Eating an apple a day shown to help cholesterol levels

A new study in the United States has revealed that the health benefits of apples is not just an old wives’ tale, but rooted in scientific reality. Apart from the benefits of fibre, they have also been shown to lower the levels of bad cholesterol and contain pectin and polyphenols that help improve lipid metabolism and reduce the production of pro-inflammatory molecules.
The research, led by Bahram H. Arjmandi of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences at Florida State University, focused on assessing the long-term cardioprotective benefits for postmenopausal women of eating an apple every day. It involved monitoring 160 women aged between 45 and 65 in two groups, one of which consumed dried apples each day for one year, while the other received dried prunes daily for a year, with blood samples taken regularly.
Dr. Arjmandi commented that “incredible changes in the apple-eating women happened by 6 months – they experienced a 23 per cent decrease in LDL cholesterol .” The group that ate the apples also showed a reduction in lipid hydroperoxide levels and C-reactive protein .
Arjmandi added “I never expected apple consumption to reduce bad cholesterol to this extent while increasing HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol by about 4 per cent.” The apple consumption also produced no weight gain in the women studied, but rather a loss of 3.3lbs on average over the period, offering another benefit from eating an apple a day.