Apparently the old adage is true: an apple a day can keep the
doctor away, at least if you're pregnant and you're talking about the
risk that your baby will develop asthma. Can it be true? According to a new study
conducted of 2000 pregnant women, it looks like it can: at age five,
the children women who consumed four or more apples a week during the
pregnency were 37 percent less likely to have
a history of wheezing and 53 percent less likely to have
doctor-confirmed asthma, compared to moms who ate one or no
apples per week while pregnant. Interestingly, the effect was specific
to apples and no other fruits consumed had a positive effect on the
incidence of asthma. researchers surmise that it may have something to
do with the apples' phytochemical content,
such as flavonoids, which have been shown to have beneficial
effects on adult lung function.
Whatever. Eating a few apples (especially the lovely crunchy-juicy ones
in autumn that my five-year-old covets and consumes) can't be all that
bad, especially if it can prevent a lot of wheezing later on.
