Ever since our childhood we have been growing up with the say ‘ An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ But is the say accurate or we have been fallen in the trap?  The phrase was first coined in 1913, it was based on a Pembrokeshire proverb that originated in 1866. The initial adage was “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”

A 100 gram of an apple contains 52 calories with 0.3 gram protein, 13.8 grams carbohydrates, 10.4 grams of sugar and 0.2 grams of fats. It is composed of 86% of water. Although their carb and sugar contents are high, their glycemic index (GI which is a measure of how food affects the rise in blood sugar levels after eating) is low, ranging 29–44. The fiber that an apple contains is very beneficial as it has many health benefits such as improved digestion. It is also rich in various antioxidant plant compounds such as Quercetin, Catechin and Chlorogenic acid.

Apples are rich in Vitamin C and Potassium. One of the researches revealed that people who eat more apples have comparatively reduced risks of cancer. There is also a reduced risk of diabetes 2. It also leads to less acid secretion and as a result there will be less calcium loss. There is also reduction of coronary heart disease. There is reduced risks of strokes.

According to one of the study  39.0% of apple-eaters avoided more than one yearly doctor visit, compared with 33.9% of non-apple eaters.

So we can say that though the adage is not entirely true because a person eating apples may catch a disease, it is apt to say that people eating apples have reduced risks of getting diseases as compared to people who do not eat apples.