‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away,’ is a phrase that permeates through a child’s upbringing. Its notion has been repeated to where it has become as if it were an uncontested fact. However, a phrase that has the ability to make such an impression should be one that is the most beneficial. Especially with the aftermath of the recent pandemic inspiring a hypochondriac in everyone and increasing anxiety levels globally, it is apparent that the fruit deserving of valorization for its health benefits is not the apple. Especially in Nigeria, where cholera is gaining prevalence due to climate change, cases of malaria and yellow fever are still of concern, yellow fever, and high blood pressure affect a third of Nigerians on average, the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is failing to do its part in maximizing the prevention of these diseases. With the increasing inflation and decreasing purchasing power expected to plunge an entire six percent of Nigerians into poverty by 2025 according to the World Bank, solely spending money on the absolutely necessary is becoming a requirement. Instead of apples, the fruits deserving to be the one that ‘keeps the doctor away’ are oranges, with sciences supporting its superior remedial effects.

In recent times, the most detrimental bacterial disease in Nigeria and Africa as a whole has been Cholera. Its recent outbreak killed more Nigerians than the coronavirus in half the time and half the contact, at around 3,600 deaths to 111,000 cases in 2021, according to an earlier report from The Guardian. While Cholera, like many bacterial diseases, can be treated, no one would want to suffer its debilitating symptoms in the first place. Fortunately, the body has its own ways to defend against this. It uses its variety of white blood cells, particularly B lymphocytes, and phagocytes, to attack foreign bacteria. B lymphocytes, or B-cells, produce antibodies designed to attach and restrict any specific antigen, ensuring the body does not feel a bacteria’s symptoms after the first infection. While valuable, these cells are limited in that they need to be produced in healthy bone marrow in order to make plentiful antibodies. Oranges help with this exact problem. Oranges, and much of the genus Citrus, are rich in the organic compound Vitamin C. This compound directly promotes bone marrow health and, thereby, white blood cell production. On average, apples contain about six times fewer grams of Vitamin C than oranges, making them poorer for defending the body from bacterial diseases. Additionally, the greater

Vitamin C content from oranges directly improves the potency of phagocytes. Phagocytes are the first internal layer of defense against antigens that directly consume harmful bacteria. Naturally, however, they deteriorate the oxidative stress from exposure to everyday things like pesticides and sunlight. Vitamin C offsets this process, as it is an antioxidant that counteracts oxidative stress, allowing phagocytes more efficiency when killing bacteria. So, as oranges are far more rich in this valuable compound, they can reduce the effects of Cholera, and make it significantly less dangerous, more so than apples.

Malaria and yellow fever share a similar prevalence in Nigeria to Cholera but differ in that they are transmitted by mosquitoes rather than contact. Unfortunately, the increased access to water from the increased precipitation and flooding caused by climate change has increased mosquito numbers in Nigeria, with the country leading by double the proportion of Malaria deaths in 2017 (31.3 percent) than the second-highest nation (12.6 percent), according to the World Health Organization. Fortunately, oranges possess an often underrecognized aspect to them that directly helps in repelling mosquitos. Citrus fruits all share a signature thick-layered peel. In the upper layer of that peel is the zest, which has been utilized for its special properties. The main compound in these zests is D-limonene, a liquid that gives these fruits their smell. However, its pungence is not only evolved to make a citrus fruit desirable to potential seed transmitters but also to repel insects away in order to preserve the attractiveness of the fruit for seed carriers. The compound’s smell induces a sense of suffocation in an insect, leading bugs like mosquitos to avoid the pheromone. So, when humans eat oranges, particularly the zest, harmful insects become less likely to bite them, reducing one’s chances of malaria or yellow fever infection. Granted, this does not mean that the best bug repellent is eating citrus fruit. It would require eating a significant amount of citrus peels, and enough time for the D-limonene to be absorbed into the bloodstream through digestion, to experience the slightest degree of insect repulsion as an orange does naturally. However, D-limonene extracted from oranges has been engineered into mosquito repellents, larvicides, and bug sprays. This can be replicated by extracting an orange’s scent by plunging leftover orange peels in strong alcohol, keeping the insect-repelling attributes of the scent while avoiding the rotting properties of the orange. With apples being among the most attractive fruits to insects, it is clear that oranges are better at preventing these diseases.

The health benefits of the orange over the apple also apply to internally-developed conditions such as high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is commonly caused by a disproportionately high concentration of sodium in the bloodstream. In Nigeria, a little over a third (38.1 percent) of Nigerians have high blood pressure, of whom only a fraction are being treated (30.1 percent), according to an earlier article by The Guardian. Frequently salted foods, such as meats, eggs, and nuts contribute to a significant portion of humans’ sodium intake. High volumes of sodium cause the body to retain more water to offset the absorptive properties of salt. Consequently, blood vessels become pressured with more water. However, potassium directly counteracts the effects of sodium by returning heart rates to normal levels. The mineral stimulates the heart to relax, so when the body has more potassium available, it can better regulate the pumping of blood, lowering high blood pressure to moderate levels. Now, while bananas are numerically better in potassium concentration, oranges are a very strong alternative holistically. Bananas have about 3.6 milligrams per gram of potassium while oranges have 1.8 milligrams per gram. However, when considering the wider variety of health benefits in oranges than bananas, like the significantly greater concentrations of Vitamin C and lower concentrations of sugar, oranges are better for health overall. Apples barely compare to either, having just under 1 milligram per gram of potassium with more grams of sugar than oranges. So,to have the best of both worlds of lower blood pressure and lesser sugar intake, oranges are the way to go.

So, in naming the rightful leader of childhood nutritional expressions, oranges certainly stand out as a contender. Now, this is not to say that eating apples are unhealthy, as they do share in many of the health benefits as oranges to a lesser degree, and are better for weight loss because of their satiating properties. However, to maximize the fight against the health concerns prevalent in Nigeria, it is best to remember that ‘an orange a day keeps the doctor away.’