“An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is a phrase that I have heard many times throughout my life. It is commonly used when explaining to children the health benefits of eating an apple. As a child myself, I took this statement to mean that apples were magical, and that eating them would ensure I could never get sick. As I have become more rational, I now realize that this is not exactly what is meant by this phrase. What it is actually implying is that eating an apple is a great way to obtain nutrients that are beneficial to one’s overall health. By maintaining general good health, one may need to go to the doctor less often. As everyone knows, fruits and vegetables are key components to a healthy diet. ChooseMyPlate.gov, a nutritional website created by the United States Department of Agriculture, recommends that half of a person’s plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. Eating an apple is an excellent way to incorporate fruit into one’s diet, because it accounts for half, or one cup, of the recommended daily value of fruits, which is two cups. 
Obesity is currently a very large problem in the United States, and can be very detrimental to one’s health. This is an especially large problem our children, as the prevalence of Type II diabetes among young people is rising. This type of diabetes, as well as many other health issues, is known to have a direct correlation with one’s diet. A child’s diet also has many implications on their future health, and can even lead to cardiovascular disease as adults. Apples, as well as all other fruits, are known to provide many desired nutrients, such as dietary fibers and potassium. More importantly, they lack, or are low in fats, sodium, and cholesterol, that many other snacks have (O’Neil, et. al). This is a very important thing to consider when deciding what kind of quick snack or meal sides to feed our kids.
Carol E. O’Neil, Theresa A Nicklas, and Victor L. Fulgoni III researched the relationship between apple consumption and overall diet quality/weight in a sample of children, ages 2-18. Their sample size was very large, consisting of 3,482 children, and their data collection spanned over seven years. In their article, “Consumption of Apples is Associated with a Better Diet Quality and Reduced Risk of Obesity in Children: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2010,” they discuss their findings after examining multiple 24 hour diet recalls, and by taking multiple height and weight stats for each child in the study. They found that apple consuming children maintained lower BMI values, and were 25-30% less likely to be obese than those who did not consume apples in some form or another. While other factors played into these findings, such as activity level and genetics, researchers believe that there is a correlation here. The scientists also took into consideration different poverty and wealth levels, as well as the culture of each family the child was growing up in, when looking at their fruit intake. This is the first research done on apple consumption versus childhood obesity levels, so the researchers did not have other studies to compare theirs to. Regardless, there still seems to be a relationship between apple consumption and a healthy BMI.
"All About the Vegetable Group." Choose MyPlate. United States Department of Agriculture. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://www.choosemyplate.gov/>.
O’Neil, Carol E., Theresa A. Nicklas, and Victor L. Fulgoni. "Consumption of Apples Is Associated with a Better Diet Quality and Reduced Risk of Obesity in Children: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2010." Nutrition Journal 14.1 (2015). Web. 1 Mar. 2016. <https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-015-0040-1>.
It was interesting to see a correlation between apple consumption and a decrease in BMI. Apples are great, especially if you're in a hurry, you can just grab it off the kitchen counter and eat it on the go. They are also not messy and they help to keep your teeth white. This is a great alternative to those who spend money on expensive teeth whitening products as they can save money and decrease teeth sensitivity that are caused by these products.
ReplyDeleteI have a four year old that has been taught the statement, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." She is very adamant about eating at least half an apple a day. I know apples provide you with much of what you need, but can over consumption be detrimental to your teeth enamel?
ReplyDeleteI love apples. You can probably notice they are my favorite food, as I eat at least two or three a day. While I have always heard the phrase, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," I similarly to you became more rational as time went by. Apples are a really easy snack to transport, while they are loud and crunchy. It is reassuring to know of the many health benefits associated with eating apples. Similar to Alexa's comment, I am wondering if over-consumption of apples could lead to ill-health effects.
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ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of apples. However, after reading this blog I will try to consume more apples than I currently do now. It is interesting to see that there is a association between apples and lower Body Mass Index. I wonder if you had come across red apples versus green apples facts. Red or green which apples contain more nutrients. Are there any other type of fruits that might have very similar nutrient to apples?
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting that studies were actually conducted to show that apples reduced BMI. I always took the "apple a day" saying as a way to enforce fruits on children, children hate going to the doctors so they will eat an apple to try to prevent that. I wasn't aware that there was actual research supporting this. I would be interested in seeing further research and more conclusive studies.
