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The Biomedical Engineering blog is the place for conversation and discussion about topics related to engineering principles of the medical field. Here, you'll find everything from discussions about emerging medical technologies to advances in medical research. The blog's owner, Chelsey H, is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with a degree in Biomedical Engineering.

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Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Posted March 09, 2017 12:00 AM by Chelsey H

We all know it’s important to eat your fruits and veggies! A new study found that doubling the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat every day significantly reduces your risk of disease.

The meta-analysis done by Imperial College London analyzed 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake. The study included up to 2 million people and assessed tens of thousands of cases of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death.

The research team estimates that approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be potentially prevented every year if people ate 10 portions, or 800 grams, of fruits and vegetables a day. Image credit

Eating up to 800 grams of fruits and vegetables a day was associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of heart disease; a 13 percent reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31 percent reduction in dying prematurely. This risk was calculated in comparison to not eating fruits and vegetables.

To put 800 grams in perspective, an 80-gram portion of fruits and vegetables equals approximately one small banana, apple, or pear, or three tablespoons of cooked vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower.

Fruits and vegetables are known to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and to boost the health of the immune system. This may be due to the complex network of nutrients they hold, which is not easy to recreate in a pill and is why it’s so important to eat whole foods to get the nutritional benefit, instead of taking antioxidant or vitamin supplements.

If you’re just getting started on eating healthy, don’t fret— the researchers found that there was still a significant benefit in disease prevention in eating the currently prescribed five portions of fruits and veggies a day. The results revealed that even a daily intake of 200g was associated with a 16 percent reduced risk of heart disease, an 18 percent reduced risk of stroke, and a 13 percent reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.

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#1

Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/09/2017 10:48 AM

I tried doubling the amount of fruits and vegetables I eat every day, but after the third day I couldn't eat that much.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/09/2017 12:22 PM

Commercial varieties of apple juice have trace amounts of arsenic at an average level of something like 5 ppm/v...

This is below a stated acceptance level of something like 15 ppm/v...

Total cumulative amounts over what time-spans are yet-to-be-determined?...

Knowing this, I try to eat < one apple a day, but that's all...

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/10/2017 3:36 AM

The article stated, "This risk was calculated in comparison to (those) not eating fruits and vegetables." That's akin to saying those who drinks 10 times more water will live longer and healthier than those who don't drink any at all.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/10/2017 9:47 AM

Guys, try these. I nuke a package and mix in a can of tuna for a meal.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/10/2017 12:25 PM

You are advocating TV dinners as health food? Tuna is one of the large fish, so it contains more mercury than smaller fish.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/10/2017 4:29 PM

Its not a tv dinner, its frozen veggies. Do not know about the mercury, but i eat a lot of canned tuna and am still working out.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/10/2017 5:23 PM

Oh, that's much better. Here is some info on the mercury.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/11/2017 9:40 AM

Read it! I eat around 3 cans of tuna/week. Also i eat fresh salmon, lots of chicken ,broiled, and eggs. Lean grass fed red meat (once/week). Lots of veggies and fruit. I don't have any health problems am off all medication and go to the gym daily.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/11/2017 6:58 AM

Eating apples or nuts, if they're not cooked (processed) causes my palate and throat to swell up - so they're not for everyone. My wife always believed in healthy eating but now wonders why she bothered as she battles with liver cancer.

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Re: Ten Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

03/13/2017 12:00 PM

My paternal grand parents both died of sclerosis of the liver, so I do sympathize with you both...

All any us can do is try to make healthy decisions, and then, hope for the best...

Maybe, certain dietary changes can help counter-act her cancer?...

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