressure. For a little added enticement to keep eating that apple a day, Viagra also works by generating nitric oxide.
To end on a realistic note, an apple a day isn’t going to do much if the rest of the diet consists of hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and French fries. However, if you are following the science backed advice to consume five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day, a solid argument can be made for one of those servings being an apple.
