Scientists reveal if an apple a day keeps the doctor away and how much fruit you should be eating

Is eating one apple every single day really that good for you? Or could it actually be doing more harm?

It's a saying we heard on repeat at school, but was it just teachers' desperate attempts to try and get us to eat more fruit over sweets or is eating one piece of fruit every day really advantageous when it comes to our health?

Well, a study has looked into the correlation between fruit intake and death relating to high blood pressure so if you fancied a more informed approach to a New Year's resolution for 2025 then look no further.

Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? (Getty Stock Images)

The study - published in Frontiers this year - explains there's 'extensive research' which shows the benefits of eating fruit on 'overall health' but the 'influence of fruit consumption on mortality rates among hypertensive individuals remains uncertain'.

"Consequently, aim of this study is to evaluate whether fruit consumption is associated with all-cause mortality among hypertensive patients," it adds.

For the study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) looked at 2,480 patients diagnosed with hypertension.

Cleveland Clinic explains: "High blood pressure (hypertension) has no symptoms and can be dangerous if not treated. Hypertension puts you at risk for stroke, heart attack and other problems.

"Nearly half of adults who have hypertension don’t realize it. So, checkups are crucial. Dietary changes, exercise and medicine can help you keep your blood pressure where it should be."

Participants were asked how often they ate apples and also bananas, pears, pineapples and grapes on average over the last year and their eating habits were then analyzed, put into categories of: "Unknown, less than once /month, 1–3 times/month, 1–2 times/ week, three to six times/ week, or once or more /day."

Other fruit are beneficial too (Getty Stock Images)

The study explains its findings revealed adults with hypertension who ate apples 'three to six times per week' had a 'significantly lower risk of mortality compared to those who consumed them less than once a month' - around 30 percent less likely to die prematurely, the Post states.

But what about pears or pineapples I hear you cry? Well, it continues: "The study findings demonstrate that consuming apples or bananas three to six times per week is correlated with reduced all-cause mortality among individuals with hypertension, whereas no significant correlation was observed between the consumption of pears, pineapples, and grapes and lower all-cause mortality risks.

"Additionally, consuming a combination of apples and bananas three to six times per week may be associated with the greatest reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality."

So, an apple every other day to every day certainly may help keep the doctor - or more specifically in this study's case, morgue - away.