APPLES really might help keep the doctor away. In test-tube experiments, at least, extracts of Red Delicious apples prevent oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (鈥渂ad鈥� cholesterol), a key step in the clogging of arteries. 鈥淟DL isn鈥檛 bad until it oxidises,鈥� says YiFan Chu, a doctoral student at Cornell University, who presented his findings at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Diego, California, last week.
What鈥檚 more, the extracts also prompted liver cells to take up more LDL. If the human body responds in the same way, eating about 400 grams of apples (roughly four) could reduce cholesterol levels in the blood as much as a dose of statin drugs.
