London: An apple a day keeps atherosclerosis at bay, just as purple grapes and grape juice do, according to a new study.

Atherosclerosis is a disease affecting arterial blood vessels.

A research team found apples having similar cardiovascular protective properties as grapes. Extracting its juice increases the bio-availability of the naturally-occurring compounds and antioxidants found in the whole fruit.

Researchers said these results show for the first time that long-term consumption of antioxidants supplied by apples and purple grapes, especially phenolic compounds, prevents the development of atherosclerosis in hamsters, and that the processing can have a major impact on the potential health effects of a product.

The researchers concluded that their work would help provide encouragement that fruit and fruit juices may have significant clinical and public health relevance.

The study was published in the April issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. IANS