October 2 – Anglo-Saxons have a well-known and centuries-old saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. It was believed for a long time that the saying had some basis because the vitamin C contained in apples allowed the body to better fight colds and flu. But a team of researchers has just shown that the virtues of the apple are perhaps much more extensive than we thought.
Indeed, it appears that the many substances in apple slow down the growth of cancer cells. And the effect of the substances contained in the fresh fruit is much greater than those of a vitamin C supplement.
The researchers first measured the antioxidant capacity of 100 g of an apple extract and found that it was approximately equivalent to that of 1,500 mg of vitamin C. However, since there is barely 5 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of apple, the researchers immediately knew that the antioxidant effect was due to other compounds in the fruit. A medium-sized apple weighs around 140g.
The next step was to add this apple extract to cultures of colon and lung cancer cells. The growth of cancer cells was slowed down considerably and in proportion to the concentration of the extract added. It was the extracts from unpeeled apples that had the strongest effect.
Researchers believe that the large amount of antioxidant substances in an apple may explain why consuming five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day offers some protection against cancer.
Ah! … long live the apple season!
HealthPassport.net
Eberhardt MV, Lee CY, Liu RH.Antioxidant activity of fresh apples. Nature. 2000 Jun 22; 405 (6789): 903-4.
