From: Stemilt Nutrition Roundup Newsletter - September 2006
The originators of the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” may have sensed many years ago what research is showing is fact: apple consumption contributes to good health.
A study completed by Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food, March 2005, pointed to phytochemicals in apples as the substances responsible for preventing mammary cancer. Phytochemicals are found only in plants and have positive biological effects on humans.
In the study, rats were given phytochemicals that simulated the amounts present in whole apples. They were fed differing levels equivalent to what a human would experience if he consumed one, three, and six apples a day. The study demonstrated that the extracts effectively inhibited mammary cancer growth in rats. Apples are commonly consumed, making them a major contributor of phytochemicals in American diets and a tool to fight cancer.
Another study published in the journal Neurology in October, 2005, underscores the importance of eating fruit to prevent strokes. A group of physicians in France set out to find evidence showing that eating fruits and vegetables decreases strokes. They gathered combined information from seven studies conducted between 1970 and 2004, and reviewed the information. Five studies were from the United States, one was from Europe, and the third from Japan.
The combined information showed that eating fruit reduced the risk of having a stroke. Each additional serving of fruit consumed per day decreased the risk an added 11 percent. The researchers speculated that this positive effect from eating fruit was due to the lowered blood pressure and lowered cholesterol levels produced by fruit consumption. Researchers believe the phytochemicals in apples help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, which are both strong risk factors for stroke.
For more information on this topic, go to the Oct. 25, 2005 issue of the journal, Neurology at www.neurology.org.
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