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Aphorism proven false, apple-eaters still go to the doctor

The lead researcher said his study was a scientific exercise, but one done mainly for fun.

By Brooks Hays
A row of useless apples at a grocery store in Washington, DC. File Photo by UPI/Billie Jean Shaw
A row of useless apples at a grocery store in Washington, DC. File Photo by UPI/Billie Jean Shaw

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 30 (UPI) -- Stop what you're doing. Everything is a lie. According to a new study, an apple a day does not, in fact, keep the doctor away. Who would have thought perfect health requires more than a single piece of fruit?

After researchers at the University of Michigan tallied the results of a diet and health survey, it appeared the old apple adage might have some truth to it. The 9 percent of the 8,728 U.S. adults who said they ate at least one apple per day were found to have visited their doctor less often in the last year.

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But when scientists adjusted for other factors (age, race, body-mass index), apple-eaters looked more average -- no more or less likely than similar non-apple-eaters to frequent the office of their healthcare provider.

The study was organized by lead author Matthew White, an assistant professor in Michigan's nursing school. White said it was a scientific exercise, but one done mainly for fun.

The news isn't all bad for apple lovers. While the study -- published this week in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine -- found no correlation between apples and doctor visits, the data did show that apple eaters were less likely to rely on prescription medications.

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"Our findings suggest that the promotion of apple consumption may have limited benefits in reducing national health-care spending," the researchers concluded. "In the age of evidence-based assertions, however, there may be merit to saying, 'An apple a day keeps the pharmacist away.'"

As Davis admitted in his study, other research efforts have confirmed several health benefits of eating apples, including weight loss, lower cancer rates and improved heart health.

"While we appreciate the University of Michigan (a top apple-growing state, by the way) took the time to put the 'apple a day' adage to the test," Wendy Brannen, spokesperson for the U.S. Apple Association, told USA Today, "it's foolish to even imply you shouldn't enjoy a daily apple for your health when centuries of advice and stacks of current research would imply otherwise."

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