Monday, April 07, 2008
Diet & Nutrition
6th April 2008, 21:09 WST
Apples are a `nutrition powerhouse' and really do keep the doctor away, according to a new health report.
`The Apple Report', a comprehensive review of scientific research published over the past 10 years, has found that apples are one of the only foods identified to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers - two of the biggest causes of death in Australia.
Apples are also associated with asthma protection, can reduce the risk of type II diabetes and help with weight loss.
"We often hear about new foods hitting the supermarket shelves that have had this or that nutrient added to them during processing, but apples are a natural nutrition powerhouse," report author and accredited practising dietitian Shane Landon said in a statement.
The report also found that apples have the highest antioxidant content of all Australia's popular fruits.
"Not only does an apple have around one and a half times more antioxidants than a 75 gram serve of blueberries, it has more than twice the antioxidants of a cup of tea, about three times the antioxidants of an orange and almost eight times the antioxidants of a banana," Mr Landon said.
Australians eat around one apple a week, but if everyone ate just one more serve of fruit or vegetables every day, the Australian Fruit and Vegetable Coalition estimates over $150 million a year would be saved on healthcare costs for cardiovascular disease alone.
"The research is compelling and the health message is simple - we must get back to basics," Mr Landon said.
"An apple a day is a very good start."
AAP