An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away

Your grandmother was right: an apple a day can help keep the doctor away.

That's according to a study from Oxford University presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona today, which found those with fruit in their daily diet cut their risk of heart attack or stroke by up to 40 per cent compared to those who do not eat fruit at all.

Lead researcher Dr Huaidong Du, of Oxford University's Clinical Trial Service Unit, tracked the health of half a million Chinese people over seven years. He found the maximum benefit came from eating around 150g a day of fruit - around one apple and half a banana.

"Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including ischaemic heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death worldwide.

"Our data clearly shows that eating fresh fruit can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, including ischaemic heart disease and stroke - particularly haemorrhagic stroke. And not only that, the more fruit you eat the more your CVD risk goes down," Dr Huaidong said.

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