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Heart Health

Natural phytonutrients in apples may help reduce the risk of heart disease, according to a study of more than 34,000 women. Three foods (apples, pears and red wine) were found to decrease the risk of mortality for coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among post-menopausal women. Using a government database that assesses the flavonoid-content of foods, researchers hypothesized that flavonoid intake (in general and from specific foods), might be inversely associated with mortality from CVD and CHD among the women in the study group. Subjects selected for this research analysis were postmenopausal and part of the ongoing Iowa Women’s Health Study.

In a study published in 2004 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, U.S. researchers report that for every 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, the risk of developing heart disease decreased up to 14 percent, while the risk of dying from heart disease was reduced by up to 27 percent. The findings were based on pooled analysis of data from 10 prospective cohort studies in the United States and Europe involving 91,058 men and 245,186 women that measured the amount of fiber in participants’ diets over a period of 6-10 years. Fiber from fruits appeared to be slightly more protective than cereal fiber, lowering the risk of coronary disease death by 30 percent. (Apples are one of the best fruit sources of fiber, with one medium-sized apple containing about 5 grams). The findings challenge the potential long-term health costs of low-carbohydrate diets that discourage consumption of high-fiber carbohydrates in the process.

Additional research out of the University of California-Davis reports that daily consumption of apples and apple juice may help reduce the damage caused by LDL cholesterol and protect against heart disease. In the clinical study, researchers demonstrated that adding only two apples or 12 ounces of apple juice to participants’ diets could help to slow the oxidation process that is involved in the build-up of plaque that leads to heart disease.

Finnish epidemiologists have also concluded that high consumption of flavonoids from apples and onions was directly associated with the lowest risk for coronary mortality. The findings are based on their analysis of diet and health outcomes from a prospective cohort of 5,133 Finnish men and women aged 30-69 who were initially free of heart disease when the study began in 1967.

Mink, P. et al. Flavonoid intake and cardiovascular disease mortality: a prospective study in postmenopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. March 2007. 85:3..895-909.

Pereira, M. et al. Dietary Fiber and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Arch Int Med. 64:4. Feb. 23, 2004. pp 370-376.

Hyson, D. et al. Apple Juice Consumption Reduces Plasma Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation in Healthy Men and Women. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2000, 3:159-165.

Knekt, P. et al. Flavonoid Intake and Coronary Mortality in Finland: A Cohort Study. British Medical Journal. 1996. 312: 478-481