Tuesday, 19th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

An Apple A Day Does Not Keep The Doctor Away

By Njideka Agbo
02 March 2018   |   9:08 am
First things first… The age-long saying is exactly as you know it. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is actually “eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor away”. This new coinage was first used around 1913. Apples are a healthy fruit that contains antioxidants, are rich in fibre…

First things first… The age-long saying is exactly as you know it. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is actually “eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor away”.

This new coinage was first used around 1913.

Apples are a healthy fruit that contains antioxidants, are rich in fibre and vitamin C and have a strong potential of reducing diabetes, respiratory diseases, and hypertension. This, however, does not guarantee keeping the doctor away according to a study done by the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing.

April Fools’ Day

Some people might not take the study serious because it was published on this day in the JAMA Internal Medicine. However, the findings cannot be brushed off that easily.

Over eight thousand people were tested and they found out that those who consumed apples were more educated and did not smoke heavily. Another important discovery is that they were more than not, people of other skin colour asides white.

However, it does not completely discredit the saying. Those who ate an apple a day had a 9% reduced chance of visiting the doctor and had a reduced chance of taking prescription drugs.

The lead researcher and assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s school of nursing, Matthew A. Davis, notes that the study recognises the findings of other studies of the link between apple consumption and weight loss as well as other benefits listed above.

Peharps a better saying would be, an apple a day keeps the pharmacists away.

0 Comments