An apple a day reduces the risk of frailty by 20%, finds study

Frailty is a condition that favors the risk of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization and death. The health problem affects 10% to 15% of the elderly. Although prevention recommendations focus on protein intake, researchers are investigating other foods that may be beneficial in this context.

Eating plant-based foods that contain compounds called flavonoids can lower your chances of developing frailty. Fruits like apples and blackberries, which contain flavonoids called quercetin, may be most important for preventing frailty, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In the article, the researchers play with a reference to an old saying in the English language “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

“Our findings suggest that for every 10 mg of flavonoid intake per day, the odds of frailty were reduced by 20%. Individuals can easily consume 10 mg of flavonoids per day, as an average-sized apple contains about 10 mg of flavonoids,” the authors state in the study.

Although no significant association was observed between total flavonoid intake and frailty, a higher intake of the compound was associated with lower odds of developing the problem.

Specifically, higher quercetin intake had the strongest association with frailty prevention. “These data suggest that there may be specific subclasses of flavonoids with greater potential as a dietary strategy for the prevention of frailty,” said co-author Shivani Sahni, an investigator in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in communicated.

The authors suggest that future research should focus on flavonoid or quercetin nutritional interventions for the treatment of frailty. Further studies are also needed in ethnically diverse participants.