October, 1999

Phytonutrients in apples help reduce levels of bad cholesterol

by Karen Gentry

Phytonutrients, antioxidants are good and they’re in apples giving support to the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away.’

Drink apple juice after every fast food meal, University of California (UC) – Davis Medical Center researchers say. Drinking apple juice or other beverages containing antioxidants can help prevent damage from fatty foods, according to Eric Gershwin, chief of the division of rheumatology, allergy and clinical immunology at the UC-Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center.

Apples and apple juice contain phytonutrients (phyto = from the plant) that have now been determined as important to good health, said Sue Taylor, director of nutrition communications at the Processed Apple Institute (PAI), a trade association based in Atlanta. Taylor presented research findings on nutrition in apples at the U.S Apple Association (USApple) 1999 Apple Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference in Chicago in August. The initial research was an unrestricted grant funded by PAI with the ongoing research funded by state apple organizations.

Different classes of these phytonutrients were identified and analyzed during the research. “When anything oxidizes, it’s like rust,” Taylor said. As people age, their bodies produce harmful materials in cells known as oxidants which affect arteries, skin and other organs, according to Gershwin. He compares these oxidants to sparks that cause damage. Antioxidants are able to prevent those sparks from hurting the body.

Taylor said research with human blood showed that apples stopped oxidation of bad cholesterol, which helps fight cancer and heart disease. UC-Davis researchers have now moved their research to humans with high fat diets, she said.

Apples contain phenols or chemical compounds in their juice that are also found in other fruits and vegetables. Researchers tested six commercial apple juices, and the peel, flesh and whole fruit of Red Delicious apples for various phenolic compounds. Only juices containing 100% apple juice and no sugar were included in the study. The juices and fresh apple extracts all inhibited lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol, according to information released by the UC-Davis. While further research is needed to determine which juice components and extracts specifically contribute to the antioxidant activity, the study shows that 100% apples juice is a nutritious addition to any healthy, well-balanced diet, researchers say.

Consumers tend to look for products with one particular nutrient like vitamin C in oranges or folic acid in green leafy vegetables, according to Dianne Hyson, a dietician at UC Davis Medical Center.

“Our message has been to look at the whole picture of what a food can do for you before you judge its health value. The potential benefit of apple juice and fruit-based juices can go beyond vitamins we’ve seen before. We’re identifying new phytochemicals every day, and the health benefits can have quite an impact,” Hyson said.

Apple juice now joins with other beverages with antioxidant components including wine, tea and grape juice.

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