Will an apple a day cut it?

Posted on Dec 28th 2006 10:58AM by Martha Edwards

Filed Under: Vegetarian, Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements

We've all heard the old adage: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But does it really? An apple a day is a great start for someone who doesn't eat a whole lot of fruits and veggies, but is it really the best choice for those of us who are diligent about our produce consumption?

According to this, apples are an OK choice, but not the best by any means. In fact, each of the produce items that the general population consume most frequently, namely iceberg lettuce, corn, potatoes, apples and bananas, aren't as nutrient-rich as the other things in the produce section at the grocery store. What's more, consuming an apple every day doesn't give us the variety that we need to achieve optimal health benefits. So what should we be eating? Check out this article for more information.

How does your favorite fruit or vegetable stack up?

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18 Comment

Tags: apple, fruit, healthy fruit, HealthyFruit, nutrients, produce, veggies

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Internet 1-01-2007 @ 6:52AM

You can also earn a nickle per telephone message.

Armando Carrillo 1-01-2007 @ 7:18AM

Are you sure you got that right? I thought it was "An apple a day keeps the dentist away".

Mom 1-03-2007 @ 9:57PM

Norwegian study a few years back demonstrated very clearly that women who ate an apple a day had 50% less breast cancer. For that it is worth it, don't you think??

Barbara 1-01-2007 @ 10:14AM

Interesting that this old saying was taken so literally. Actually, the meaning behind it is to eat healthy foods to stay well. However, it's come more to light in recent years the effect genetics has. Although a healthy lifestyle helps, it's certainly no guarantee of good health, not by a long shot!

Kerry 1-01-2007 @ 9:48AM

with 1/3 of the people in America horribly obese and 1/3 of them overweight, do you REALLY think you ought to post about how an apple isn't the best choice, Martha? Hey at least it's some form of fruit, and it sure as heck beats people reaching for a bag of cheetos at the store. Even if it's not as great as say, blueberries, Americans need all the encouragement to eat healthy food as they can get.

shonna 1-01-2007 @ 10:15AM

When this advice was popular, one of the leading problems requiring a doctor was constipation. The fiber of an apple was the prescription of the day to keeps one's bowels regular. Does that make it a "super fruit?" Maybe not by today's standard, but it was sure to keep one comfortable back in the "Good Old Days."

BIll 1-01-2007 @ 11:10AM

I am so tired of people ragging on every type food and the non stop whining. People are fat because we over eat including me.

How about restricting news to the positive only - there would then be a tenth of the commentary

Dawn Estey 1-01-2007 @ 8:54PM

Why don't we all try it and see how much better we feel. It cant hurt. If your going to make a New Years resolution it should have something to do with your health.

Dawn Estey 1-01-2007 @ 11:28AM

I think we should all try eating an aapple a day and everyday add
another fruit or vegetable. That a New Years resilution that can help you get healthier.

D.E.

Celeste 1-01-2007 @ 11:31AM

Recently, tests have shown that an apple is more filling than other snacks, as well as being an all around good-for-you food, plus, taking longer to eat it, that 'not quite satisfied' feeling after other sancks, which leads to more snacks, makes an apple or even two a day more preferable in our never ending fight with obesity.

Michael N 1-01-2007 @ 11:41AM

An apple a day is fine, but be sure to brush and floss after. Apples contain alot of sugar, albelt natural sugar.

jim hooks 1-01-2007 @ 11:54AM

An onion a day will keep everyone away.

Preston 1-01-2007 @ 12:22PM

Sometimes, we have to eat more green vegetables more instead of the fruits and other vegetables people recommend. I feel fuller when eating green foods and the other fruits and vegetables that the article mentioned. Apples and sometimes bananas give out a lot of gas on your body given all that fiber that's in it. And I love sweet potatoes! I ate more than usual last year, not just on Thanksgiving but all during the last 12 months. If it was a green vegetable that was in a restaurant in 2006, I went on and ate it. And I've been making an effort to eat strawberries and blueberries to get more antioxidants in my system. But I hope that this article doesn't make people go back to old habits like eating junk food. Most cases, I stay clear away from them---they're fun at one point, but very empty in calories. So we need to stay at this healthy food pattern for a long time.

Lauren 1-01-2007 @ 12:49PM

This is just another article telling us that something that was good for us, isnt the best choice. I've come to find that something that is good for you today, will automatically be replaced by something better tomorrow and they'll tell you why what was good a day ago is now suddenly so bad for you. They do these studies and say they're great, but then why a few days later say they're so bad? Didn't they see that in all their studies? My doctor says I'm healthy, I eat in moderation and thats all that matters. I'm going to stick to what I'm doing, but really even if an apple isnt the best source of nutrition, its better then sugar coated fructose syrup slush

bobby f. 1-01-2007 @ 12:53PM

DANG! That blows!

R2D2 1-01-2007 @ 1:16PM

I hate you.I 'm 5'11 and 115!I have a apple a day and it does help.so eat more cheese!cheeese for president!!!I love micheal!call me.

health_chick 1-01-2007 @ 4:45PM

So apples according to this aren't as rich in nutrients as other fruits and vegetables? It still is rich in pectin and boron and also has fiber, as well as some other nutrients. I think that the key is to eat a rich variety of produce, and reap the benefits, however great or small, from each type of food! Besides, there may be some unknown health promoting phytochemical in some of your common every-day variety of produce. God created many different types of food so we can reach our nutritional needs by eating a variety of foods!

health_chick 1-02-2007 @ 12:49AM

I just found out something else about some of the other "forbidden foods" mentioned here. On realage.com, there is an article that mentioned that bananas are rich in Vitamin B6, which may be of some benefit to those who suffer from Parkinson's Disease, as well as helping to cut kidney cancer risk, and leukemia as well!
Check it out if you dare!
http://www.realage.com/srch/RASearch.aspx?
Catno=3&query=banana

Potatoes are also a good source of minerals, IF you leave the skin on when you cook it, and don't overprocess it, as well as fiber!

Iceberg lettuce isn't as loaded with nutrients as other types of lettuce, BUT it does have certain minerals and vitamins, which don't come to mind at the present moment. Corn also has healthful qualities that I have read about, that I don't recall but it is documented.

So, the point is not to quit eating these foods, but to include them in a healthy diet along with the other foods mentioned in the attached article!