The age-old proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is scientifically supported, as apples, particularly with their skins, offer significant health benefits including improved blood flow, brain function, and weight management.
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Hello. This is 6 Minute
English from BBC Learning English.
I’m Neil. And I’m Sam.
English has many proverbs
– short and well-known phrases
giving a piece of useful
advice, or common sense.
For example, the proverb,
“Actions speak louder than words”
means that what people do is
more important than what they say.
And the proverb, “Don’t
judge a book by its cover”
advises people not to form
opinions about people based
on how they look.
Proverbs are found in
many cultures and languages,
and are often passed down through
the generations to teach
children lessons in life.
One famous English proverb is:
“An apple a day keeps
the doctor away”.
In other words, eating fresh
fruit is good for you.
But is
it really true?
Can eating
an apple a day actually
have significant health
benefits?
That’s the question
we’ll be discussing in
this programme, and as usual,
we’ll be learning some
new vocabulary as well.
But before that I have
a question for you, Sam.
Most proverbs come from
a place’s history, and
England has a long history
of growing apples.
Over the
centuries, hundreds of different
apple varieties have been grown
in orchards up and
down the country, some
with quite unusual names.
So, which of the following
is the name of a real type
of English apple?
Is it:
a) a Taylor’s gold?
b) a Golden pippin?
or c) a Black Worcester?
I don’t know but
I think it’s b) a Golden pippin.
OK, Sam.
I’ll reveal
the answer later in
the programme.
But whatever
the name of the apple,
new scientific research
is showing that there really
are health benefits to
eating apples, especially
with the skins on.
Apple skins are full
of good stuff: fibre, vitamins,
and especially flavonoids -
a chemical compound known
to reduce blood pressure and
improve brain and heart health.
No wonder then, that when Dr Michael Mosley,
presenter of BBC Radio 4 programme,
Just One Thing, wanted
a snack to eat,
he reached for an apple.
It's early afternoon
and I'm a bit peckish,
so I'm about to grab
a delicious snack that
could improve my blood flow,
boost my brain, and
trim my waistline.
This is not some exotic
superfood.
In fact, it's an apple.
Dr Mosley wanted something
to eat because he was peckish -
a little bit hungry.
He wanted something healthy,
but chose an apple instead
of exotic superfoods like blueberries
or a banana smoothie.
If you call something exotic,
you mean it’s unusual and exciting,
often because it comes from an unfamiliar place.
Instead, he ate the least exotic
fruit I can imagine -
the humble apple.
But Dr Mosely thinks apples
do have health benefits,
and he lists them:
apples improve blood flow,
boost the brain,
and trim the waistline –
a phrase which means to keep
a healthy body weight
with no extra fat.
Yes, one reason apples are
so good for us is that
the skin is packed with
flavonoids which help people
lose weight, and have even
been linked to a longer life.
But that’s not all.
It’s the fact that there are so
many different ways of cooking
and eating apples which makes
them one of the nation’s favourite foods.
Here’s Dr Mosley again explaining
how he likes to eat his apples
to Just One Thing on BBC Sounds.
What I love about apples is
they are so versatile.
I've been snacking on them,
grating them into my porridge,
and having them sliced with
full fat yoghurt as a dessert.
But baked apples are one
of my favourite ways to consume them.
It seems an apple a day really
does keep the doctor away,
and also keep your heart,
gut and even your waistline
in good shape.
Dr Mosley eats apples in porridge,
sliced with yogurt, and even
baked in the oven.
He describes them as versatile
– things which can be used for
many different purposes,
or in many different ways.
What’s more, cooking or baking apples
doesn’t damage those healthy flavonoids,
so even the occasional apple crumble
with custard can be good for you!
Apple crumble and custard!
I’m not so sure that’s a way
to get in good shape –
a phrase meaning ‘healthy’
or ‘in good condition’.
But, Neil, it seems the
old proverb is true –
according to the science,
an apple a day really does
keep the doctor away!
Right, it’s time to reveal
the answer to your question.
Yes, I asked you about the
strange sounding names given
to some varieties of English apple.
And I said that a ‘Golden pippin’
was the name of a real apple.
So, was I right?
Yes, you were!
Golden pippin apples
were first grown in Arundel,
near the south coast of England,
while the other two - Black Worcester
and Taylor’s gold – are actually
types of English pear.
Right, let’s recap the vocabulary
we’ve learned from this programme,
starting with proverb –
a short sentence or expression
giving some well-known, traditional advice.
If you’re feeling peckish,
you’re slightly hungry.
The adjective exotic describes
something which is unusual and exciting,
often because it comes
from a far away place.
The phrase trim the waistline
means to keep your body weight
healthy with no extra fat around
your waistline – the area of your
body above the hips.
Something which is versatile
can be used for many purposes,
or in many different ways.
And finally, if someone
is in good shape, they’re in
a good state of health.
Once again, our six minutes
are up.
Bye for now!
Bye!
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