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An apple a day keeps the doctor away

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It is commonly believed that apple consumption has health benefits.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a common English-language proverb of Welsh origin. The proverb stems from the benefits of eating caraway seeds and the apple was a way to eat the seeds.[1]. There is no scientific evidence that eating an apple a day has any significant health effects.

Origin

First recorded in the 1860s, the proverb originated in Wales, and was particularly prevalent in Pembrokeshire.[2] The original wording of the saying was "Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread."[3] The current phrasing, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", began usage at the end of the 19th century.[4][5][6]

The background for the proverb was that at bedtime it was served either a fried apple filled with caraway seeds or a fresh apple with caraway seeds stuck in the apple.[1] Caraway was considered healthy and the apple was a way to eat as much caraway as possible.[1]

Caraway

Medicinal use of caraway have been widespread from Northern Europe to the Mediterranean regions, Russia, Iran, India, Indonesia and North America.[7] Caraway have been described as a used for difficulties with the digestion in a papyrus dating back to 2500 BC.[8] In the first century AD Dioscorides recommended caraway for stomac ailments and as a diuretic.[8] The dried ripe fruits and essential oil of caraway have been described as carminative in several European handbooks and are used for adults for spasmodic gastro-intestinal complaints, flatulence, bloating and a sensation of fullness.[7]

Scientific evaluation

A 2015 study found no evidence that the proverb was true: adult consumers of one small apple per day had the same number of physician visits as those who did not eat apples. The study also found that people who ate an apple a day used fewer prescription medications.[9] Other than for a moderate amount of carbohydrates as fructose and dietary fiber, an average-size apple supplies few calories and has a low content of micronutrients.

Although the proverb might be inaccurate as one daily apple is not sufficient to get health benefits,[10][11] a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables is recommended in the US[12][13][14][15][16] and worldwide,[17] including apples which composition offers specific beneficial health effects.

References

  1. ^ a b c Annemarta Borgen (1973). "Innenlandske ville kryddurter: Karve". Urtehagen på Knatten (in Norwegian). Gyldendal. pp. 37–38. ISBN 8205060118. Opprinnelsen til ordspråket om at "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" er at ved sengetid ble det før servert enten et stekt eple fylt med karve eller et friskt gjennomstukket med karve. Eplet var der for at folk skulle få mest mulig karve i seg.
  2. ^ Phillips, J. P. (1866). "A Pembrokeshire proverb". Notes Queries. 127 (s3-IX): 153.
  3. ^ Hazlitt, W. C. (1907). English proverbs and proverbial phrases. London, Reeves, and Turner. p. 136.
  4. ^ Ely, Margaret (24 September 2013). "History behind 'An apple a day'". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  5. ^ "The Pomological Show: Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register". George Bayley. 26 November 1887. p. 5. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  6. ^ "The Country Gentleman". Vol. LXXVIII, no. 50. 13 December 1913. pp. Cover, 7, 37. Retrieved 26 December 2017. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  7. ^ a b Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) (7 July 2015). "Assessment report on Carum carvi L., fructus and Carum carvi L., aetheroleum (EMA/HMPC/715093/2013)" (PDF). European Medicines Agency.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b Skard, Olav (2003). Ville vekster : røtter i kulturhistorien. Oslo: Landbruksforlaget. pp. 29–31. ISBN 8252927505. OCLC 488940138.
  9. ^ Davis, Matthew A.; Bynum, Julie P. W.; Sirovich, Brenda E. (1 May 2015). "Association between apple consumption and physician visits". JAMA Internal Medicine. 175 (5): 777. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466. PMC 4420713. PMID 25822137.
  10. ^ Pendick, Daniel (2 April 2015). "An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but it's a healthy choice anyway". Harvard Health Blog.
  11. ^ Davis, Matthew A.; Bynum, Julie P. W.; Sirovich, Brenda E. (1 May 2015). "Association between apple consumption and physician visits". JAMA Internal Medicine. 175 (5): 777. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.5466. PMC 4420713. PMID 25822137.
  12. ^ US Department of Health and Human Services. (2017). "2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - health.gov". health.gov. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  13. ^ Arnett, Donna K.; Blumenthal, Roger S.; Albert, Michelle A.; Buroker, Andrew B.; Goldberger, Zachary D.; Hahn, Ellen J.; Himmelfarb, Cheryl D.; Khera, Amit; Lloyd-Jones, Donald; McEvoy, J. William; Michos, Erin D.; Miedema, Michael D.; Muñoz, Daniel; Smith, Sidney C.; Virani, Salim S.; Williams, Kim A.; Yeboah, Joseph; Ziaeian, Boback (17 March 2019). "2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease". Circulation. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  14. ^ National Health and Medical Research Council (2013). Eat for Health - Educator guide: information for nutrition educators (PDF).
  15. ^ U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2010). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 (7th Edition ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  16. ^ Hebden, L; O'Leary, F; Rangan, A; Singgih Lie, E; Hirani, V; Allman-Farinelli, M (13 August 2017). "Fruit consumption and adiposity status in adults: A systematic review of current evidence". Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 57 (12): 2526–2540. doi:10.1080/10408398.2015.1012290. PMID 26115001.
  17. ^ World Health Organization. "Healthy diet". www.who.int.
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