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Apples are a great alternative to medications for lowering cholesterol levels
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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British experts have concluded after several studies that it is necessary to eat a large amount of fruit daily to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Eating just one apple a day effectively reduces the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke among people over fifty. Apples contain a sufficient amount of substances that help regulate cholesterol levels in the human body. Similar substances are contained in special medications that lower cholesterol. Eating apples will help people who want to naturally (without taking chemistry) protect their own blood vessels from possible problems and diseases. The experts published all their conclusions and recommendations in a special medical publication, the British Medical Journal.
Researchers at Oxford University have calculated that more than five million people over fifty in the UK take various drugs to help lower their cholesterol levels. More than seventeen million people would also agree to take such drugs if they were recommended nationally as the main preventative measure for heart disease in people over fifty.
The experts analyzed this situation using a mathematical model and found that taking cholesterol-lowering drugs helps reduce the death rate from stroke or heart attack by almost 9.5 thousand cases annually. Supplementing the diet with just one apple daily helps reduce mortality by 8.5 thousand cases per year. In this study, the experts took into account the population over fifty years old.
Scientists also note that taking special cholesterol-lowering drugs has a number of side effects, in particular, such drugs contribute to the development of myopathy (progressive muscular dystrophy) and diabetes. In addition, scientists note that people who have started taking cholesterol-lowering drugs should not give up this type of prevention and switch to a fruit diet, since fruits are recommended only for those people who strive to prevent cardiovascular diseases without the use of medications.
Apples contain a sufficient amount of antioxidants that protect the human body from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and aging. Scientists from Canada reported that the maximum amount of useful substances is contained in the peel of this fruit. It has also been proven that regular consumption of apples has a positive effect on hypertension (excess water and salt are removed from the body, and as a result, blood pressure decreases). Apples are also a good source of vital energy, help fight stress, fatigue, restore blood, and also contribute to better brain function. A little earlier, specialists from the University of Massachusetts determined that apple juice helps improve memory, as it helps increase the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain - a substance that takes part in memory and improves learning abilities.
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