An apple a day may protect against heart attack, scientists say

Scientists claim that those who want to do prevention of cardiovascular disease without drugs, should only consume of apple fruit.

Adding to the diet of one apple a day is capable of better than drugs reduce mortality from heart attacks and strokes among people over 50 years, established by British scientists, whose work is published in the British Medical Journal ( BMJ ).

Researchers from the University of Oxford (University of Oxford) estimated that drugs to lower cholesterol (statins) are taking in the UK 5.2 million people. Another 17.6 million people could receive such drugs if they are proposed at the national level as a means of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people over 50 years.

Using a mathematical model, the authors calculated that the daily intake of statins in the second group of the population could reduce the number of deaths due to heart attacks and strokes by 9.4 thousand cases a year. The addition to the diet of an apple a day can prevent vascular 8,5 thousand deaths among 70% of the UK population aged over 50 years.

Scientists remind us that taking drugs that reduce cholesterol, has a number of potential side effects, such as myopathy and diabetes. They emphasize that none of the patients already taking statins should not replace them with apples. However, those who want to do the prevention of cardiovascular disease without drugs, we just need to add more fruits in the diet.