ReplyDeleteI think the link between consuming apples and a lower BMI could be do to the childrens' diets. Most children (adults too) that eat apples tend to consume other fruits as well. While those that don't consume apples most likely wouldn't consume a variety of other fruits and instead would snack on processed foods. Therefore, the diet of those that consume apples would typically be healthier and result in a good BMI.
ReplyDeleteI have also heard the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" numerous times as a kid. I was never a fan of apples and my parents would tell me this phrase all the time so that I would eat apples because I was afraid of getting shots at the hospital. I thought it was very intriguing that researchers found a correlation between the amount of apples you consume and maintaining lower BMI levels. After reading this blog, I realize that I should start eating more apples because of the numerous health benefits apples provide. One component of apples is that it contains pectin which lowers both blood pressure and glucose levels. Also apples are a quick and easy alternative to cookies and junk food when you are craving something sweet. When eating apples you are able to fulfill your sweet tooth craving and still only be consuming a few calories since apples are low in calorie density.
ReplyDeleteIn the 21st century, obesity is very prevalent in many countries all over the world, especially the US. The fact that a common fruit like apples can help lower our BMI levels is awesome. I always liked apples and pretty much every fruit that I've tried. I think that it would be a mistake to not incorporate fruits and especially apples in our diets. I wonder if there is a difference on what kind of apples we eat and how much is too much. Can eating more apples bring about a greater benefit? I kind of doubt that, but you never know. Also I think we could agree that not all apples were created equal. Buying the shiny green/red apples on from the stands at Wegmans or another supermarket would probably not be a good idea... I feel like the stuff they spray on them can only harm us more than the benefit that the apple itself will provide even after we wash them. Nevertheless, it is a fact that apples are healthy for us and we should definitely eat them in moderation.
ReplyDeleteAs a (hopefully) future teacher, it's funny how little children are educated about nutrition. Like you even said in this blog, your thought apples were just magical because of the saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Children should really be educated that apples do this because of their nutritional value. I think its remarkable how little schools focus on nutrition. With nutrition related diseases being the leading causes of death in our country, you would think that a nutrition course would be incorporated into the curriculum of every elementary, middle, and high school. With the knowledge that I have now after taking our nutrition class in college, I wish that it was something that I learned at a much earlier age so that I could be more informed about what was going into my body.
ReplyDeleteI've always heard, "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away" but I never knew why. I had just assumed it was something people said to make others eat more fruit. I have been trying to make a more conscious effort to incorporate more apples into my diet especially since I don't eat a lot of fruit. I love vegetables but I just don't particularly care for sweets. I love that apples are easy to transport and aren't messy and convenience is something I always welcome with open arms. I think that if people are consuming a lot of apples they probably eat a well balanced diet and therefore have a healthier BMI/lower risk for obesity.
ReplyDeleteI found this article and blog to be very interesting. When I was working on our Friday series presentation I found that apples contain 14 different vitamins and 11 different minerals. That is a lot of nutrients, so to read that there is a correlation between apple consumption and lower BMI's I am not surprised. Growing up we have always known that fruits and vegetables are healthy for us and we should be eating more of them. It was interesting to learn that children who ate apples also were 25-30% less likely to become obese. It may be true that an apple a day may keep the doctor away.
ReplyDeleteIts very interesting to learn that people are not informed about what they consume. There's a reason to why there's certain phrases and the truth behind them. Apples can help to lower BMI was not new to me. However, I wonder if the affect of consuming different apple (brand vs color vs where they are from) can have an impact on lowering the BMI and if so how does the varies types of apples affect the body differently?
ReplyDeleteInteresting read! I have heard the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but I never really thought about it in terms of BMI, I just thought it meant that apples are a good source of fruits! I think that apples should be incorporated more in our diets especially since they can help lower BMI's. One of my cousins actually went through this phase or diet where she literally ate 10 apples a day and she said she lost weight and felt much healthier. However I think 10 apples a day is excessive and I wonder if that can be detrimental? Apples are tasty and I love going apple picking with my friends, there's just something about eating freshly handpicked apples!
ReplyDeleteI think I do eat an apple a day. But I still go to the doctors... Regardless, apples are an extremely good source of fruit. It is interesting that apples can reduce BMI. I heard once that eating an apple as a snack will reduce caloric intake by some crazy percentage, maybe this is why BMI is drastically lowered. Kids should be consuming more fruits and veggies rather than fast food. I think this falls on the jobs of the parents as well as the kids to know about healthy foods and enjoy them!
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