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September 9, 2019 • Healthy Eating & Nutrition, Heart Health, Weight Control

Apples for Weight Loss and Heart Health

apples

The advice to eat “an apple a day” got a huge boost thanks to a study whose healthy results even shocked the lead investigator.  For this study, 160 middle age to older women were randomly assigned to eat either 75 grams of dried apples a day or 75 grams of prunes a day for a period of 1 year.

After 6 months, the apple eating group experienced a 23 % drop in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, a 4% increase in their HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and a reduction in their C-reactive protein levels (a measure of excess inflammation).  Yet another very positive outcome was weight loss.  The apple eaters lost an average of 3.3 lbs. over the 1 year study period. (Experimental Biology Meeting, Washington, DC April 12, 2011)

The daily dose of apples consumed in this study was equivalent to 2 fresh apples or about ¾ cups of dried apples.  Dried apples will definitely be added to my superstar list of cholesterol-lowering foods:

  • Avocados
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Asparagus
  • Red/orange/yellow bell peppers
  • Any dark leafy greens
  • Any dark salad greens/lettuce
  • Berries (any variety)
  • Pomegranates
  • Any whole citrus
  • Apples – dried and fresh
  • Red/purple grapes
  • Organic plain soy milk
  • Soy nuts
  • Edamame
  • Tofu
  • Tempeh
  • Fish, especially oily varieties like salmon and sardines
  • 100% whole grain cereals
  • Whole oats(steel cut best)
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Oat bran
  • Beans/legumes
  • Canned salmon
  • Tea (green, black, white, or oolong )– loose leaf or bagged, not powdered or bottled
  • Hummus, other bean dips
  • Salsa
  • Tobuleh
  • Guacamole
  • Pesto
  • Sun-dried tomatoes
  • Fresh garlic
  • Cinnamon
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Nuts – any variety
  • Seeds
  • Dark chocolate (60% or more cacao in moderation)

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