Is Apple Good for Heart Patients?

How Apples Benefit Heart Health: A Complete Guide

Yes, apples are one of the best dietary choices for heart patients due to their immense nutritional benefits. Including apples in daily diets may reduce the risk of developing serious heart-related conditions like heart attack or cardiovascular diseases. Apart from these, it lowers the risks of cancer and diabetes.

What are the Health Benefits of Apples for Heart Patients?

Apples are the most common fruit available across the globe, which is used for different culinary versatility recipes like pie, muffins, salads, jam, oatmeal, or smoothies. In addition, they have different health benefits, especially for heart patients.

1. Nutritional Content

Apples are highly nutritious, and one medium 7-ounce or 200 g apple offers the following nutrients:

• Fibres:5 g
• Carbs:28 g
• Calories: 104
• Vitamin C:10%
• Copper:6%
• Potassium: 5%
• Vitamin K:4%

Additionally, it provides 2 to 5% of the daily diet value for vitamins B6, B1, and E. They have a rich repertoire of polyphenols, which are antioxidants.

2. Supports Weight Loss

Apples are rich in fibre and water, making them the best choice for weight loss. Eating an apple helps with faster stomach emptying, leading to proper digestion and fat breakdown. It reduces the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a factor for heart disease. Apple polyphenols help in reducing obesity due to their anti-obesity nature. 

3. Promotes a Healthy Heart

Studies have shown that daily consumption of apples in regular diets lowers the chances of heart disease. Consumption of 100-150 g of apples reduces both the risk of heart disease and blood pressure. Soluble fibres of apples lower the risk of heart disease in older adults. Intake of flavonoids also reduces the risk of heart-related diseases.  

4. Lowers the Chances of Diabetes

Apples also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults if consumed as a daily dietary source. Studies have shown that daily intake of apples can reduce at least 18% chance of reduction in development of type 2 diabetes.    

5. Promotes Gut Health

It contains a component called pectin, which acts as a prebiotic in the gut microbiome, resulting in better health promotion. As our digestive system cannot digest fibres directly, these pectins reach the colon to promote the growth of good bacteria.

6. Prevents Cancer Development

Apples are rich in antioxidants that help in the elimination of excessive toxic production in our system. Various studies suggest that polyphenols prevent the rapid multiplication of cancer cells. It is beneficial for cancers like breast cancer, lung cancer, and the digestive tract.  

7. Protects the Brain

Apples produce an adequate amount of antioxidants inside the body, reducing the damage from oxidative stress. Many studies have shown that regular intake of apples reduces the risk of neurological disorders that occur due to oxidative stress.  

8. Prevents Asthma Complications

It reduces the inflammation of the airways linked to allergic asthma due to its antioxidant properties. Quercetin is one of the common antioxidants in apples that reduces inflammation in the nasal airways.

Therefore, eating apples in everyday diets reduces the risk of heart-related and other types of diseases. These nutritional components of apples make them the best dietary choice for heart patients.