'An Apple a Day' Keeps Stroke and Heart Attack Away

Of course, everyone is familiar with that old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." But is there really any truth behind it?

According to researchers from the University of Oxford, they found that eating an apple daily can help adults above 50 live longer. In fact, they even found that apples have the capacity to save thousands of lives through lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

"The Victorians had it about right when they came up with their brilliantly clear and simple public health advice: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away,'" said Dr. Adam Briggs of the BHF Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University, via a press release. "It just shows how effective small changes in diet can be, and that both drugs and healthier living can make a real difference in preventing heart disease and stroke. While no-one currently prescribed statins should replace them for apples, we could all benefit from simply eating more fruit."

Researchers urged patients taking statins to not discontinue their medication. Instead, they recommended that apples or statins be taken for everyone above 30 years old, noting a 3 percent reduction in vascular deaths.

These drugs help to lower cholesterol by blocking a substance that the body requires to make it. They may also help the body reabsorb cholesterol that's built up in plaques on artery walls, and in turn, prevent further blockage in blood vessels and heart attacks.

At this time, it's estimated that 5.2 million people are currently eligible for statin treatment in the United Kingdom (UK) and 17.6 million who are not currently taking the drugs would be offered them if they were recommended as a primary measure for those over 50.

Though this would mark a significant reduction in the number of annual vascular deaths for older individuals, it could also potentially increase the number of cases from muscle disease (myopathy) and diabetes, due to side-effects from the statin medications.

More information regarding the study can be found via the British Medical Journal.