Antioxidants of Apples

I n the United States and mostindustrialized countries, cardio-vascular disease and cancer are ranked as the leading causes of death. These diseases have been linked to lifestyle choices, one of the most important of which is diet. It has been estimated that eating a healthy diet could prevent 30 percent of all cancers. Many of us as children were told to “eat your vegetables because they are good for you, ” and the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away ” is still quite popular. Recently, many studies have been providing scientific backing for both of these common phrases. Hundreds of epidemiological studies have been performed examining the effects of diet on health. Although not all studies show a link between fruits and vegetables and health, a majority of studies show a positive correlation between fruit and vegetable consumption and a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Diet and Chronic Disease In the early 1990s, researchers examined well over a hundred epidemiological studies related to diet and cancer. In 128 of 156 dietary studies, fruits and vegetables were shown to have significant protective effect against a variety of different cancers (1). Researchers found that individuals who consumed small quantities of fruits and vegetables were twice as likely to get cancer compared to those who ate larger quantities of fruits and vegetables. Very recently, a study showed that high consumption of fruits and vegetables was also associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in woman in China (2). Fruit and vegetable consumption also appears to have a protective effect against coronary heart disease (3). In this study, approximately 84,000 women were followed for 14 years and 42,000 men were followed for eight years. Researchers found that those who ate the greatest quantities of fruits an