
29. Apples
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, the saying goes. And it appears that it’s more than an adage, it’s the truth. Researchers at Ohio State University discovered that eating an apple a day reduced the hardening of arteries up to 40%. The magic ingredient in apples that makes it great for unclogging your arteries is called pectin. It gives the fruit its firmness, which allows us to enjoy a crisp apple. Pectin is a complex substance. It contains polysaccharides and a sugar residue called D-galacturonic acid.

Pectin seems to lower the levels of cholesterol in the body. It contains a lot of insoluble fiber. For this fiber to be digested, it needs bile acid. To make bile acid, the liver uses cholesterol. The more cholesterol used to digest insoluble fiber, the less there is to clog up your arteries. The LDL levels are lowered in the body when insoluble fiber such as that in apples is introduced to the digestive system.