"Apples may prove to be a winner when it comes to reducing the risk of heart disease, says a new study of more than 34,000 women. In this study, flavonoid-rich apples were found to be one of three foods (along with red wine and pears) that decrease the risk of mortality for both coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among post-menopausal women."
UC Davis Study Finds Heart Benefits From Apples & Juice
Science Daily � SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine have determined that drinking apple juice and eating apples has a beneficial effect on risk factors for heart disease. Results of the pioneering clinical study appear in the winter edition of Journal of Medicinal Food.
The study shows that compounds in apples and apple juice act in much the same way that red wine and tea do to slow one of the processes that lead to heart disease. These compounds act as antioxidants to delay the break down of LDL or "bad" cholesterol. When LDL oxidizes, or deteriorates in the blood, plaque accumulates along the walls of the coronary artery and causes atherosclerosis.
"Previous studies have shown that eating fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of coronary artery disease," says Dianne Hyson, a registered dietitian and lead researcher of the study. "But this is the first clinical study to show the potential benefits of active compounds in apple juice and apples."
Hyson and her colleagues previously conducted an in vitro, or lab study, to show that apples and their juice contain beneficial phytonutrients, or plant compounds, that function as potent antioxidants. Their next step was to conduct an in vivo, or human trial, to determine whether the compounds actually protect the heart by slowing the process of LDL oxidation.
Although Hyson expected to see positive results from drinking apple juice and eating apples, she was surprised to find beneficial effects after only six weeks.
"A very moderate intake of apple juice or apples has the potential to reduce risk factors for heart disease in a fairly short period of time," she says. "These small diet changes might play an important role in a heart healthy diet."
Although I recognize the value of ECGC from green tea (which I am using), I found this of interest:
"Chocolate has four times the amount of antioxidant catechins as green tea.18,19 Significant amounts of these health-promoting substances can be found as well in red wine, apples and pears. Some studies have found that the catechins contained in green tea do not help to combat factors related to heart disease.20,21 Other studies found that those in chocolate could help with the heart, as well as helping to regulate the immune system.22 Another study showed that the catechins in apples and wine proved beneficial, but not those in tea.23 Research on the effects of green tea have been quite mixed, to say the least."
If it comes from pasture-fed cows, then it will be high in the super-nutrient CLA as well as vitamins A and D. ULTRA-pasteurized cream should, of course, be avoided. But even regular organic, pasteurized cream has the following benefits due to its high levels of saturated fat:
enhances the immune system
better calcium absorption
stonger cell membranes
protects the liver from harmful substances
enhances the body's uses of essential fatty acids
helps convert ALA (as in flax) to EPA and DHA
helps kidney and lung function
helps us utilize protein
helps with mineral absorption
lowers levels of heart-harming Lp(a)
helps make LDL cholesterol light and fluffy, a good thing--trans fats do the opposite
I'm sure there is more, but I hope this is enough. I don't know how stevia would work in sweetening whipped cream. A bit of Rapadura should do the trick, I would think.
The way I see it, if it's been food for ages, it's beneficial. Or at worst, as harmful as any substance taken in excess would be. So I really wonder about recommendations against coffee, chocolate, fats (milk, cream, butter, etc.), "high" protein, cyanogenic foods (cassava, bamboo shoots, other amygdalin sources) and other "dangerous" foods that have been around for ages. When I see a warning against such foods, I immediately doubt it.
On the other hand, refined carbohydrates like polished rice, refined flour/wheat and the resulting breads, and refined sugar only came out in the previous century, just before the rise of the many chronic disease we now see (cardiovascular, cancer, allergies, autoimmunity, etc.). They not only became popular, but they also became the staple food of many. It shouldn't take a genius to see what happened.
Yeah, I know there's the issue of processed milk, but that's another matter. I think even such processed milk is only harmful if one takes it regularly. Unfortunately, many do so as part of a refined cereal breakfast.
Ladies, Eat Some Apples
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