Does an Apple a Day Really Keep the Doctor Away?
There are plenty of common cliches that we use in our everyday conversations, but “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a lesson that has been passed down for generations. It’s a saying that seems to come with little to no explanation as to how eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away other than it just does. Apples are packed with nutrients perfect for maintaining a healthy diet, but does adding one apple to your meal plan every day truly curb doctor visits? Yes and no.
The first known example of the use of the saying comes from a 19th-century magazine published in Wales. It was originally phrased, “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Over the next century, it evolved to “an apple a day, no doctor pay” and “an apple a day sends the doctor away.” It wasn’t until 1922 that the saying we know and love today was first documented. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a good proverb, but only when not taken literally.
Excerpted from MSN
