An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away – but Why?

You remember that ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ phrase, probably devised by the Apple Marketing Board, but have you ever wondered what the basis of it is? Danish microbiologists think they have the answer as after feeding rates on a diet rich in whole apples, juice, or purée they found that this diet increased the amount of ‘friendly’ bacteria in the gut.

Certain bacteria are good not just for our digestive health but may also influence our risk for cancer. It is apparently the pectin, part of the dietary fibre found in apples that produces an increase in the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut and apples also produce a chemical called butyrate,. an important fuel for the cells of the intestinal wall.

The part to bear in mind is the ‘a day’ part of the phrase as you need to eat apples regularly and over a prolonged period of time but as apples are adult’s favourite fruit then that shouldn’t be too much of a hardship. What about apple and mango puree with your breakfast?