In 1860 in Pembrokeshire, Wales someone spouted the phrase, "Eat an apple on going to bed,
and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread."
An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
But will it, REALLY?
Apples are native to central Eurasia -- what is now Kazakhstan and have been spread across
the world by traders and travelers over the centuries.
1,500 years ago, apples appeared in Ayurvedic medicine -- an ancient holistics practice
-- and apples were thought of as healthful by the ancient Anglo-Saxon and Roman societies.
"An apple a day sends the doctor away" was first used in 1922, and unsurprisingly, it's
stuck around!
Also unsurprisingly, since people say it all the time, science studied it, and apples ARE
healthful!
Eating an apple every day could prevent 8,500 vascular-related deaths in people over 50,
according to the British Medical Journal.
A 2011 study from the Journal of the American Heart Association found people who ate "white"
fruits and vegetables -- apples and pears, for example -- had a 52 percent lower incidence
of stroke and heart attack.
So what is it about apples?
Are they some kind of miracle fruit?
I mean, not the actual miracle fruit that makes things taste funny -- but like, a specially
healthful one?
Apples contain the following building blocks as broken down by HowStuffWorks: Pectin: you
may have seen this on some processed labels, apples contain them naturally, it's a form
of fiber related to reducing blood pressure, LDL and glucose levels.
Boron: which supports healthy bones and brains.
Quercetin (qwar-sehtin): is a flavonoid which may reduce damage from free radicals -- atoms
in the body with unpaired electrons which can damage cells.
Free radicals can damage DNA, so reducing them has been linked to lower risks of cancers,
Alzheimer's and age-related problems.
Vitamin C, A, E, and beta carotene which also fight free radicals, boost immune response,
reduce risk of heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.
Guys, all that sounds pretty frickin' AWESOME TO ME.
And that's not ALL.
According to the Institute of Food Research, apples also contain polyphenols, can block
a protein receptor called VEGF, which helps cancer progression in the body!
Polyphenols are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and other things like green tea!
But the thing is, apples aren't alone in these properties.
Pears contain a lot of the same nutrients, in fact -- so do MANY fruits and berries.
Compounds in cranberries and blueberries fight urinary tract infections, blackberries and
strawberries have fiber, bananas have potassium: which boosts heart and muscle function.
They ALL have a lot of fructose though, which in large quantities ISN'T great…
If you ate only apples, you'd become severely malnourished; no one thing can sustain the
human body -- we need a variety of things.
An apple (or pear or other fruit or vegetable) may keep the doctor away, but it's not going
to do it alone.
Do you eat apples?
Do you even LIKE apples?
What's your favorite fruit?
I WANT TO KNOW.
I used to like apples.
I think I ate too many.
TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS.
And if you're like me, you're worried what will happen to all our food if nuclear war
happens, or climate change devastates the planet -- I worry about stuff, guys -- but
my friend Evan over on Seeker explored the Svalbard Seed Vault -- Humanity's last best
hope -- for a tasty future.Thanks
for watchin' DNews y'all!
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See ya.