An apple a day doesn’t really help keep the doctor away, according to research in a special April Fool’s issue of JAMA Internal Medicine. The light-hearted but genuine study looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) on almost 8,400 people. There was no significant difference between non-apple eaters and those eating at least one small apple per day in “keeping the doctor away,” defined as more than one self-reported visit to a physician during the past year. The same was true of overnight hospital stays and visits to a mental health professional, although apple eaters were slightly less likely to need prescription medications.
For a serious look at the health benefits of apples, see our January 2013 issue.