Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? A nutritionist explains the science behind 'functional' foods
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Thursday, August 10, 2023
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We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that?
Key Points:
- We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that?
- Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots.
- However, apples contain various bioactive substances – natural chemicals that occur in small amounts in foods and that have biological effects in the body.
Functional foods defined
- Functional foods are not the same as superfoods.
- The problem is that most of those claims are not based on scientific research, like the criteria for functional foods are.
- In addition to the nutrients that our bodies need for growth and development, functional foods contain a variety of bioactive substances, each with a unique function in the body.
- Research suggests that the carotenoids from foods and the other categories of bioactive substances may help prevent certain cancers and improve heart health.
History of the functional food movement
- From the early 1900s to the 1970s, nutrition research focused on vitamin deficiencies.
- In 1980, the U.S. government published the first dietary guidelines that encouraged people to avoid fat, sugar and salt.
- Public health messaging encouraged people to replace fatty foods with starchy foods such as breads and pasta.
Japan’s focus on foods for health
- To correct this problem, Japan became the first country to introduce the concept of functional foods in the 1980s.
- Today, Japan uses the phrase “Food for Specialized Health Uses” for products that can be scientifically shown to promote health.
- Japan has more than 1,000 foods and beverages approved as food for specialized health uses, such as hypoallergenic rice.
The bioactive components in apples
- An apple’s natural dietary fibers are one of the bioactive components that lead to its being classified as a functional food.
- Pectin functions to reduce the amount of sugar and fat that is absorbed into the body.
- In addition, apples contain high amounts of natural chemicals known as polyphenols that have vital roles in promoting health and reducing chronic disease.
- Because they are mainly in the peel, whole apples are better sources of polyphenols than juice or applesauce.
Revisiting the original question
- One U.S. team analyzed the apple-eating patterns and number of doctor visits among more than 8,000 adults.
- Once adjusted for demographic and health-related factors, the researchers found that the daily apple eaters used marginally fewer prescription medications than the non-apple eaters.
- A group of European researchers found that eating two apples a day improved heart health in 40 adults.
- And Brazilian investigators found that eating three apples daily improved weight loss and blood glucose levels in 40 overweight women.