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Make apples part of your everyday diet...and breathe a little easier!

Apple eaters, here's some good news to kick off the New Year. Eating at least five apples a week could help you breathe more easily, according to a new research study published the January 2000 issue of the British medical journal Thorax.

The study found that men who ate nearly an apple a day had slightly stronger lung function than those who excluded apples from their diets. While an exact scientific explanation for the improvement is unclear, scientists know that apples are packed with healthy compounds like antioxidants - which experts believe may combat disease by protecting the body from oxygen's damaging effects. (The researchers also considered the influence of vitamin C, beta-carotene, citrus fruit and fruit juices, but none of these seemed to improve lung function.)

In a recent Associated Press story, Paul A. Lachance, executive director of the Nutraceutacals Institute at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said it was possible the benefit came from the antioxidants in apples, but it was unlikely that only a single antioxidant was at work. Experts believe apples are loaded with several hundred healthy compounds and it may be the unique combination of these nutrients that creates the effect, according to Lachance.

Other recent studies, including a 1999 study from the University of California at Davis, found that most of the phytonutrients in apples also can be found in processed apple products such as 100% apple juice. And two studies from Finland, published within the past three years, found a correlation between the phytonutrients found in apples and a reduced risk of both heart disease and lung cancer.

In regards to the new research in Thorax, Cora Tabak of the National Institute of Public Health and Environment in the Netherlands said, "This study strengthens the argument that eating fresh fruit, and apples, may be good for you."

So, eat an apple and breathe easier!

USDA's New Food Guide Pyramid Highlights Apple Products As A Fruit Serving

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a new version of the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children. The colorful model was designed to encourage healthy eating for kids 2 to 6 years old. The Pyramid is rich in one of kid's favorite foods -- apple products. Not only is a medium apple listed as one of the two recommended servings a day from the fruit group, the Pyramid guide sheet also lists 1/2 cup of applesauce and 3/4 cup of fruit juice (such as 100% apple juice) as a fruit serving for a 4- to 6-year-old child (a 2/3 portion of a serving is recommended for children 2- to 3- years-old). The new graphics and messages are tailored to foods commonly eaten by children and are easier to understand than the original Food Guide Pyramid. Click here to see the USDA Food Guide Pyramid for Children 2 to 6 years old. (CNN and Reuters Health, Source: USDA Web site)

Americans Are Urged to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

More than 20 organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society, have urged the government to revise dietary guidelines and place fruits and vegetables at the center of a healthy diet. "We are suffering, and in some cases dying, from a fruit and vegetable deficit that is growing larger every day," stated Elizabeth Pivonka, dietitian and president of the Produce for Better Health Foundation. "Taking a daily pill will not make up for this enormous deficit." The USDA Dietary Guidelines Committee will release new dietary guidelines next year. "As the guidelines stand now, they do not include fruits and vegetables," stated Ms. Pivonka. The current "food pyramid," used by nutritionists and most nutrition education programs is centered around grains, fruits and vegetables are next, then diary and meats, nuts, beans and legumes, and fats and sweets last. Organizations want the guidelines to tell Americans to center their diet around fruits and vegetables. The current guidelines recommend eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. However, Americans are not getting enough, stated Ms. Pivonka. "We are more than twice as likely to start the day with coffee as with fruit juice," she stated. "We found that only 17 percent of the food we eat at lunch are fruits, vegetables or 100 percent juice." Colin Campbell, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University, said that people can receive all of their nutrients from fruit and vegetables. "There are no essential nutrients in animal-based foods that are not also available, to better advantage, in properly grown plant-based foods." Mr. Campbell stated. Most organizations also state that there is strong evidence that people can save health care dollars by eating more fruits and vegetables. "The evidence is very strong that those who eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily are at a lower risk of cancer," stated Dr. David Rosenthal, immediate past president of the American Cancer Society. He said that one-third of cancers are related to diet. Dr. Rosenthal feels that revising the guidelines is a first step to helping Americans eat better. (Reuters, February 23, 1999)

