Though an apple a day may not completely keep cholesterol away, a recent study by researchers at Florida State University has discovered a possible link between eating an apple a day and lowering bad cholesterol in women.
The study included 160 post-menopausal women ranging in age from 45 to 65 who were randomly selected to join one of two groups ñ the first of which ate dried apples for a year, while the second group ate dried prunes. At three, six, and twelve months, fasting blood samples were taken from each of the participants in the study.
Results from these blood tests have indicated a 14% reduction in total cholesterol, including a 23% drop in low-density lipoproteins, better known as LDL-C or bad cholesterol. A 33% reduction in the serum level of lipid hydroperoxide, which is known to cause internal cell damage, was also seen amongst the apple-eating participants.
Other benefits included a decrease of 32% in C-reactive protein, a protein linked to an increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Those in the apple half of the study were also noted as having lost on average 3 pounds by the end of the year, despite having no changes in their diets, other than the added daily consumption of 75g of dried apples.
