Apples cut cholesterol and weight

The apple has a dualistic reputation. According to biblical accounts an apple was the bait that lured mankind into sin but on the other hand an apple a day will apparently keep the doctor at bay. Now a new study suggests that the latter part of this reputation is certainly true.

In Greek mythology apples were report to taste like honey and were capable of healing all ailments. While modern research may not have the heroes, Goddesses, colour and movement of a good Greek myth, the conclusion is the same; apples rule.

We know that apples are a source of pectin which is a type of fibre that can have beneficial effects on blood fats. Apples also contain polyphenols that exert antioxidant effects, improve fat metabolism, and reduce inflammation. Given the health problems that result from high levels of certain blood fats and excessive inflammation it would be expected that apples would be a health promoting food. Indeed, this has been shown to be the case in animal studies and human studies but the latest research is the first to show that regular apple consumption in the long term can protect the heart of postmenopausal women.

For the study women aged between 45 and 65 were put into two groups. One group were given 75 grams of dried apples daily for a year. The other group received 75 grams daily of dried prunes. Blood samples were taken at three, six, and twelve months.

The results showed that the women who received apples had a 23 per cent reduction bad LDL cholesterol after six months. They also had a four per cent increase in good HDL cholesterol. Additionally, levels of a protein called c-reactive protein dropped. C-reactive protein is used as a marker for inflammation and so this indicates that levels of inflammation in the body overall were reduced.

Balancing blood fats and cutting inflammation makes apples a healthy option but there was another, unexpected finding. Despite adding around 1000 kilojoules to their daily energy consumption via the apples, the women eating apples lost an average 1.5 kilos during the twelve months of the study. It might be the pectin from the apples making the women feel full but whatever the mechanism, this weight loss was a pleasant side-effect.

There is a saying that goes, “To eat an apple going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread”. A sugary fruit before bedtime might not be best advice, so perhaps health was sacrificed for the sake of a rhyme here. While no ill will is felt toward any medical practitioner, it does seem that a daily apple might make them a touch redundant.

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