I just found out about a recent study linking apples to lower cholesterol. We have been brought up on the saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" and now it seems there is some real medical research to support this claim. 

The research, led by Bahram H. Arjmandi of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences at Florida State University, focused on assessing the long-term cardio-protective benefits for postmenopausal women of eating an apple every day. It involved monitoring 160 women aged between 45 and 65 in two groups, one of which consumed dried apples each day for one year, while the other received dried prunes daily for a year, with blood samples taken regularly.

Dr. Arjmandi commented that "incredible changes in the apple-eating women happened by 6 months – they experienced a 23 per cent decrease in LDL cholesterol." The group that ate the apples also showed a reduction in lipid hydroperoxide levels and C-reactive protein.

Arjmandi added "I never expected apple consumption to reduce bad cholesterol to this extent while increasing HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol by about 4 per cent." The apple consumption also produced no weight gain in the women studied, but rather a loss of 3.3lbs on average over the period, offering another benefit from eating an apple a day.

My comments on this research:

• The reason post-menopausal women were targeted for this research is likely to have been because women in this category have a much higher risk of heart attack or other cardiac event than pre-menopausal women due to the sudden drop in oestrogen levels post-menopause. Oestrogen is a cardio-protective hormone. However, there is no reason to believe the positive changes in cholesterol levels would be specific to post-menopausal women. 

• Apples contain fibre which is known to help lower LDL cholesterol, and they also contain pectin and polyphenols that help improve fatmetabolism and reduce the production of pro-inflammatory molecules - these are the lipid hydroperoxide levels and C-reactive protein mentioned by Dr Arjmandi. 

• There are two main types of cholesterol - HDL and LDL. These are sometimes referred to as the "good" and the "bad" cholesterol. When assessing cholesterol levels and relative risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the important figure to look at is the ratio of HDL:LDL. This should be considered alongside other risk factors such as obesity, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and smoking. 

• Apples are an easy addition to anyone's diet. They can be enjoyed raw, juiced with carrot and ginger, or cooked and pureed. They are a good source of fibre which also helps keeps the bowels moving. 

Reference:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2011/May/eating-an-apple-a-day-shown-to-help-cholesterol-levels-90746888.html