Old Wives Tale of the Week #2 "maybe mum deserves a thank you"
An apple a day keeps the Dr away?
This weeks old wives tale of the week is a true one based on sound and proven healthy living principles, so maybe mum deserves a thank you this time!?! Good health and how to maintain it has been a preoccupation of humans in most cultures for hundreds and even thousands of years. Problem is that what might have been the fashion at any one time may not have been so helpful or good for you after all. (think leeches and blood letting) Up until the end of the sixteenth century in England for instance fresh fruits and vegetables were treated with suspicion by many and most people lived on a diet that was very meat rich and thus their health often suffered.
In fact apples had often been used as pig food and seen as unfit for human consumption! Once humans realised the physiological benefits of adding fresh natural foods to ones diet diseases such as scurvy and other ailments of malnutrition that had been prevalent began to wane leading to a much healthier general population.
The health benefits of apples are many. They are known to be a rich source of anti-oxidants and a source of vitamin c. Research suggests they reduce the risk of colon cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Some studies suggest that the levels of phenolics in apples are quite high and would help reduce the instance of breast cancer. Also you could just throw an apple at a Dr to keep him away as the school yard joke goes.
Wikipedia online states that the saying - "An apple a day keeps the Dr away" originates from nineteenth century Wales.
Not that you needed an excuse to enjoy some apple pie or anything *wink*.
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