I love apples, and I eat
one every day with my lunch. The saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”
often comes to mind. This lead me to think: is it actually true? So I did some
research and this is what I found.
In 2000, researchers at Cornell University found that
eating an apple a day does help keep the doctor away, publishing their work in
the scientific journal, Nature. They
found that phytochemicals, mostly found in apple’s skin, provide anticancer and
antioxidant benefits. They also claim that eating whole fruits and vegetables
provides more health benefits than vitamin supplements. Cornell’s Food Science
and Toxicology department studies found that the antioxidant properties in a
fresh apple were equal to 1,500 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Liu et. al looked at the difference in effects on cancer
cell growth between the apple’s skin and its flesh. Colon cancer cells were
treated with apple extract from the skin and flesh of a Red Delicious apple.
The cancer cell growth was decreased by 43 % using 50 milligrams of the apple
skin extract, while only 29 % of the cancer cell growth decreased when using
the apple extract without the skin. The extracts were also tested on liver
cancer cell growth. Similar results were obtained, with the apple extract from
the skin and flesh decreasing cancer cell growth by 57 % and 40 %,
respectively.
A
more recent article on the topic was published in the Journal of Functional Foods in 2013. Zhao et. al discussed how
apple consumption decreased plasma concentrations of oxidized low-density
lipoprotein/beta2-glycoprotein I complex (oxLDL-β2GPI),
which is a contributor to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition
characterized by fatty plaques in the arteries, which can lead to cardiac
events such as heart attack and stroke.
These studies show that
apples can indeed help keep the doctor away!
References:
Eberhardt,
M. V., Lee, C. Y., and Liu, R. H. Antioxidant activity of fresh apples. Nature
405(6789): 903-904, 2000.
Link to abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v405/n6789/full/405903b0.html
Shi Zhao,
Joshua Bomser, Elizabeth L. Joseph, and Robert A. DiSilvestro. Intakes of
apples or apple polyphenols decease plasma values for oxidized low-density
lipoprotein/beta2-glycoprotein I complex. Journal of Functional Foods. Volume 5, Issue 1, 493-497, January
2013.
Nice article! Just goes to show all of those "old wives tales" that parents say may have some truth behind them after all. The fact that the best antioxidants and phytochemicals are stored in the skin is a little bit of a disappointment since even as an adult I sometimes peel my apples. It also has some implications for the apple pie industry. The measurable decrease in cancer cell growth is very interesting since common advice is to make a variety of health conscious decisions to decrease the chance of developing cancer.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely start to eat my apples more now. I didn't realize how many benefits there were especially in the skin of the apple. Are there only a lot benefits in Red Delicious apples or are the benefits the same for all different kinds of apples?
ReplyDeleteIt was concluded that apples in general provide anticancer and antioxidant benefits, especially the apples' skin. This specific study used Red Delicious apples to conduct the experiments, but they were seen as representative of all apples. However, it would be interesting to compare the levels of decreased cell growth caused by the extracts of different types of apples and see if the benefits are essentially the same or if certain types have an edge over others. I usually eat Gala apples, so it would be interesting to see where they rank.
DeleteVery interesting article, that appears to be an effective treatment for cancer. However, how much of this anticancer extract makes it to the places where it is needed? recent studies of antioxidants have shown that antioxidants, while having many benefits, are not as beneficial as most are gone after digestion and do not reach places in the body where there would be the greatest benefit.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point. The overall benefits are dependent on the extract reaching the areas of interest in the body. In this study, the cancer cell growth was investigated in vitro. Therefore, the amount of extract that travels to the necessary areas in the body is unknown.
DeleteAs prevalent as cancer seems to be in my family, this research suggest I better get on my apple intake! I wonder if different apples have different effects. I must admit I eat a terrible diet of junk food so hearing that the vitamin supplements I take are definitely not enough, although expected, totally stinks!
ReplyDeleteAn apple a day may be my ONLY healthy habit. I love apples like Kanye loves Kanye.
ReplyDelete