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1. Apples May Lower High Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
Savor a juicy apple and you may help keep your ticker healthy in the process. “Studies have linked apple consumption with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, which may be related to the cholesterol-lowering benefits of the soluble fiber found in apples,” says Anzlovar.Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gellike material, according to the According to soluble fiber helps prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, therefore lowering the incidence of (restricted blood flow in the arteries due to plaque buildup) and heart disease. It can also help lower blood pressure levels. A found that a higher intake of soluble fiber was associated with a decreased cardiovascular disease risk.
shows that eating apples (or pears) regularly was associated with a 52 percent lower stroke risk. Furthermore, a study published in February 2020 in found that eating two apples a day helped study participants lower both their (“bad”) cholesterol and
2. Eating Foods With Fiber, Including Apples, Can Aid Digestion
You’ve likely heard that fiber is good for digestion — and what you’ve heard is true! According to both types of fiber (soluble and insoluble, which means it can’t be absorbed in water) are important for digestion. And you’re in luck — apples have both types, according to the University of Illinois.Soluble fiber helps slow down digestion, allowing you to feel full, and also slows the digestion of glucose, which helps control your blood sugar. Meanwhile, can help move food through your system and aid with and regularity, per Harvard.
Just be sure to eat the apple skin, which contains much of the apple’s insoluble fiber, according to the University of Illinois.
3. Apples Can Support a Healthy Immune System
Who doesn’t want a stronger immune system going into autumn? Apples might be an important tool in your immune-supporting tool kit.According to in animals, a diet filled with soluble fiber helped convert immune cells that were pro-inflammatory into and immune-supporting ones. Another animal study, published in May 2018 in the journal found that a diet high in dietary fiber protected mice against the. Whether those effects would be seen in humans is unclear until there are more studies.
Still, there’s reason to believe that apples may bolster immunity, in part because they contain A review published in November 2017 in the journal found that plays many roles in helping the immune system function, such as by strengthening the epithelial (a type of tissue) barrier against pathogens and guarding against environmental oxidative stress, such as pollution to radiation, according to
4. Apples Are a Diabetes-Friendly Fruit
If you have consider adding apples to your diet. Sure, they’re a fruit, but it’s aIn this case, apples’ soluble fiber can help slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and may improve blood sugar levels, the Mayo Clinic notes. Plus, per Mayo, a healthy diet that includes insoluble fiber can in the first place.
Furthermore, a study of people with type 2 diabetes published in August 2016 in found that regularly consuming soluble fiber helped reduce and improved blood sugar and triglyceride levels.
5. The Antioxidants in Apples May Play a Role in Cancer Prevention
While there’s no one surefire way to apples could help play a role. “Apples may reduce the risk of certain cancers, which researchers speculate is related to the found in apples,” says Anzlovar suggests that apples have a very high level of antioxidants, and in laboratory studies, these antioxidants have been shown to limit cancer cell growth.
A review published in October 2016 in found that eating apples regularly is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, including oral cavity, esophageal, and breast cancers.
The fiber in apples may provide cancer-preventing perks. A study published in March 2016 in the journal found that women who ate more high-fiber foods during adolescence and young adulthood (especially lots of fruits and vegetables) had a lower breast later in life.
And another study, published in January 2019 in the journal found that a diet high in dietary fiber could protect against and breast cancer, as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.