Apples fight heart disease, cancer and strokes
by ANDREA PERRY
Daily Mail
Sep 14 2013
The old proverb of an apple a day keeps the doctor away is proving to be true.
If there is any one thing that you can do to stay well then it is to eat at least two apples daily according to a whole raft of new scientific research which places apples at the top of the healthy-living tree.
It may sound far-fetched but an apple contains so many beneficial ingredients that it will protect you from contracting a whole range of life threatening conditions such as cancer or suffering a stroke.
The latest pioneering research in America has revealed that drinking apple juice and eating apples can reduce the risk of heart disease.
The clinical trial involved healthy adults drinking 12oz of 100 per cent apple juice daily or eating two apples.
The time it took for cholesterol in the body to oxidise, or break down, increased by up to 20 per cent after just six weeks of following the apple diet.
It turns out that apples contain phytonutrients or phytochemicals (compounds found in plants) which act as antixiodents against LDL (low-density lipoproteins), the damaging portion of cholesterol in the blood stream.
Apples are also rich in pectins, which are soluble fibres which it has been demonstrated are effective in lowering cholesterol levels.
Dianne Hyson, a registered dietician and lead researcher of the study, said: 'Previous studies have shown that eating fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of coronary artery disease, but this is the first clinical study to show the potential benefits of active compounds in apple juice and apples.'
'A very moderate intake of apple juice or apples has the potential to reduce risk factors for heart disease in a fairly short period of time,' she said. 'These small diet changes might play an important role in a heart healthy diet.'
Volunteer, father of two Jack Farrell said: 'If I can get this result from just drinking 12ozs of apple juice a day, it's definitely worth making part of my daily routine.'
Other amazing facts about apples
Apples ward off strokes
Finnish researchers found that individuals who ate the most apples had the lowest risk of suffering a stroke, due to the benefits of the active compounds called phytonutrients found in apples.
Their conclusion was based on evaluation of dietary records and health outcomes of 9,208 men followed for 28 years.
Apples give you better lungs
British researchers found that apple eaters had better lung function than non-apple eaters.
After analysing the health and dietary records of 2,512 men, scientists discovered a strong link between positive lung function and the number of apples eaten each week.
Although other researchers had suggested that vitamin C from fresh fruit was responsible for improving lung function, this investigation found otherwise.
These researchers believe that it is the consumption of antioxidant-like phytonutrients in apples, such as flavonoids especially one member called quercetin which reduces the risk of cancer and heart attacks. This they say provides an explanation for the healthful effect of apples.
Apples beat cancer
Researchers in Hawaii found that an increased consumption of quercetin (from apples and onions) was associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer.
This was supported by epidemiologists from Finland's National Public Health Institute who concluded that a flavonoid-rich diet (and particularly those flavonoids from apples) was associated with a reduced risk of developing cancer.
Their study of 9,959 cancer-free men and women revealed that people who regularly consumed the most flavonoid-rich foods were about 20 per cent less likely to develop cancer.
The researchers found that lung cancer was 46 percent lower among those on these diets and that high consumption of apples was also directly associated with the lowest risk for coronary mortality.
This conclusion was based on their analysis of diet and health outcomes of an ongoing study of 5,133 Finnish men and women aged 30-69, who were initially free of heart disease when the study began in 1967.
Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Fruit-heavy diet may prevent against dangerous aneurysm
Fruit-heavy diet may prevent against dangerous aneurysm
Ryan Jaslow
CBS News
August 20, 2013
It's no secret that a diet full of fruits and vegetables can boost your health and may stave off chronic disease.
Now, researchers are reporting eating fruits in particular may protect against an uncommon but deadly aneurysm that develops in the abdomen.
An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning of a portion of an artery caused by weakness in the wall of a blood vessel. Common locations these occur include the brain and the heart's major artery, the aorta.
The aorta is about as thick as a garden hose, according to the Mayo Clinic, and runs from the heart through the center of the chest and abdomen. An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when the ballooning of the blood vessel occurs in the lower part of the aorta. Aneurysms grow slowly over many years and people may not show symptoms, but if an abdominal aortic aneurysm, life-threatening bleeding may ensue.
Previous research suggests eating fruits and vegetables may boost vascular health, so the researchers sought out to see if produce prevented these aneurysms.
Two NYC hospitals to prescribe fruits and vegetables Vegetarian diet may reduce risk of early death Citrus fruits may lower women's stroke risk For the study, researchers split more than 80,000 Swedish men and women into four groups based on how many fruits and vegetables they ate, from the least to the most.
