Does an apple a day actually keep the doctor away? 

Modern medicine would caution against such simplicity, but you may be surprised to know that professionals have seriously discussed the old-wives tale. An article even appeared in the American Medical Association’s internal medicine journal. (Source: The Association Between Apple Consumption and Physician Visits.)

According to the study and subsequent article, the benefits of eating apples may include “weight loss, prevention of neurologic degradation [protection of the brain], cancer suppression, reduction in asthma symptoms, and improved cardiovascular health.”

So, wait a minute – those results indicate that apples really do contribute to minimizing required medical care. Considering how cheap apples are compared to most prescription medications, are apples one of the hidden secrets to reducing national health care spending?

Apple-A-Day Research Results 

Researchers asked daily apple eaters and non-apple eaters a series of simple questions.
Respondents were instructed to limit their answers to the previous year.

* have you been to a doctor?
* have you been hospitalized?
* have you seen a mental health professional?

They also asked if participants had taken any prescription medication within the previous month.

There was an evident issue from the start – out of the 8,000 surveyed individuals, only 10% had eaten an apple in the last several days. Therefore evidence could not be provided that would sustain the proof of the apple-a-day adage. However, that small group of apple eaters did, in fact, require or use fewer prescription drugs, prompting experts to wonder if the saying should instead be “an apple a day keep the pharmacist away.” 

While a seemingly lighthearted observation, the cost of prescription medication causes the statistic to carry more weight. Researchers estimated the difference in annual prescription medication cost per capita between apple eaters ($1697) and non-apple eaters ($1925) to be $228 per individual. Perhaps an unimpressive number until you extrapolate that amount to the entire adult population and realize that an “apple a day initiative” could result in 50 billion dollars of annual prescription drug savings.

Now, some people point to the fact that although scientifically sound, this study is not exactly earth-shattering in impact. Still, the British Medical Journal also took on the apple issue, seeking to learn more about the fruit’s effects on stroke and heart attack mortality of all older adults. The study participants took a prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin drug or ate an apple a day.

The British Medical Journal article stated that opting for an apple over statins could prevent more than a thousand excess cases of myopathy [muscle damage] and more than 12,000 excess diabetes diagnoses. This, of course, was in the much smaller geography of the UK, and in the United States we could expect far greater numbers. 

Studies indicate that the more fruit you eat, the lower your risk of stroke and heart disease. Apples only have good side effects, as opposed to the laundry list of possible adverse side effects attached to nearly every prescription drug on the market. In other words, eating that apple certainly wouldn’t hurt.

However, in the case of statins, in particular, overall health and wellness conflict with the modern American values of saving time and money at all costs. Statins will set the patient back only about 20 cents per day, and apples – especially of the organic variety – are significantly more expensive. Statins can also be swallowed with a mouthful of water and without all of that pesky chewing.

In other words, taking a food-based approach to medicine will require that the individual decides a holistic approach to health and wellness is worth it – for more reasons than convenience and affordability. As a culture, if we continue to only look to those parameters and don’t appreciate the far-reaching positive effects of improving our diet, an apple-a-day remains a cute saying.

But for those who value holistic health and natural paths to healing, the adage is a resounding reminder of the power of food. Sadly, most doctors and their patients are missing out on the true path to wellness.

Longevity Wellness Clinic provides nutritional counseling and naturopathic guidance to promote our clients’ optimum health.