Two apples a day keep heart diseases away

London: Just two apples a day could help protect women against heart disease by cutting their cholesterol levels, according to study.

Scientists found that apples significantly lowered blood fat levels in postmenopausal women, the group most at risk of heart attacks and strokes, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

Snacking on the fruit every day for six months slashed cholesterol by almost a quarter.

The biggest reduction was seen in low-density lipoprotein, the so-called "bad" cholesterol that furs up arteries and raises the risk of a life-threatening clot forming near the heart or brain.

The findings, by researchers at Florida State University in the US, support previous evidence that apples could be good for the heart.

But the latest study suggests they could benefit one of the highest-risk groups.