Two Apples A Day Keeps Cholesterol Away.
Source: Thailand Medical News Dec 20, 2019 4 years, 11 months, 4 days, 2 hours, 2 minutes ago
According to new research, eating two
apples a day has been shown to help keep
cholesterol down and fight
heart disease risk
In a study paper published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a team of scientists led by the University of Reading in collaboration with the Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM) Institute, Italy found that eating
apples which were rich in fibre and compounds called
polyphenols reduced the amount of total and LDL
cholesterol and improved markers associated with blood vessel
health in participants who had slightly raised blood
cholesterol levels.
"This latest study shows that the impact of an easy to implement dietary change could have an important impact on key measures of
heart disease risk. A particular interest in this study is how the two whole
apples, rather than a sugar and calorie matched
apple juice drink, has had a significant effect on markers of
heart health of participants.” commented Professor Dr Julie Lovegrove, Director of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading during a phone interview with
Thailand Medical News.
Dr Julie Lovegrove added, "It seems the old adage of an
apple day was nearly right."
The research team used Renetta Canada
apples grown in the Trentino Italy, which were rich in a type of
polyphenol compound called
proanthocyanidins (PAs) and a matched
apple juice squash as a control. While the control drink was similar in calories and total sugar the whole apple used had significantly higher proportions of fibre (8.5g vs <0.5g, respectively) and total
polyphenol content (990mg vs 2.5mg, respectively).
"One of the clear findings from this study is that simple small changes in our diet such as the daily introduction of two
apples may have an important impact on markers of
heart health. “ said Dr Thanasis Koutsos, who performed the study.
Dr Thanasis Koutsos added, "We don't yet know whether the fibre that is found in the
apple or the
polyphenol which is in significantly greater concentration in the
apples we used is responsible for the results. Either way, the clear winner here is the whole food."
Reference : Athanasios Koutsos et al. Two apples a day lower serum cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic biomarkers in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2019).&nbs
p;DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz282
