Apples against diseases
Nutritionists suggest that eating two or three apples a day can boost the body's protection against heart disease, thanks to the fruit's amazing ability to reduce blood pressure and lower dangerously high cholesterol levels. In fact, they say, the higher the cholesterol, the greater the benefits will be if you increase your consumption of apples. Apples also contain chemicals that scientists believed are vital in stopping cancer, and they also prevent tooth decay.
The apple's ability to keep our hearts healthy and pumping has been confirmed by U.S., French and Italian researchers, among others. An animal study at the Institute of Physiology in France came to the startling conclusion that a diet heavy in apples actually lowered heart-damaging cholesterol levels anywhere from 28 to 52 points.
One reason for this may be the pectin in the apple - that soluble fiber that is usually squeezed out to make jelly. The French researchers discovered that the pectin, acting with vitamin C and other natural chemicals in the apple, also forms a fortress-like shield around the heart that prevents cardiovascular disease.
In another study, when a group of 30 middle-aged men added three apples per day to their diets - without changing anything else 80% of them showed a significant reduction in cholesterol levels from 10 - 20 percent.
Even more surprising was the fact that the apple boosted the HDL, or "good" cholesterol in the blood, while reducing the LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, that's responsible for clogging up the arteries, a condition that can lead to fatal heart attacks or disabling strokes.
However, for some mysterious reason, an apple-rich diet lowers cholesterol more efficiently in women than men.
Apples are an excellent food source for diabetics and others who need to control blood sugar levels. They rank high among foods that best control blood sugar. Even though the apple is a rich source of natural sugar, it does not cause a rapid or dangerous rise in blood sugar. Also, it prevents the body from pumping out too much insulin which, in turn, helps bring down blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
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