As many know, February is Heart Health Month. At Superfresh Growers, we try to make healthy choices year-round; however, raising awareness of heart disease this February and how our foods can help prevent it can help us all live a long and healthy life! This brings us to introduce 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 that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Not only is there a valid amount of weight behind that statement, but fresh pears can also be added to that doctor's fending statement. In a study that looked at Iowa Women’s Health Study data, 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, fat, and cholesterol-free –all important for a healthy heart. The American Heart Association considers apples and pears to be heart-healthy snacks that 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.
