An apple a day keeps cholesterol normal

The researchers suggest that eating an apple a day or consuming polyphenols can help people "stay away from their doctors" by lowering LDL cholesterol levels by up to
40
percent., published last week in the Journal of Functional Foods, showed that eating one apple a day for four weeks reduced LDLpercent of the levels of low-density lipoprotein (
LDL
) cholesterol in the blood.led by
Robert DiSilvestro
, researchers at Ohio State University found that while the polyphenols contained in the supplements were similar, they did not have that much of an impact.DiSilvestro
: "The daily intake of an apple around the world has a huge effect
resistance to
oxidation of the LDL. " apples and polyphenol extracts have effects, the apple effect appears to be due, at least in part, to the presence of polyphenols, " the researchers said. However, the effect of apples is greater than that of capsules.An apple a day seems to be more effective than other antioxidants , including curculin , green tea and tomato extract , in reducing LDL ,DiSilvestro
said .when it comes to this particular effect, not all antioxidants are the same, " he said. Thewas funded by industry groups the American Apple Association and
Futureceuticals
Ltd., which also offered

for apple polyphenol extracts.Details of the studyAs part of the study,
16,
healthy adults consumed a large red apple or golden crown apple for four weeks a day, while
17
took a capsule containing
194
mg of mixed apple polyphenols, and
18
took a placebo that did not contain polyphenols.researchers found that LDL levels decreased significantly in the two groups that consumed appleand polyphenol supplements, while effective effects were not observed in those who took a placebo.DiSilvestro
said: "We think polyphenols have a lot of role to play on apples, but we're also trying to just isolate polyphenols and use the substances you get from an apple a day."added: "We found that polyphenol extracts do have a measurable effect, but not as powerful as apples. The researchers point out that "one or more" of the three possible explanations may explain why supplements are less effective than apples: . Apple's role comes not only from polyphenols, but also from other substances; . The absorption of polyphenols throughout apples is better than extraction; and the differences between . extracts and polyphenol compositions in apples as a whole, some of which come from apple varieties, which are only differences between the two varieties., however, lead researchers say polyphenol extracts may still be useful in some cases, "perhaps at higher doses than those we used in the study, or for people who have never eaten apples."Antioxidant Effects DiSilvestro
said he became interested in studying the health effects of eating an apple a day after reading a previous study about the health effects of eating a diet that may increase the amount of specific antioxidant enzymes in the body. although his research did not show the same findings as before,
DiSilvestro
said he was "surprised" by apple's considerable role in oxidizing LDL. DiSilvestro
the study also found that eating apples has an effect on antioxidants in saliva, which can have an impact on dental health. He hopes to follow up on the study in the future.