Author: Victoria Aly
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Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Women on an "apple diet" lower their cholesterol levels by almost 1/4 over a period of 6 months and also lose weight.
An apple a day can really keep a doctor away, scientists conclude.
A study funded by the US Department of Agriculture found that in women on the "apple diet", cholesterol levels drop by almost 1/4 over a period of 6 months. In addition, women lose weight. Dr. Bahram Arjmandi of the Department of Nutrition at the University of Florida describes the results as amazing.
For the study, 80 women aged 45-65 were asked to consume 75 g of prunes daily for 1 year, and another 80 women under the same conditions were asked to eat dried apples in addition to their usual diet. .
Blood samples were taken from the participants at the beginning of the study and at 3, 6 and 12 months.
After 6 months from the start of the experiment, there was a 23% reduction in bad - LDL cholesterol in women who eat apples. Volunteers also have lower levels of biological markers associated with heart disease, such as C-reactive protein.
It has long been known that the apple is a good source of fiber and polyphenols, which stimulate the breakdown of fats in the blood and reduce inflammation of the walls of blood vessels, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.