Apple a day keeps the cardiologist away.

PositionHardening of the Arteries - Brief article

Eating an apple a day might in fact help keep the cardiologist away, relates research published in the Journal of Functional Foods. In a study of healthy, middle-aged adults, consumption of one apple a day for four weeks lowered by 40% blood levels of a substance linked to hardening of the arteries. Taking capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples, had a similar, but not as large, effect.

The study found that the apples lowered blood levels of oxidized LDL--low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol interacts with free radicals to become oxidized, the cholesterol is more likely to promote inflammation and can cause tissue damage.

"When LDL became oxidized, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries," notes...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT