Health benefits of apples

JAKARTA: A recent research study from the University of California at Davis (UC-Davis) Medical Center demonstrated that apples and apple juice contain components that help combat the effects of "bad" cholesterol and fight heart disease.

The researchers discovered that antioxidants extracted from apples and apple juice help significantly reduce oxidation of low density lipoprotein cholesterol, often called "bad" cholesterol, and thus may protect against heart disease, the U.S. Apple Association reported.

"We found the amount and activity of antioxidants in apple juice and apples to be significant," said research co-author Dr. Eric Gershwin, chief of the division of rheumatology, allergy and clinical immunology at UC-Davis school of medicine.

"In fact, if you went out and ordered a hamburger, drinking apple juice instead of beverages routinely consumed at fast food restaurants could possibly help protect your body against the fats in that burger," he said.