An apple a favorite food for people on a diet program because the content of water and fiber in apples may suppress appetite. Not only that, eat an apple every day can also keep you from heart disease.
Recent research conducted in Tallahassee Florida State University found that eating an apple every day good for vascular or cardiovascular health.
Researchers noted that women who eat apples every day for a year can lower total cholesterol by 14 percent and levels of bad cholesterol (LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein) by 23 percent.
"I never thought that eating apples can reduce bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) about 4 percent," said Bahram Arjmandi, Chairman of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee, as reported by HealthDay, Wednesday (13/04/2011).
In this latest study, researchers wanted to assess the long-term effects of apple consumption on heart health.
Researchers recruited 160 women between the ages of 45 to 65 years. The women were randomly assigned into one of two dietary intervention groups. One group was given 75 grams of dried apples every day for a year, while the other was given dried prunes every day for a year.
According to this study, dried apples contains about 240 calories daily and apple contains about 5 grams of fiber, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Researchers found that women who ate dried apples can lower total cholesterol by 14 percent. LDL cholesterol dropped by 23 percent. Daily apple consumption also significantly lowered levels of C-reactive protein and lipid hydroperoxide, two ingredients that may indicate an increased risk of heart disease. But whether the plum effect on cholesterol levels is not mentioned in the study abstract.
"Apple is the fruit truly remarkable for many reasons. The biggest reason is the apple fiber, apple has both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber found in the skin, while the flesh contains soluble fiber," said Jessica Shapiro, a clinical nutritionist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
According to Shapiro, the apple flesh-like substance will be a very viscous gel that can pick up cholesterol from the body and pull it out.
"One good thing in apples is pectin. This is a substance used to make jelly or jam, and pectin contributes to the viscosity of what is happening through the body, and help out. Apples also have lots of antioxidants and other natural components," he said.
Shapiro said he would recommend fresh apples instead of dried apples, because some nutrients may be lost in the drying process.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food can have an effect on cholesterol levels. Foods that contain saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can raise cholesterol levels, while foods with healthy fats such as olive oil can lower your cholesterol.
Foods with fiber, like fruits, vegetables and grains, can reduce for high cholesterol levels, while carbohydrates are low in fiber tend to raise levels of triglycerides and lower HDL as good cholesterol.
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