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Can Apple Prevent Heart Disease?
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” This is an old-fashioned proverb that began at the end of the 19th century. Is this a valid statement? A study published online March 30, 2015 in journal ‘JAMA Internal Medicine’ concluded that evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. The researchers, however, also pointed out that a small fraction of American adults who eat an apple a day do appear to use fewer prescription medications. One thing to note is that, the findings did not actually rule out the health benefits of eating apple. Earlier in 2011, a study published online April 1 in Journal 'FASEB (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology)' reported that eating an apple or 2 each day may reduce heart disease risk factors. 160 postmenopausal women were selected and randomly assigned to eat daily servings of either dried apples or prunes (dried plums). After a year of follow-up, the women in the apple group saw their total cholesterol drop by an average of 14 percent, and LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins or bad cholesterol) reduced by an average of 23 percent. Levels of lipid hydroperoxide (a biochemical involved in the formation of heart-clogging plaques) and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) were both down by about one-third. Though the study used dried apples for convenience, the researchers confirmed that fresh apples are likely to be even better. In fact, apple contains healthy nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Apples are good source of polyphenols, pectins, and phytosterols, all of which can help lower the LDL. Apples contains pectin, a soluble fiber, which blocks cholesterol absorption in the gut and encourages the body to use, rather than store, the waxy stuff. Apple peels are rich in polyphenols that packed with antioxidants that prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Polyphenols will lower the risk of most chronic illnesses including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Apples also have a good amount of potassium that can be beneficial for maintaining normal blood pressure. Reducing LDL levels and keeping blood pressure in check are essential for heart disease prevention.
Last year, a small study published December 16 in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’, found that eating 2 whole apples daily can lower blood cholesterol, helping to prevent a heart attack or a stroke. Researchers from the Edmund Mach Foundation in Italy examined 40 adults (23 women, 17 men) who had slightly high cholesterol levels but were otherwise healthy over an 8-week test period. Half the group was assigned to eat 2 apples a day, while the other half was given a sugar- and energy-matched apple control beverage. After a 4-week break, the groups switched and participants who previously consumed whole fruit were given the apple juice instead. In so doing, the researchers could observe the effect of eating fresh apple and drink apple juice for the same participant. Final analysis found that when participants ate 2 fresh apples a day, they had lower total blood cholesterol and LDL than when they drank apple juice, particularly for women. This partly attributed to the high fiber content found in apples. The report also revealed that people had more relaxed blood vessels after eating apples daily. Nevertheless, because this was a relatively small study, more research should still be required to explore the mechanism behind this. Several studies have linked eating apples to a lower risk of Type-2 diabetes, too. A large study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health found that eating more whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of Type-2 diabetes. Their findings, which were published online August 29, 2013 in BMJ (British Medical Journal), indicated that participants who ate at least 2 servings each week of certain whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, reduced their risk for Type-2 diabetes by as much as 23 percent in comparison to those who ate less than a serving per month. Diabetes is also a risk factor for heart disease. Reducing its risk means lowering heart disease risk. Date: January 23, 2020
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