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A study in Pediatrics looked at the fruit consumption of more than 3,000 U.S. kids aged 2 to 19. Using a number of resources they calculated the contribution of whole fruit, fruit juices, mixed fruit dishes, and discrete fruits to find total fruit consumption. They examined differences by age, gender, race and Hispanic origin, and poverty status.
The study found that more kids chose apples than any other fruit. Apples accounted for nearly 19 percent of all youth fruit intake, while the combination of apples, apple juice, citrus juice, and bananas were responsible for almost half. 53 percent of kids preferred whole fruit, while 37 percent went for juice drinks.
Apples are widely known to be a healthy food option. But the latest research shows they may be better for us than we realized, and they are definitely not just for kids. According to the American Institute for Cancer research “Research points to apples as one important component in a diet to lower cancer risk. The antioxidant power in apples ranks among the highest in all fruits… Eating one or more apples per day was associated with lower risk for lung and colon cancer in several large-scale human studies that looked at apple consumption and cancer incidence.
So there may be some truth to that old phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”
The Study: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2015/09/15/peds.2015-1709.abstract
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