The health benefits of apples ⏲️ 6 Minute English

0:07 Hello.

0:08 This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

0:11 I’m Neil.

0:11 And I’m Sam.

0:13 English has many proverbs– short and well-known phrases

0:17 giving a piece of useful advice, or common sense.

0:20 For example, the proverb, “Actions speak louder than words” means that what

0:25 people do is more important than what they say.

0:28 And the proverb, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” advises

0:33 people not to form opinions about people based on how they look.

0:38 Proverbs are found in many cultures and languages,

0:41 and are often passed down through

0:42 the generations to teach children lessons in life.

0:46 One famous English proverb is: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

0:51 In other words, eating fresh fruit is good for you.

0:55 But is it really true?

0:57 Can eating an apple a day actually have significant health benefits?

1:01 That’s the question we’ll be discussing in this programme,

1:04 and as usual, we’ll be learning some new vocabulary as well.

1:09 But before that I have a question for you, Sam.

1:12 Most proverbs come from a place’s history,

1:14 and England has a long history of growing apples.

1:18 Over the centuries, hundreds of different apple varieties have

1:21 been grown in orchards up and down the country, some with quite unusual names.

1:27 So, which of the following is the name of a real type of English apple?

1:32 Is it: a) a Taylor’s gold?

1:35 b) a Golden pippin?

1:37 or c) a Black Worcester?

1:39 I don’t know but I think it’s b) a Golden pippin.

1:42 OK, Sam.

1:43 I’ll reveal the answer later in the programme.

1:46 But whatever the name of the apple,

1:48 new scientific research is showing that there

1:51 really are health benefits to eating apples, especially with the skins on.

1:57 Apple skins are full of good stuff: fibre, vitamins,

2:01 and especially flavonoids- a chemical compound known to reduce

2:06 blood pressure and improve brain and heart health.

2:09 No wonder then, that when Dr Michael Mosley, presenter of BBC Radio 4 programme,

2:15 Just One Thing, wanted a snack to eat, he reached for an apple.

2:22 It's early afternoon and I'm a bit peckish,

2:24 so I'm about to grab a delicious snack that could improve my blood flow,

2:29 boost my brain, and trim my waistline.

2:32 This is not some exotic superfood.

2:38 In fact, it's an apple.

2:41 Dr Mosley wanted something to eat because he was peckish- a little bit hungry.

2:46 He wanted something healthy, but chose an apple instead of exotic

2:50 superfoods like blueberries or a banana smoothie.

2:54 If you call something exotic, you mean it’s unusual and exciting,

2:58 often because it comes from an unfamiliar place.

3:01 Instead, he ate the least exotic fruit I can imagine- the humble apple.

3:08 But Dr Mosely thinks apples do have health benefits,

3:11 and he lists them: apples improve blood flow, boost the brain,

3:16 and trim the waistline– a phrase which means

3:19 to keep a healthy body weight with no extra fat.

3:23 Yes, one reason apples are so good for us is

3:26 that the skin is packed with flavonoids which help people lose weight,

3:30 and have even been linked to a longer life.

3:33 But that’s not all.

3:35 It’s the fact that there are so many different ways of cooking

3:38 and eating apples which makes them one of the nation’s favourite foods.

3:43 Here’s Dr Mosley again explaining how he likes to eat

3:46 his apples to Just One Thing on BBC Sounds.

3:50 What I love about apples is they are so versatile.

3:54 I've been snacking on them, grating them into my porridge,

3:58 and having them sliced with full fat yoghurt as a dessert.

4:02 But baked apples are one of my favourite ways to consume them.

4:05 It seems an apple a day really does keep the doctor away,

4:08 and also keep your heart, gut and even your waistline in good shape.

4:14 Dr Mosley eats apples in porridge,

4:16 sliced with yogurt, and even baked in the oven.

4:20 He describes them as versatile– things which

4:23 can be used for many different purposes, or in many different ways.

4:28 What’s more, cooking or baking apples doesn’t damage those healthy flavonoids,

4:34 so even the occasional apple crumble with custard can be good for you!

4:39 Apple crumble and custard!

4:40 I’m not so sure that’s a way to get

4:43 in good shape– a phrase meaning ‘healthy’ or ‘in good condition’.

4:47 But, Neil, it seems the old proverb is true– according to the science,

4:52 an apple a day really does keep the doctor away!

4:55 Right, it’s time to reveal the answer to your question.

4:59 Yes, I asked you about the strange sounding

5:01 names given to some varieties of English apple.

5:05 And I said that a ‘Golden pippin’ was the name of a real apple.

5:09 So, was I right?

5:10 Yes, you were!

5:11 Golden pippin apples were first grown in Arundel,

5:14 near the south coast of England,

5:16 while the other two- Black Worcester and Taylor’s

5:18 gold– are actually types of English pear.

5:21 Right, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve learned from this programme,

5:25 starting with proverb– a short sentence

5:28 or expression giving some well-known, traditional advice.

5:31 If you’re feeling peckish, you’re slightly hungry.

5:34 The adjective exotic describes something which is unusual and exciting,

5:39 often because it comes from a far away place.

5:42 The phrase trim the waistline means to keep your body weight healthy with no

5:47 extra fat around your waistline– the area of your body above the hips.

5:52 Something which is versatile can be used for many purposes,

5:56 or in many different ways.

5:58 And finally, if someone is in good shape, they’re in a good state of health.

6:02 Once again, our six minutes are up.

6:05 Bye for now!

6:05 Bye!