2023-05-24 13:34:00
Eating an apple every day protects you from frailty, say Harvard researchers. Because apples contain a substance that significantly reduces the risk of age-related fractures, hospital stays and the like.
The English proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” proves its truth again, say Harvard researchers. According to their current study, the flavonol quercetin contained in apples should prevent premature frailty in older people. In fact, the body can start showing signs as early as 40.
Up to 15 percent of older adults suffer from frailty
According to the researchers involved, about 10 to 15 percent of older adults suffer from frailty. In the over 90-year-olds it is even 25 percent. It is a geriatric syndrome that results in a higher risk of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization and mortality, and consequently severe physical and mental limitations. But frailty is not an inevitable fate. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating just one apple a day reduces the risk of being affected to a surprising extent.1
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How the quercetin found in apple protects against frailty
Current recommendations to prevent frailty focus primarily on protein intake. However, certain types of fruits and vegetables—most notably apples—appear to have significant health benefits as well. The 12-year study, which involved more than 1,700 women and men (average age 58.4 years), found that frailty was reduced by 20 percent when ten milligrams of quercetin was consumed per day. According to the researchers, this is exactly the amount contained in an apple, according to a statement.2 Quercetin is a particularly effective flavonol. Flavonols are plant compounds that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease and thus have a life-prolonging effect (FITBOOK reported). “Our data suggest that there may be certain subclasses of flavonoids that have the greatest potential for frailty prevention,” summarizes study leader Dr. Shivani Sahni together.
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Frailty can begin as early as 40 years of age
By the way: Blackberries, blueberries and kale also contain large amounts of quercetin. Experts therefore recommend consciously incorporating foods containing quercetin into your daily diet by the age of 40 at the latest. Frailty does not only affect older people. A study by Flinders University in Australia found that 45 percent of people aged 40 to 49 already have some form of prefrailty.3 These include balance problems, lack of strength in the limbs, or poor lung function – all symptoms that can be prevented with a simple apple a day.
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