‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away'- this proverb has now been proven by scientists by adding one more apple. In a new study researchers at the University of Reading found that eating two large apples a day for eight weeks lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol also known as 'bad' cholesterol by almost four per cent. Apples are rich in fibre and compounds called polyphenols which can reduce bad cholesterol and improve blood vessel function the researchers say. Why is cholesterol bad for your heart? High cholesterol in the blood can block and harden arteries which can raise