Scientists look at the evidence behind ‘An apple a day’

Turns out, an apple a day doesn’t do much, other than improve your fiber intake and help you hit your daily servings of fruit.

Eating your daily Granny Smith doesn’t keep you away from the doctor, according to a recent study, though it could help you avoid some prescription medication.

A study published Monday in the The Journal of the American Medical Association had more than 8,700 adults take a survey about their diet and identified the group that eats the equivalent of one small apple a day. This was about 9 percent of the group.

Compared to the rest of the group, the apple-eaters were better educated, more likely to be from a racial or ethnic minority and less likely to smoke.

The apple-eaters visited the doctor about as often as the non-apple eaters, but they were “marginally more successful at avoiding prescription medications,” the study’s authors write.

So, the rhyme may be out of date — but if you can rhyme “An apple a day” with “marginally more successful at avoiding prescription medications,” let us know.