Apple a Day Really Does Keep the Doc Away

Reported April 14, 2011

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- You’ve probably heard the old adage or maybe even said it once before yourself, but will an apple a day really keep the doctor away?

Dr. Bahram H. Arjmandi, Ph.D., R.D., Margaret A. Sitton Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences at The Florida State University recently studied the popular fruit. Animal studies have illustrated that apple pectin and polyphenols in apple improve lipid metabolism and lower the production of pro-inflammatory molecules.

This study randomly assigned 160 women ages 45-65 to one of two dietary intervention groups: one received dried apples daily (75 g/day for 1 year) while the subsequent group ate dried prunes every day for one year. Blood samples were taken at three, six and 12 months.

The results surprised Dr. Arjmandi, who was quoted as saying, "Incredible changes in the apple-eating women happened. By six months, they experienced a 23-percent decrease in LDL cholesterol." The daily apple consumption also led to a lowering of lipid hydro peroxide levels and C-reactive protein in those participating women.

"I never expected apple consumption to reduce bad cholesterol to this extent while increasing HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol, by about 4 percent," Arjmandi added.

Another advantage is that the added 240 calories per day consumed from the dried apple did not lead to weight gain in the women; in fact, they lost, on average, 3.3 lbs. "Reducing body weight is an added benefit to daily apple intake," Dr. Arjmandi said. Part of the reason for the weight loss could be the fruit's pectin, which is known to have a satiety effect. The next step in confirming the results of this study is a multi-investigator, nationwide study.

There is often some truth behind our common expressions, and in the case of "an apple a day," Dr. Arjmandi has shown that nutrition science backs up the expression. "Everyone can benefit from consuming apples," he concludes.


SOURCE: Experimental Biology 2011, Tuesday, April 12, at 12:45 PM in Washington, D.C.