Apples promote longevity, ward off age-related deterioration

In what comes as a confirmation of the old adage an apple a day keeps the doctor away, scientists have established the link between apples and not only good health but also longevity, courtesy the fruit fly.

Fruit flies share many genes with humans and not unsurprisingly are the standard stand-ins for humans in many medical research experiments. For the experiment in question, scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong fed one set of fruit flies a normal diet while the other had an apple extract added.

The scientists found that those fed normally lived an average of 50 days - five days fewer than those whose food was supplemented with apple, according to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The researchers, believe that the anti oxidants in the apple juice mopped up dangerous chemicals responsible for a host of ills, including ageing.

However, the health benefits of the extracts were not limited to longevity alone as the flies also found it easier to walk, climb and move about as they aged.

The apple extract was also able to reduce the level of biochemicals found in older fruit flies that are linked to age-related deterioration.