Author: Karen Lennox
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Atherosclerosis is associated with a change in the structure of the vascular wall of the large and middle arteries.
Consumption of even just one apple a day can reduce the formation of fat , leading to hardening of the arteries.
Researchers monitor the condition of physically healthy middle-aged people who consume an apple once a day for 4 weeks.
The results show that fat deposits have been reduced by 40%, which has significantly reduced the risk of hardening of the arteries .
Taking medications containing polyphenols , antioxidants found in apples, has a similar effect, but not so great, experts say.
They found that consuming one apple a day reduced oxidation levelsLDL-lipoproteins with low density or the so-called. "bad" cholesterol.
When LDL interacts with free radicals and oxidizes, inflammatory processes and tissue damage increase . Oxidized LDL is to blame for atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, said study leader Robert DiSilvestro, a professor at Ohio State University.
Also, it has been scientifically proven that the polyphenols contained in apples lower blood pressure by raising the levels of nitric oxide in the blood, which is responsible for relaxing the arteries, allowing blood to circulate freely.
The effect of consuming one apple a day is beneficial for both the normal condition of the coronary arteries and ischemic heart disease, adds DiSilvestro.
The study was published in the journal Functional Foods .
Atherosclerosis is associated with a change in the structure of the vascular wall of the large and middle arteries, which makes them unable to perform their functions normally.
The development of atherosclerosis is a slow process that lasts for years, and in the initial stage there is only a superficial involvement of the inner lining of the vessel. Later, the structure of the vessel wall is completely disrupted by narrowing its opening.
Disturbances in the blood supply are observed when the narrowing is over 50%.