Maybe an apple a day does keep the doctor away

Charlyn Fargo, Contributor

Maybe there is something to the old adage - an apple a day keeps the doctor away. New research suggests that eating an apple a day might, in fact, be heart healthy.

In a study of healthy, middle-aged adults, consumption of one apple a day for four weeks lowered blood levels of oxidised low-density lipoprotein, a substance linked to hardening of the arteries, by 40 per cent. It is important to note that an apple-industry group funded the study. However, taking capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples, had a similar, albeit smaller, effect. The study is published online in the Journal of Functional Foods.

"When LDL becomes oxidised, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries," wrote lead researcher Robert DiSilvestro, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University and a researcher at the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. "We got a tremendous effect against LDL being oxidised with just one apple a day for four weeks."

The difference in patients was similar to that found between people with normal coronary arteries and those affected by coronary artery disease, he said.

After studying the effects of other antioxidants, including green tea, tomato extract and the spice-based compound curcumin, at lowering oxidised LDL, DiSilvestro concluded that daily apple consumption was significantly more effective.

For the study, researchers recruited non-smoking, healthy adults between the ages of 40 and 60 with a history of eating apples less than twice a month and who didn't take supplements containing polyphenols or other plant-based concentrates. In all, 16 participants ate a large 'Red' or 'Golden Delicious' apple daily for four weeks; 17 took capsules containing 194 milligrams of polyphenols a day for four weeks; and 18 took a placebo containing no polyphenols. The researchers found no effect on oxidised LDLs in those taking the placebo.

- Information courtesy of Ohio State University and ScienceDaily.com.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, www.creators.com.

Taking Vitamin B supplements

Do supplements of B vitamins really help people who are nervous or low on energy?

A: Supplements can legally carry claims about how a nutrient is linked to structures or functions in the body, but these claims don't always mean what consumers assume. Vitamins B-12 and B-1 (thiamin) are important for healthy nerve cells sending messages to the brain, allowing us to see, smell and move. However, supplements of these vitamins do not necessarily offer help to nervous people.

Similarly, several B vitamins are needed for metabolic processes that convert food into energy. Therefore, if your diet is low in B vitamins, you may feel less fatigued if you boost consumption of these vitamins. Other people, such as those with certain kinds of digestive tract surgery or diseases (such as celiac disease or Crohn's) or who take medications (like some peptic ulcer meds or metformin), may not absorb the B-12 they need, despite adequate intake. Because about 10-30 per cent of adults over age 50 have reduced stomach acid that splits food's vitamin B-12 into an absorbable form, they are advised to take a B-12 supplement.

However, once needs are met, research suggests that adding more does not improve energy level. If you are low on energy because of lack of sleep, over-zealous calorie-cutting, a poor diet low in other nutrients, a sedentary lifestyle, or too much work or stress, you need to address the real problem to resolve your energy shortage.

- Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.