Why is drinking apple tea good for health?

the phytonutrients in apples and apple products make them an important part of a nutritious diet because they significantly reduced the oxidation of LDL ('bad") cholesterol.

more specifically, researchers have shown that apples and apple products have the following benefits:

* Mayo Clinic researchers found that quercetin, a phytonutrient found primarily in apples, onions, tea and red wine, has the ability to alter specific functions of the androgen receptor which plays a key role in prostate cancer. This finding adds support to epidemiology studies (see below) that have suggested a link between consumption of quercetin and reduced risk of other diseases, including cancer. [Xing et al. Quercetin inhibits the expression and function of the androgen receptor in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Carcinogenisis. March 2001. Vol. 22:3:409-414.]

* Researchers at Cornell University found that the phytonutrients in apples inhibited the growth of colon cancer and liver cancer cells in vitro. While the beneficial phytonutrients were most strongly concentrated in the apple skin, the apple flesh also contained significant levels of phytonutrients. According to the Cornell research, 100 grams of unpeeled apple - about two-thirds of a medium-sized apple - provides the total antioxidant activity of 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. [Eberhardt et al. Nutrition: Antioxidant activity of fresh apples. Nature. 2000.405: 903-904.]

* Finnish researchers found that individuals who ate the most apples had the lowest risk of thrombotic stroke, due to the phytonutrients found in apples. Their conclusion was based on evaluation of dietary records and health outcomes of 9,208 men followed for 28 years. Unlike findings from other epidemiological studies, the researchers attributed this positive association to phytonutrients other than quercetin found in apples (e.g., catechins), demonstrating apples' broad phytonutrient content. [Knekt et al. Quercetin Intake and the Incidence of Cerebrovascular Disease.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000. 54: 415-417.]

* British researchers found that apple eaters had better lung function than non-apple eaters, as measured by forced expiratory volume. After analyzing dietary records and health outcomes of a group of 2,512 men, the researchers found a strong positive association between lung function and the number of apples eaten each week. Although it had been suggested by other researchers that vitamin C from fresh fruit was responsible for improving lung function, this investigation found otherwise. These researchers believe that it is the consumption of antioxidant-like phytonutrients in apples (e.g., flavonoids such as quercetin) that provide an explanation for the healthful effect of apples. [Butland et al. Diet, Lung Function, and Lung Function Decline in a Cohort of 2,512 Middle-aged Men. Thorax. 2000. 55:102-108.]

* Researchers in Hawaii found that an increased consumption of quercetin (from apples and onions) was associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. While investigating a possible relationship between the consumption of flavonoids and lung cancer risk, researchers uncovered a statistically significant inverse association between lung cancer risk and intake of the flavonoid quercetin, found primarily in apples and onions. They also found an inverse association between lung cancer risk and the flavonoid naringin, found in white grapefruit. No association was found for important food sources of other flavonoids. [Le Marchand et al. Intake of Flavonoids and Lung Cancer.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2000. 92: 154-160.]

* Researchers at the University of California-Davis reported that phytonutrients in apples and apple juice prevent oxidation in vitro of the "bad" (LDL) cholesterol, and thus may help protect against cardiovascular disease. They also confirmed that important phytonutrients from apples do pass through to the apple juice. While the apple juice and apple components varied in the levels of phytonutrient concentrations, all inhibited oxidation (or "rusting") of the LDL cholesterol - an undesirable process that can lead to unwanted build-up of arterial plaque. [Pearson et al. Apple Juice Inhibits Human Low Density Lipoprotein Oxidation. Life Sciences. 1999. 64:1913-1920.]

* Epidemiologists from Finland's National Public Health Institute found that consumption of a flavonoid-rich diet (and particularly those flavonoids from apples) was associated with a reduced risk of developing cancer. Their study of 9,959 cancer-free men and women revealed that people who regularly consumed the most flavonoid-rich foods - apples, onions, fruits, juices, vegetables and jams - were about 20 percent less likely to develop cancer. Researchers found that lung cancer was 46 percent lower among those whose diets contained the highest amount of flavonoids, particularly from apples. Of the major dietary flavonoid sources, consumption of apples showed the greatest inverse association with lung cancer incidence. [Knekt et al. Dietary Flavonoids and the Risk of Lung Cancer and Other Malignant Neoplasms. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1997. 48:3:223-30.]

* Epidemiologists from Finland's National Public Health Institute also concluded that high consumption of flavonoids from apples and onions was directly associated with the lowest risk for coronary mortality. This conclusion was based on their analysis of diet and health outcomes of an ongoing study of 5,133 Finnish men and women aged 30-69, who were initially free of heart disease when the study began in 1967. [Knekt et al. Flavonoid Intake and Coronary Mortality in Finland: A Cohort Study. British Medical Journal. 1996. 312:478-81.]







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