Eating an apple a day doesn't keep the doctor away, but it does reduce the amount of trips you make to the drug store per year. That's according to a new study that investigates whether there's any truth in the old saying.
A team of researchers led by Dr Matthew Davis, of the University of Michigan School of Nursing, asked 8,399 participants to answer survey questions about diet and health. A total of 753 were apple eaters, consuming at least 149g of raw apple per day. The remaining 7,646 were classed as non-apple eaters. When both groups answered questions on trips to the doctor and trips to the drug store per year, the apple eaters were found to be 27% less likely to visit the druggist for drugs.
Trips to the doctor were not significantly affected by apple consumption, though. "Evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, the small number of US adults who eat an apple a day does appear to use fewer prescription medications," the study concludes.
Apple eaters were also found to be less likely to smoke and be more likely to have a higher educational attainment than non-apple eaters. While apples do not compete with oranges, they do contain some immune（免疫的）system-increasing vitamin C, which may be why apple-eaters visit the druggist less. With over 8mg of vitamin C per medium-sized fruit, an apple can provide roughly 14% your daily recommended intake.
Previous studies have also linked apple consumption to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes（二型糖尿病）,improved lung function and a lower risk of colon（结肠）cancer.
How many non-apple eaters answered survey questions in the research?（ ）
- A.149
- B.7,646
- C.753
- D.8,399
正确答案及解析
正确答案
解析
由第二段前三句可知，总共有8,399人回答了问卷调查的问题；总共有753名吃苹果的人，他们每天至少消耗149克生苹果；剩下的7,646人被归类为不吃苹果的人，故选B。
