Eating apples allows you to significantly reduce the level of a substance in the body responsible for hardening of the arteries and the development of atherosclerosis, US scientists inform.
Researchers from Ohio State University assure that eating one apple a day for four weeks reduces the amount of oxidized LDL (bad cholesterol) in the human body by 40 percent. Even taking capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples, cannot achieve such a large effect as after eating a fruit.
The study was published online in the Journal of Functional Foods, and the article will also appear in print soon.
Apples reduce the harmful effects of LDL, which oxidizes in contact with free radicals and contributes to inflammation and tissue damage in the body.
When LDL is oxidized it takes a form that causes hardening of the arteries and promotes the development of atherosclerosis. But consuming just one apple a day for four weeks will greatly prevent LDL oxidation, says Robert DiSilvestro, one of the researchers.
Consuming apples is much better at preventing LDL oxidation than other products containing antioxidants, such as green tea, tomatoes, or curcumin used in spices.
The study of the effect of apple consumption on the condition of the coronary arteries was carried out on non-smoking people aged 40 to 60 years, who normally ate apples less than twice a month and did not take supplements containing polyphenols.
For four weeks, some participants ate one apple a day from a local store, while others received capsules containing 194 milligrams of polyphenols or a placebo.
In people taking placebo, no positive effect on the amount of oxidized LDL in the body was noticed. However, it occurred in those who were given polyphenol capsules, and it was most potent in apple consumers.
We found out that the polyphenol extract had a noticeable effect, but not as strong as apples. This may be because apples also contain other ingredients that contribute to the effect, or these biologically active substances (polyphenols – PAP) are better absorbed if they are found in food – comments DiSilvestro. (PAP)
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