Claim: An apple a day does NOT keeps the doctors away

Question

Growing up, everyone gets told, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" to encourage kids to eat fruit and veggies, specifically apples. Although apples offer valuable nutrients like fiber and vitamins, eating them alone won’t prevent illness or eliminate the need for medical care. Maintaining good health requires a well-rounded diet, regular physical activity, and routine medical checkups. No single food can act as a safeguard against health problems.

Answer 1

As the original post touches on, the phrase 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' is mainly used to encourage children to eat fruits and vegetables. While it isn't genuine medical advice, it helps guide children toward healthier behaviors. Similar to the concept of Santa Claus and his nice and naughty lists, which motivates children to behave well, this phrase, although not literally true, serves as a helpful tool for parents. Although eating an apple is a healthy choice, it won't single-handedly keep someone healthy. The National Library of Medicine clarifies that while the phrase simplifies the message, it does impart the important wisdom that healthy food choices can lead to better health.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4420713/#:~:text=The%20aphorism%2C%20%E2%80%9CAn%20apple%20a,1913%20in%20its%20current%20form.

Answer 2

Like all healthy foods, eating them in consistent moderation will have benefits to one's overall health, but that food alone won't keep someone from visiting the doctor's office. The original claim cited an article by JAMA Internal Medicine that investigated the proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". This research can also be found on the National Library of Medicine.  

So, the short answer is no, an apple a day does not actually keep the doctor away. 

Answer 3

While this maybe true I believe it is more so because it is a figure of speech rather than any concrete advice for your health. This is simply a fun way to remind people to eat properly, that eating healthy will prevent future visits to the doctor. An article by the national library of medicine about the association of apples and doctors tells of the humble origins of the phrase. An apple itself will not, but an overall healthy lifestyle will keep those pesky doctors away.

Answer 4

Yes, apples are good for you, but it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never have to go to the doctor. Every human being needs a check up at least once a month or every couple months, it’s not something you can avoid. Another thing to consider is that apples aren’t the only fruit that is healthy, there’s so many other fruits and vegetables that are important to include in your diet. So many other things go into taking care of your body and health, so eating only apples a day won’t guarantee anything. As for credibility, I think this is a trusted source, maybe not 100% credible but it is associated with Harvard. So I do think this claim is correct and has valid reasoning behind it.

Answer 5

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" isn't a "literal" thing. The famous phrase meaning eating healthy can reduce doctor visits is mainly targeted for the younger audience to also include healthier foods in their everyday life. Although eating an apple a day can be good for you, it is not guaranteed that the doctor visits will go away! The Healthline article claims that "Eating more apples may not be scientifically linked with fewer visits to the doctor, but apples are rich in nutrients and offer numerous benefits for disease prevention and long-term health."

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/an-apple-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away

Answer 6

A common hyperbole that people are told from a young age is that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." The claim above that was made is that, in reality, an apple a day does NOT keep the doctor away. This comes off as an aggressive statement at first, but when you think about it, it makes sense. Although keeping a healthy diet is a great way to "keep the doctor away," a lot of diseases, genetic defects, and viruses can all harm a humans health regardless of how healthy their own personal diet is. Eating fruits and vegetables has been proven to be a great source of nutrition's and vitamin's for humans to consume, but according to the Harvard University study below, which highlights the factor that a worldwide virus can hospitalize anyone regardless of diet, "The study was observational and doesn’t prove conclusively that a healthy diet prevents COVID. Researchers point out that getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in indoor settings are still the most important approaches to ward off the disease." 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/harvard-study-healthy-diet-associated-with-lower-covid-19-risk-and-severity#:~:text=The%20study%20was%20observational%20and,to%20ward%20off%20the%20disease.

Answer 7

This article proves that an apple a day doesn't keep the doctor away but makes for a healthy lifestyle. The study that the article cites proves that an apple physically cannot make the human body immune to any illness or injury, so there is no way for the statement "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" to hold true.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2210883#google_vignette