Apples have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease (4).
One reason may be that apples contain soluble fiber, which is the kind that can help lower your blood cholesterol levels.
They also contain polyphenols, which have antioxidant effects. Many of these are concentrated in the peel.
One of these polyphenols is a flavonoid called epicatechin, which may lower blood pressure.
An analysis of studies found that high intakes of flavonoids were linked to a 20% lower risk of stroke (5).
Flavonoids can help prevent heart disease by lowering blood pressure, reducing LDL oxidation and acting as antioxidants (6).
Another study compared the effects of eating an apple a day to taking statins, which are a class of drugs known to lower cholesterol. It estimated that apples would be almost as effective at reducing death from heart disease as statins (7).
However, this was not a controlled trial, so take the findings with a grain of salt.
Another study linked consuming white-fleshed fruits and vegetables, such as apples and pears, to a reduced risk of stroke. For every 25 grams (about 1/5 cup of apple slices) consumed, the risk of stroke decreased by 9% (8).
No comments:
Post a Comment