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I don鈥檛 know about you, but I am a longstanding believer in an apple a day. There鈥檚 always a big wire basket of Galas or Fujis in my kitchen, and I break my fast with an apple over morning email. The enjoyment of apples in my home even crosses the species barrier, as our Giant Schnauzer maws down his twice-daily thyroid pill in meaty quarters of apple. But, are there true apple health benefits? Or, is this just an old adage.

So I read with great interest a report entitled 鈥淎ssociation Between Apple Consumption and Physician Visits: Appealing the Conventional Wisdom That an Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away鈥� in this week鈥檚 edition of .

The report was published in the journal鈥檚 by a pack of parodists from Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan School of Nursing, and the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in White River. It鈥檚 based on actual national nutrition data collected from nearly 8,400 men and women 鈥� 753 of whom ate an apple a day 鈥� and follows rigorous study methods.

Disappointingly, the study concludes, 鈥淓vidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away; however, the small fraction of US adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications.鈥�

Apples may have failed this critical scientific test, but you鈥檒l have to pry this tasty fruit from my cold, dead fingers. I wondered if Harvard nutrition experts believe in apple health benefits as strongly as me.

鈥淚 do not eat an apple every day,鈥� admits registered dietitian Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淗owever, I do love apples and eat them frequently.鈥�

McManus reassured me that, even though the JAMA study is published with tongue in cheek, you can trust your taste buds if you are an apple fancier. There are some true apple health benefits.

For one thing, you can鈥檛 beat the convenience of an apple, McManus points out. 鈥淭hey are an easy go-to snack.鈥� Since apples are about 85% water by weight, they can help fill you up without a lot of calories.

Apples also follow kindergarten rules, since they play nicely with other healthy foods. 鈥淚 often encourage my patients to combine a healthy carb with a healthy fat and protein by spreading peanut butter on an apple,鈥� McManus says. 鈥淟ow fat cheese also goes well with apple. Apples are great in salads and salsas, too.鈥�

The belief in apple health benefits seems beyond repute. But can we be sure? In the health field, invisible agendas are omnipresent. After all, the JAMA authors warn, the health benefits of frequent apple intake have been 鈥減romoted by the lay media and powerful special interest groups, including the US Apple Association.鈥�

Health reporters need to ask the hard questions. The people demand to know why apples are healthy. I asked McManus to bottom-line it for me.

鈥淚n fresh fruit and vegetables you get a complete package of healthy nutrients,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here is good data to show that the soluble fiber in apples can help prevent cholesterol from building up on artery walls. Apples contain a good amount of potassium, which can be beneficial for those who are watching their blood pressure.鈥�

McManus disclosed no financial relationships with the apple industry. I, on the other hand, can be bought for a paltry peck of . It seemed sensible to contact the U.S. Apple Association for comment (and see if they would make me an offer I couldn鈥檛 refuse).

In a somewhat carefully prepared statement, Wendy Brannen, Director, Consumer Health & Public Relations for U.S. Apple Association (USApple) said, 鈥淗ere at USApple, we are all for research and always happy to put the age-old 鈥榓pple a day鈥� adage to the test.鈥�

However, Brannen asserted, she and her apple-promoting colleagues 鈥渁re of the mind that an apple a day really does keep the doctor away 鈥� or at the minimum make your doctor visits much more palatable.鈥�

Brannen added: 鈥淲e realize this is going in 闯础惭础鈥檚 April Fools鈥� issue, but it鈥檚 foolish to even imply enjoying an apple a day doesn鈥檛 support good, preventative health.鈥�

No offense, but I鈥檇 call that sour grapes! Thank goodness for objective, evidence-based apple epidemiology.

It would be irresponsible not to address the most controversial public health issue regarding apples: Is apple juice as good for you as a whole apple? McManus is clear on this: 鈥淚 strongly suggest you eat the whole apple. Juice does not have the fiber a whole apple does, and a good part of the beneficial nutrients are in the skin. Apple juice is not equal to a real apple.鈥�

Are you listening, Apple Juice Industrial Complex?

What we need to resolve this controversial issue is better data. So here鈥檚 a suggestion for next year鈥檚 April Fools鈥� issue: 鈥淛uice Box or Jawbone: A Randomized Clinical Trial Assessing the Health Benefits of Liquid or Solid Preparations of Apples.鈥