AN APPLE A DAY MAY KEEP LUNG CANCER AWAY

It’s true, an apple a day really does keep the doctor away–and the cancer–according to new research.

A recent medical study of nearly 10,000 men and women in Finland over 26 years showed that those with highest consumption of apples were less than half as likely to develop lung cancer as those who ate few or no apples. The study, published in Fall, 1997 American Journal of Epidemiology focused on flavonoids, a plant compound known to have antioxidant effects. Apples are very rich in a flavonoid called quercetin, especially in comparison to other fruits.

Statistical analyses of the diets studied showed that those who consumed the most flavonoid-rich foods-apples and other fruits, onions, juices, vegetables and jams-had a 20 percent lower incidence of cancer. Quercetin, a flavonoid found largely in apples, accounted for 95 percent of the flavonoids consumed by the study group.