Nutritionists Recommend Apples For National Nutrition Month®

Vienna, Va. - Nutritionists and apple growers are encouraging consumers to eat -- what else? -- apples for good nutrition. March is National Nutrition Month®, a health education campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association since 1973.

"Apples provide tremendous whole health benefits that can dramatically improve your nutritional intake and at the same time are a great anytime snack," said Nancy Foster, president of the U.S. Apple Association (USApple), representing more than 7,500 apple growers.

National Nutrition Month's theme this year is "Get a taste for nutrition."

Apples contain zero fat or cholesterol and have only 80 calories, according to Wendy Davis, R.D., director of communications & consumer health at USApple. Apples are also loaded with pectin, a soluble fiber that aids in digestion. One apple provides as much dietary fiber as a bowl of bran cereal, Davis said.

Eating apples can even help dieters lose weight, she added. Eating an apple before a meal can help fill a person up and slim them down by displacing other food.

"If you're looking to downsize your waistline and give your health a boost, apples are your answer," Davis said. "Plus, they taste great too."

Researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro found in a study two years ago that overweight women who ate apples lost more weight on a low-calorie diet than women who didn't eat fruit.

In addition, the fruit eaters ate fewer calories overall, boosting their weight loss efforts. Davis recommends that consumers keep apples in the refrigerator to preserve freshness once they leave the grocery store.

Meanwhile, apples are proven to not only improve nutrition, they could save your life.

A study published this month by researchers at Cornell University showed that an apple a day, or more, can help keep breast cancer away. The study found that tumor incidence was reduced by 17, 39 and 44 percent in rats fed the human equivalent of one, three or six apples a day, respectively, over 24 weeks.

Other studies have found that so-called phytochemicals in apples are associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes, and that they fight bacterial and viral infections.

Even though apples were picked last summer and fall, advanced cold storage technologies allow growers to supply crisp, great tasting apples throughout the year.

Last year, apple growers around the U.S. harvested 221.6 million cartons of apples -- about 86 apples per American.

Note: The text of this release can be downloaded from the News Releases section of USApple's Media Web site, at http://www.usapple.org/media/newsreleases/index.shtml.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state and regional apple associations representing the 7,500 apple growers throughout the country, as well as more than 400 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple's mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.