Ilchi Lee

An Apple a Day

How to keep yourself young
The saying goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but can eating an apple really be that good for you? And if an apple a day is the key, what about apple juice?

A study conducted at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell compared the diets of adult mice and aging mice using a standard diet, a nutrient-deficient diet and a nutrient-deficient diet supplemented with apple juice concentrated water.

The aging mice that consumed the apple juice performed better on the maze tests and had less oxidative brain damage—atypical in the aging process—than those eating the standard diet. Consuming apples and/or apple juice everyday may actually protect against the cell damage that leads to age-related loss of memory.

According to lead researcher Dr. Thomas B. Shea, “this study suggests that eating and drinking apples and apple juice, in conjunction with a balanced diet, can protect the brain from the effects of oxidative stress.”

Other studies have shown other benefits of eating apples—cancer prevention, decrease in incidence of stroke, lowered asthma-related problems and overall better health. Shea’s study suggests that the antioxidants found in the apples contribute to the positive effects in brain function.

If you want to keep the doctor away, and you are not an apple eater, start drinking apple juice. The effects are the same, and it just won’t be your doctor that thanks you. Your brain will thank you too.

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2 Comments


drdeb629 March 26, 2008 214.1.101.252 Votes: +0	This is interesting news! I remember my children's doctor scolding me about the sugars and calories in apple juice. She recommended that I restrict their intake of fruit juices and encourage them to eat the whole fruit instead. But it's good to know that apple juice can be helpful in preventing oxidative stress in our brains as we age! Thanks! report abuse vote down vote up

jeaniek7 May 10, 2008 76.87.38.115 Votes: +0	By just drinking the juice, you not only are adding sugar to your kids' diet, but they are missing out on the valuable fiber found only in the whole fruit. Also, fruit juice is not good for kids' teeth. (Neither is milk---never let your little ones go to sleep drinking a bottle. The milk stays on their teeth and can cause cavities.)I think the point they were making here is that the apple juice had the same nutrients as the whole apple in terms of cognitive and memory functions. As the mother of four, I agree with your doctor's recommendation to encourage your kids to eat the whole fruit. Happy Mother's Day! report abuse vote down vote up

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