An apple a day keeps the statins away; so a recent study suggests. Women between the ages of 45 and 65 years experienced 23% reduced cholesterol levels within 6 months of eating apples every day and a rise in ‘good’ cholesterol, HDL.
The study was carried out in the Florida State University and the authors describe the apples as a ‘miracle fruit’. They state that the apples are good for fibre but that in this case the pectin and polyphenols found in apples serve to enhance our body’s metabolism of lipids and reduce inflammation.
160 women received 75g of dried apples each day or dried prunes. Both groups continued to take the fruit for a period of one year. Bloods were taken at intervals of 3 months, 6 months and at the end of the year.
Within only 6 months this 23% decrease in LDL was reported including a 4% increase in the levels of HDL. Furthermore, the apples added an extra 240 calories to the diet of the women but they did not put on any weight, rather they lost on average 3.3 pounds of their original weight. Scientists suggest that the pectin in the apple may have caused the weight loss as this substance is known to contribute to the feeling of fullness.