An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so we thought.
In fact, it turns out that one every two days may be enough to keep you in good shape and even help you live longer.
Scientists found that eating four apples a week can reduce the chances of dying from heart disease by almost 40 percent.
Bananas are also hugely beneficial: they reduce the risk of premature death by just under 30 percent. And if you eat both fruits three or four times a week, the probability of premature death is almost halved.
An apple every two days may be enough to keep you fit and even help you live longer, according to new research
In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers at Yangtze Hospital in Jinzhou, China, tracked 2,184 middle-aged men and women who had high cholesterol.
Over ten years, those who ate three to four apples a week were 39 percent less likely to die from any cause than those who rarely ate them. Regular banana consumption had a similar impact.