07/18/08 Old Adage Still Good MEdicine

Old Adage Still Good Medicine. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. The older I get the more I think some of the things my grandparents believed are still the best. Like an apple a day, you know the rest. Turns out, there is a lot more to that little ditty than a catchy turn of words. One is a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. HAAGA: Metabolic syndrome is really a complicated disease. It's really a cluster of different health problems and most of the time those health problems are linked to other chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease or diabetes. That's Stacie Haaga a nutritionist and Director for Consumer Health & Education with U.S. Apple. Research is showing a startling connection between apples and metabolic syndrome. HAAGA: We don't know exactly what it is about apples but we can say that when Dr. Victor Fulgoni of Nutrition Impact out of Michigan looked at food consumption data he found that there was a really positive association between consumption of apples and apple products which includes apple sauce and apple juice with nutrient intake and things like lowered blood pressure and reduced C-reactive proteins. The connection is significant according to Haaga. HAAGA: There was a 27% decreased likelihood of being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome if you are an apple or apple product consumer. The biggest link is that most apple consumers lean towards healthier eating and a healthier lifestyle. Research is continuing but in the meantime&grab an apple. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.