As many know, February is Heart Health Month. At Superfresh Growers, we try to make healthy choices year round, however, taking the time to raise awareness of heart disease this February as well as how the foods we eat can help prevent it, can help us all live a long and healthy life! Which brings us to the introduction of two of our favorite heart healthy foods, apples and pears!
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is the first step in a heart healthy life! We’ve all heard the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Not only is there a valid amount of weight behind that statement, fresh pears can be added to that doctor fending statement as well. In a study that looked at data from the Iowa Women’s Health Study, researchers found that pears and apples were the most protective against heart disease, compared with other common fruits. An Ohio State University study found that an apple a day lowers blood levels of oxidized LDL, the bad cholesterol, by 40 percent! Apples and pears are rich in fiber and have vitamin C. Likewise, they are sodium-free, fat free, and cholesterol-free –all things that are important for a healthy heart. The American Heart Association considers both apples and pears to be heart healthy snacks and can help curb less healthy cravings. Additionally, apples and pears protect brain cells, and deliver a dose of Vitamin C.
Use this February to add more heart healthy foods to your diet and spread awareness about heart health to your family and friends!
- From the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006; 114:82-96. Available online here.
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Health Statics, Fastats. Available online here.