New Study Finds Too Much Juice Does Not Affect Growth

Researchers say warnings that parents limit their child's consumption of fruit juice due to the stunting of growth have been premature. A new study by Dr. Jean D. Skinner and colleagues at the University of Tennessee found no link between juice consumption and growth. "We conclude that there is no prevalence of obesity and/or stature in children who consume 12 ounces or more of fruit juice daily," say researchers. Researchers studied the diets and growth patterns of 105 children between the ages of 24 to 36 months, interviewing the mother and measuring the children's height and weight. Data results showed no statistical differences between those who drank 12 ounces or more of juice each day and those who drank less than 12 ounces per day. Although juice did not replace milk in the child's diet, children with higher juice intake levels had lower levels of Vitamin D, 32 of 105 children consumed the recommended 2 cups of milk a day. Those who drank the most juice had higher levels of potassium, folate and ascorbic acid, which are found in juices. Those eating large food quantities may have negative results, but "it seems unlikely that amounts as small as 12 ounces per day of a nutritious, low-energy dense food such as 100% fruit juice would cause stunting and/or obesity in otherwise healthy children," researchers concluded. The research was published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics. (Source: Pediatrics for Reuters, January 5, 1998)

Apples and Apple Products on the Hottest Foods List for 1999

Apples are one of the "hottest" phytochemical-rich foods recommended "to consume more of" in 1999, according to Dr. Barbara Levine at the Cornell Medical Center's Nutrition Information Center. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds that are in foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, licorice root, soy, and green tea. There are more than 3,000 types of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals, which give plants their color, flavor and smell, have significant health benefits. Many researchers believe they reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Apples, apple juice and applesauce contain a wide range of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds which are known for their strong antioxidant activity. Flavonoids in some fruits have shown to work against low-density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol). Apples and apple juice may be heart healthy due to their antioxidant properties associated with the phenolic compounds found in apples.

Coronary death rates are higher among those with low dietary intake of flavonoids. The flavonoids found in apple products may also help prevent cancer. A recent study conducted in Finland found that flavonoids in apples played a major role in decreasing the risk of lung cancer by 58 percent. Quercetin, a flavonoid found largely in apples and apple juice, provided 95 percent of the total flavonoid intake in the population studied. Researchers concluded that the more apples consumed, the less risk of lung cancer and others malignancies, including skin and colon cancer.

Other "hot foods" included on The Nutrition Information Center report were: citrus fruits/juice; cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts); garlic; and, tomatoes. With respect to apples/apple juice, the report concluded that "a flavonoid from an apple or glass of apple juice a day might actually keep the doctor away!" (Nutrition Information Center, January 13, 1999; The Nutrition Information Center is a component of the Clinical Nutrition Research Unit of The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.)

Healthy Eating Helps Boost Kids' Performance
Apple Products Can Help

Studies have shown that without breakfast, many children have more trouble concentrating and have poorer speed and accuracy remembering information. Experts suggest that when children are not hungry in the morning, it may be due to overeating at night as shown in adult studies. In these studies, eating large amounts of food in the evening were associated with lack of hunger in the morning. Therefore, parents may want to monitor a child's eating habits more closely. As healthy breakfast eating is introduced, evening eating and hunger will decrease. If time is a problem, try moving bedtime back 15 minutes so it is easier for the child to get up in the morning. Some non-traditional and quick breakfast foods nutritionists recommend for a healthy breakfast are: a toasted cheese sandwich with some applesauce, peanut butter and banana on a bagel, a waffle with fruit or yogurt, or a fruit "smoothie" drink. Children also need a healthy lunch to learn throughout the afternoon. When packing a child's lunch, combine some grain products, protein and some vegetables and/or fruits (like apples).

Experts also recommend that when it comes to beverages, parents should avoid giving children caffeinated beverages, especially in the evening or in the morning. [100% fruit juice like apple juice does not contain caffeine and has no added sugar.]
(Source: American Institute for Cancer Research for MSNBC, October 9, 1998)