Finally, good news about apples

After all the negative publicity about apples and the  pesticides used to produce them, it is good to hear why it is healthy to eat apples.  The following article was copied from the Medical News Headlines website of Reuters and the AMA
(http://www.ama-assn.org/insight/gen_hlth/med_news/tmp-news/0414-1f.htm)

New York, April 14 (Reuters Health) -- Apples and apple juice contain antioxidants that may help lower cholesterol buildup on artery walls, according to researchers.
"We found the amount and activity of antioxidants in apple juice to be significant," said study lead author Dr. Eric Gershwin of the University of California at Davis.  The findings are published in the April 16^th issue of the journal Life Sciences.
As reported previously by Reuters Health, a number of foods -- including many fruits and vegetables, and beverages such as tea or grape juice--appear to contain significant amounts of antioxidants.  Antioxidants are compounds that 'mop up' free radicals, the byproducts of normal metabolism  that may trigger cell damage.  In particular, antioxidants appear to inhibit the oxidation of LDL ('bad') cholesterol, preventing it from sticking to the lining of arteries.
In their study, funded by a grant from the Processed Apples Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, the UC Davis team conducted laboratory tests on the antioxidant properties of apples and six brands of apple juice.
They report that exposure to both apple extract and apple juice reduced rates of LDL oxidation in human blood cell cultures.  "The inhibition (potential of) the juices ranged from 9% to 34%, "the authors report, depending on the brand of apple juice used.  Extracts from apple pulp, whole apple, or apple peel reduced LDL oxidaition by "21%, 34% and 38%, respectively, " they add.
Based on these findings, the authors suggest that apple juice be included on the list of healthy, antioxidant-rich foods.  They also urge further research into the effect of various processing methods on the antioxidant content of apple juice.
In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Chris Rosenbloom, a spokesperson for the Dietetic Association, agreed that the high antioxidant content of apples and apple juice sounds like "good news."  But she cautions that apple juice also contains high amounts of natural sugars.
"If a kid goes out and buys one of these 16-ounce bottles of apple juice," Rosenbloom said, "you're getting 240 calories.  So it is really easy to sock down a lot f calories and not get a lot else."  She suggests that parents encourage their children to eat whole apples instead.  "You get 3 grams of fiber in a whole apple, "she explained." As opposed to just traces of it in juice, and then you also get a lot less calories."

SOURCE: Life Sciences April 16, 1999