They were tracked for 13 years, and autopsy records showed nearly 1,100 people had abdominal aortic aneurysms, including 222 whose aneurysms ruptured. More than 80 percent of the cases were in men. The researchers found those who ate the most fruits -- which amounted to about two servings a day or more, excluding juice -- were 25 percent less likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm and 43 percent less likely to have one rupture compared to those who ate less than one serving of fruit.
Those in the quartile with the highest fruit intake were 31 percent likely to have an aneurysm and 39 less likely to have a rupture compared to people who ate no fruit at all.
The most commonly eaten fruits were apples and pears, followed by bananas, oranges and other citrus items.
Vegetables, however, were not associated with lower risk.
"A high consumption of fruits may help to prevent many vascular diseases, and our study suggests that a lower risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm will be among the benefits," study author Dr. Otto Stackelberg, a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine's Nutritional Epidemiology Unit at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said in a press release. "Other studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several cancers," he added, emphasizing vegetables remain important to health. Also essential is never smoking or quitting if you already do smoke, said Stackelberg.
The American Heart Association, the publisher of the journal this study is featured in, Circulation, says adults should eat about four to five servings of fruits and vegetables each day to get important nutrients including folate, magnesium, potassium and dietary fiber, as well as vitamins A, C, and K.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm can be spotted on an ultrasound, and doctors may track a small one over time to see if it expands. Aneurysms can form in anyone, but are most common in men over 60 who have at least one risk factor including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, emphysema, obesity, genetic factors or are smokers.
Symptoms of a tear or rupture include severe and sudden abdominal pain, clammy skin, dizziness, rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting and shock. You should see a doctor if you start experiencing symptoms.
The Mayo Clinic has more information.
Ryan Jaslow
CBS News
August 20, 2013
It's no secret that a diet full of fruits and vegetables can boost your health and may stave off chronic disease.
Now, researchers are reporting eating fruits in particular may protect against an uncommon but deadly aneurysm that develops in the abdomen.
An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning of a portion of an artery caused by weakness in the wall of a blood vessel. Common locations these occur include the brain and the heart's major artery, the aorta.
The aorta is about as thick as a garden hose, according to the Mayo Clinic, and runs from the heart through the center of the chest and abdomen. An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when the ballooning of the blood vessel occurs in the lower part of the aorta. Aneurysms grow slowly over many years and people may not show symptoms, but if an abdominal aortic aneurysm, life-threatening bleeding may ensue.
Previous research suggests eating fruits and vegetables may boost vascular health, so the researchers sought out to see if produce prevented these aneurysms.
Two NYC hospitals to prescribe fruits and vegetables Vegetarian diet may reduce risk of early death Citrus fruits may lower women's stroke risk For the study, researchers split more than 80,000 Swedish men and women into four groups based on how many fruits and vegetables they ate, from the least to the most.
They were tracked for 13 years, and autopsy records showed nearly 1,100 people had abdominal aortic aneurysms, including 222 whose aneurysms ruptured. More than 80 percent of the cases were in men. The researchers found those who ate the most fruits -- which amounted to about two servings a day or more, excluding juice -- were 25 percent less likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm and 43 percent less likely to have one rupture compared to those who ate less than one serving of fruit.
Those in the quartile with the highest fruit intake were 31 percent likely to have an aneurysm and 39 less likely to have a rupture compared to people who ate no fruit at all.
The most commonly eaten fruits were apples and pears, followed by bananas, oranges and other citrus items.
Vegetables, however, were not associated with lower risk.
"A high consumption of fruits may help to prevent many vascular diseases, and our study suggests that a lower risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm will be among the benefits," study author Dr. Otto Stackelberg, a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Environmental Medicine's Nutritional Epidemiology Unit at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said in a press release. "Other studies have found that eating more fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several cancers," he added, emphasizing vegetables remain important to health. Also essential is never smoking or quitting if you already do smoke, said Stackelberg.
The American Heart Association, the publisher of the journal this study is featured in, Circulation, says adults should eat about four to five servings of fruits and vegetables each day to get important nutrients including folate, magnesium, potassium and dietary fiber, as well as vitamins A, C, and K.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm can be spotted on an ultrasound, and doctors may track a small one over time to see if it expands. Aneurysms can form in anyone, but are most common in men over 60 who have at least one risk factor including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, emphysema, obesity, genetic factors or are smokers.
Symptoms of a tear or rupture include severe and sudden abdominal pain, clammy skin, dizziness, rapid heart rate, nausea, vomiting and shock. You should see a doctor if you start experiencing symptoms.
The Mayo Clinic has more information.
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