A handful or two of pistachio nuts a day could keep heart disease at bay, research suggests. They appear to lower cholesterol and keep arteries healthy.

Just three ounces of pistachios a day is enough to significantly lower the risk of heart disease. The nuts are thought to be rich in nutrients that reduce hardening of the arteries, one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes. During a U.S. study, volunteers were asked to supplement a low fat diet with pistachios. Some ate 1.5 ounces of the nuts a day, while others had double that amount, either alone as a snack or incorporating them into cereal, muffins and pesto sauce. A third group did not eat any pistachios. After just a month, cholesterol levels were significantly lower among the pistachio-eaters. Those who ate the most nuts experienced the biggest decrease in cholesterol.

Pistachios are rich in an antioxidant called lutein, also found in green leafy vegetables and brightly coloured fruit. Present at higher levels in the pistachio than other nuts, lutein helps prevent cholesterol from clogging up arteries. It is best to eat unsalted rather than salted pistachios as too much salt can raise blood pressure. However, both types should have the same effect on cholesterol. Lutein is also known to keep eye’s healthy and helps to prevent age related macular degeneration.

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is an old adage that seems to be proving true, as study after study shows that apples confer a huge range of health benefits. A meta-analysis in 2003 of 7 studies involving over 100,000 people highlighted apples as significantly reducing the risk of heart disease, by an astonishing 20%; while the following year a meta-analysis of 85 studies found that eating apples was also linked to reduced risks cancer, type 2 diabetes and asthma.

Apples are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. A medium-sized (138g) apple provides around 6.3mg – 16% – of your daily immune system-boosting vitamin C requirement and a useful amount of your vitamin K intake, which helps your blood to clot normally. It is also packed with antioxidants, to the extent that 100g of apple and peel has the same antioxidant effect as 1500 mg of vitamin C. Apples’ low glycaemic index rating means snacking on them helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, which can ward off weight gain and, in the long-term, lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

The high fibre content (around 2.4g/100g – 13% of your daily recommended intake), particularly the soluble fibre, pectin, found in the peel, helps to reduce both ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of bowel cancer. It can also reduce the risk of dying of heart disease by up to 30%

Apple peel is also rich in antioxidant procyanidins, which have been shown to reduce the number of pre-cancerous colon cancer cells and could be used for future cancer treatments. Lab studies have shown that quercetin, a type of flavonoid found most abundantly in apples, can prevent the growth of human prostate cancer cells, while the National Cancer Institute in the States has reported that apple flavonoids could halve the risk of lung cancer. As it is good to eat the peel, make sure you buy organic apples so that the it has not been sprayed with pesticides.

Quantity is important, too: according to British epidemiological researchers, eating two apples a week reduces the risk of developing asthma by 22-32%, while a 28-year study in Finland found that people who ate the most apples had the lowest risk factors for thrombotic strokes.

And if you’re worried this is a lot of information to take on board in one go, don’t forget that US researchers have found that apples could improve your memory, cognitive function and ability to learn – and might even protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulphur-bearing compound called allicin – the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. And it’s the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic’s therapeutic qualities.

Most of the modern research on garlic has concentrated on its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as offering protection against strokes and heart disease. For example, when the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians reviewed data on cholesterol in 1993, it found that after just four weeks there was a 12 per cent reduction in cholesterol levels in the research groups that had taken garlic.

Scientists have also looked at the role garlic plays in helping prevent the formation of blood clots. A review of recent clinical trials, published in the Journal of Hypertension, showed that taking garlic tablets cut volunteers’ blood pressure by between one and five per cent. These results led the report’s authors to conclude that taking supplements could cut the incidence of stroke by anything from 30-40 per cent, while heart disease could be reduced by 20-25 percent.

While garlic is gathering a reputation for helping to maintain a healthy heart, regular amounts of garlic seems to also help the body fight off infections. A recently published study found that a daily garlic supplement reduced the risk of the volunteers catching a cold by half. The researchers also discovered that even when those taking the supplement did develop a cold they were more likely to make a speedier recovery than the non-garlic taking volunteers. And if that’s not enough, just one clove a day will top up your body’s supplies of vitamins A, B and C, as well as a vast array of minerals including selenium, iodine, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

Research into the benefits of garlic are continuing all the time and some scientists have been reviewing evidence that suggests it may even help to protect against stomach cancer. The thinking behind this is that the allicin compounds, contained in garlic, may help prevent cancerous changes in the stomach wall. While more research is clearly needed there is little doubt that a little garlic, every day, can go a long way in helping to protect, as well as boost, your health.

For some, garlic can be the cause of heartburn as well as flatulence. And then, of course, there is the smell that eating garlic leaves behind! For those who prefer not to eat the garlic, it is available in supplement form. If you’d prefer to stick to the real thing, a clove a day can help improve your overall health and two or three cloves a day can help to stem a cold. Chew parsley after eating garlic to help neutralise your breath. When used in cooking, crush or cut the garlic finely, then leave for 10 minutes to allow the allicin to fully develop before adding to recipes. Add the garlic about five minutes before the end of cooking – this way you apply just enough heat to convert the allicin into medically active compounds.

Note: Garlic can interact with anticoagulants, such as Warfarin and aspirin, so if you take blood thinning medication, talk to you doctor before taking garlic supplements. It is also recommended that no garlic supplement is taken for two weeks before surgery, as they may interfere with blood clotting and increase risk of bleeding.