Q: “My son has had a bout of asthma twice from eating hamburgers and fizzy drinks from a well known food chain. Could there be a link?”

A: There may be, according to New Zealand doctors who in 2005 reported a series of cases. It’s still not clear whether it is the material in the burgers or the drinks that caused the flare ups but they describe it as significant and advise people with asthma to be wary of fast food.

“Older people who exercise three or more times a week are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.”

– Annals of Internal Medicine,

April 2006

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ as the saying goes. Old wives tales often have a grain of truth to them and recent research is showing that apples can help to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, allergies and inflammation.

The skin of the apple is actually more beneficial than the flesh and it is important to buy organic apples so that you can eat the skin free of pesticides. The important nutrient in the skin is quercetin which is known as a flavonoid and is a powerful anti-oxidant. It has remarkable anti-tumour properties and can also help stop inflammation.

Quercetin also plays a part in reducing allergies as it stops the manufacture and release of histamine.

But there is more to apples than just quercetin. The insoluble fibre found in apples is helpful for constipation and the soluble fibre helps to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

Apples also contain pectin, one of the soluble fibres, which is known to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.

Best Tip: Eat the whole apples not the juice as the juice contains very little quercetin and fibre.