Apple is a favorite food for people who are on a diet because of the water content and fiber in apples can suppress appetite. Apples contain so many beneficial ingredients that will protect you from contracting a wide range of life-threatening conditions such as cancer or suffering a stroke. The latest pioneering research in the US has revealed that drinking apple juice and eating apples may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Clinical trials declared healthy adults, drink 12oz of 100 percent apple juice every day or eating two apples. The time needed for cholesterol to oxidize, or break up, rising to 20 percent after only six weeks after the apple diet. Apples contain phytonutrients or phytochemicals (compounds found in plants) that acts as antixiodents to LDL (low-density lipoprotein), compounds that can reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream. Apples are also rich in pectin, which is a soluble fiber that has been shown to be effective in lowering cholesterol levels.
Research conducted Florida State University in Tallahassee found that eating one apple every day is good for vascular or cardiovascular health.
Researchers note that women who eat apples every day for a year can lower total cholesterol by 14 percent and the level of bad cholesterol (LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein) by 23 percent.
"I never thought that apple consumption to 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 Sport Sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee, as reported by AP, Wednesday (04/13/2011).
In this latest study, the researchers wanted to assess the long-term effects of the consumption of apples on cardiovascular health.
Researchers recruited 160 women between the ages of 45 to 65 years. The women were randomized into one of two dietary intervention groups. One group was given 75 grams of dried apples every day for a year, while the other group was given dried prunes every day for a year.
According to this study, daily dry apple contains about 240 calories and an apple contains about 5 grams of fiber, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Researchers found that women who ate dried apples can lower total cholesterol by 14 percent. LDL cholesterol dropped 23 percent. Daily apple consumption also significantly lowered levels of C-reactive protein and lipid hydroperoxide, two ingredients that could indicate an increased risk of heart disease. But whether the plum effect on cholesterol levels is not mentioned in the study abstract.
"Apple really is the fruit of remarkable for many reasons. The biggest reason apples are fiber, apple has fiber soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber is 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 flesh of apples will become gel-like substance that is very thick you can take and pull cholesterol out of the body.
"One good thing in apples is pectin. It is a substance used to make jelly or jam, and pectin contributes to the viscosity of what is happening through the body, and helps remove it. Apples also have a lot of antioxidants and other natural components," he said.
Shapiro said he would recommend a fresh apple rather than dried apples, because some nutrients may be lost in the drying process.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food can have an effect on cholesterol levels. Foods containing 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, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, can reduce cholesterol levels, while carbohydrates are low in fiber tend to raise triglyceride levels and lower levels of good HDL cholesterol.
The results of this study have been presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington D.C.
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