Apples: An apple a day, still keeping the doctor away?

Apples are, in many countries and cultures, one of the most frequently consumed fruits, reaching a per capita intake of approximately 20–30kg/year. Apples come in over 7500 varieties worldwide, and are generally a good dietary source of a variety of nutrients and nonnutrients. In addition to simple carbohydrates—mostly sugars—the fruits of the Malus domestica tree are rich in vitamin C, a number of minerals, especially potassium, and also nonessential constituents such as polyphenols, dietary fiber, and additional phytochemicals, such as triterpenes and phytosterols. Many of these constituents have been associated via their mechanism of action and also in epidemiological studies with antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, decreasing the risk of the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular complications, many of which are on the rise. Including apples in our daily diet to reach the targeted “5 a day” is thus a simple but prudent approach that is likely to benefit our health. Apples are thus thought to contribute to a healthy diet, and the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is still believed to contain much wisdom.