Study: Eating two apples daily for eight weeks lower bad cholesterol
By: Team Ifairer | Posted: 16-12-2019
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After eating the apples, people's 'bad' cholesterol was an average of 3.6 per cent lower than following the apple drink regime. While this falls far short of the effect from taking statins, the drugs which typically reduce cholesterol by 30 to 55 per cent, this small dietary change may still help to reduce people's risk of cardiovascular disease.
Experts believe a type of fibre found in apples fuels important gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids which may lower the liver's production of cholesterol. These gut bugs may also change the form of bile salts, which contain cholesterol, so that higher amounts of it are passed out of the body. This is important because high cholesterol in the blood can block and harden arteries, raising the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
The variety of green apples given to people in the study, called Renetta Canada apples, are especially high in polyphenols, which are compounds found in many fruits and vegetables, but researchers believe effects could be seen from other apples. The polyphenols may explain why after eating two large apples a day, people had slightly but significantly more relaxed blood vessels under their skin.
This is believed to show their blood vessels are less stiff and prone to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular events like a heart attack or stroke. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that women may benefit more than men from two apples a day when it comes to cholesterol, although more studies are needed to confirm this.
Tim Chico, professor of cardiovascular medicine at University of Sheffield, said: 'This study did show that eating two apples a day led to a slight reduction in cholesterol compared with an apple drink. 'The effect on cholesterol was very small compared with drug therapy with statins, and so it is not clear whether this effect would lead to a decrease in heart disease or stroke. 'However, the study was over a short period and any benefits are likely to accumulate over a lifetime of a healthy diet.'