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Last Updated: Jun 30, 2008 - 11:14:37 AM |
TUESDAY April 8, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Adults who consumed apple, apple juice and applesauce had a significantly reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders linked to many chronic disease including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a new study found.
The study is not a trial and the results do not mean there is a causal relationship between consumption of apple products and reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, cautioned a scientist affiliated with foodconsumer.org, who was not part of the study team.
The study results were presented at the Experimental Biology 2008 meeting this week.
For the study, Dr. Victor Fulgoni and colleagues analyzed data on adult food consumption collected in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found those who consumed apple products had a 27% reduced risk of being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome compared to those who did not consume apple products.
"We found that adults who eat apples and apple products have smaller waistlines that indicate less abdominal fat, lower blood pressure and a reduced risk for developing what is known as the metabolic syndrome," Fulgoni noted.
Specifically, consumption of apple products was linked to 30% decreased risk for elevated diastolic blood pressure and 36% decreased risk for elevated systolic blood pressure, and a 21% reduced risk of increased waist circumference. Also adult apple product consumers had reduced C-reactive protein levels.
The reduction in all these measurements suggested that apple consumption may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
U.S. Apple Association issued a press release saying that apple product consumer's diets were healthier than non-consumers and they had an overall greater intake of fruit and key nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. These consumers tended to use less total fat, saturated fat, discretionary fat and added sugars.
Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X and insulin resistance syndrome affects an estimated 36 million Americans. The condition is defined as having three or more of the associated symptoms including elevated blood pressure, increased waist size and abdominal fat, and increased c-reactive protein levels.
© 2004-2008 by foodconsumer.org unless otherwise specified
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