Apples would give a similar boost to cardiovascular health as medicines, such as statins, yet carry none of the side-effects, the University of Oxford researchers say in the BMJ.

They base their assumptions on modelling, not direct scientific study.

Any fruit should work, but getting people to comply could be challenging.

More than two-thirds of adults do not eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day, population surveys suggest.

And although nine in 10 of us do manage to eat at least one portion a day, Dr Adam Briggs and colleagues, from the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University, say we would all benefit from eating more.

By their calculations, if adults of all ages could manage to eat an extra portion of fruit or veg a day, as many as 11,000 vascular deaths could be averted each year.

The Victorian mantra of "an apple a day" to keep the doctor away is particularly important for the over-50s, who are at increased risk of vascular diseases, say the researchers.

They analysed the effect on the most common causes of vascular mortality - heart attacks and strokes - of prescribing either a statin a day, which lowers cholesterol, or an apple a day to people over 50.

Assuming at least seven in every 10 complied with the advice, statin drugs could save 9,400 lives and an apple a day 8,500 lives a year, they calculate.

The data their work rests on comprises a large body of medical trials and observations involving hundreds of thousands of patients.

Dr Briggs said: "The Victorians had it about right when they came up with their brilliantly clear and simple public health advice, 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'

"It just shows how effective small changes in diet can be, and that both drugs and healthier living can make a real difference in preventing heart disease and stroke.

"While no-one currently prescribed statins should replace them for apples, we could all benefit from simply eating more fruit."

Dr Peter Coleman, of the Stroke Association, said everyone stood to benefit from eating a balanced diet.

"Apples have long been known as a natural source of antioxidants and chemical compounds called flavanoids, all of which are good for our health and wellbeing.

"This study shows that, as part of a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veg, a daily apple could help to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. "

参考译文：

牛津大学的研究人员称，苹果可能可以发挥和他汀类药物一样的功效——对心血管健康有益，且没有任何副作用。
不单是苹果，事实上所有的水果都有类似功效，然而让人们适应饮食上的变化却是一个挑战。
调查显示，英国三分之二的成年人没有遵从“一日五蔬果”的健康建议，尽管其中十分之九的人至少每天吃一种蔬果，但摄入量依然远远不够。如果各年龄阶段的成年人能够每天多吃一种蔬果，则全英国可以减少至少11000例的心血管疾病死亡。
每天多吃一个苹果对50岁以上的人尤其重要，因为对于这个年龄段的人来说，心血管疾病的风险增加了。
研究人员统计和分析了最容易导致死亡的两种心血管类疾病——心脏病和中风的相关死亡数据。他们分析了通过服用他汀类药物用以降低胆固醇的人群以及每天吃一个苹果的人群身上可能产生的效果。通过计算，如果英国至少十分之七的人接受这两种健康建议的一种，则通过服用他汀类药物每年可以拯救9400人，而接受苹果建议则每年可以拯救8500人。
维多利亚时代（19世纪）有句谚语：“一日一苹果，医生远离我。”这句简单而清晰的公众健康建议有效地使大众减小了心血管疾病的风险。小小的饮食改变可以让人们免受心血管疾病的危害，尽管没有医生会拿苹果作为取代他汀类药物的药方，但我们确实可以通过简单的多吃水果来避免心血管疾病的风险。

原始来源：http://www.bbc.com/news/health-25413939