The study titled, “An Apple a Day: Which Bacteria Do We Eat With Organic and Conventional Apples?” analyses the bacterial composition of both organic and conventional apples and directing the study published by Frontiers in Microbiology were Henry Müller, Dr Gabriele Berg, and Birgit Wassermann.
According to the researchers, the apple’s fruit, pulp and seeds were the main “bacterial hotspots”, while surprisingly, the apple microbiome inhabited the skin of the apple to a lesser degree.
Speaking about abundance of beneficial gut bacteria, Professor Gabriele Berg, of Graz University of Technology, Austria, stated: “Putting together the averages for each apple component, we estimate a typical 240g apple contains roughly 100 million bacteria.” Nonetheless, the process of cooking kills off a large fraction of the helpful bacteria, fungi and viruses which aid with keeping our gut in check – say goodbye to apple pies at Christmas and apple crumble!
Organic Vs Conventional Apples
In addition to comparing organic and conventional apples, the study’s researchers observed the health benefits of freshly harvested, organic apples. Organic apples that had been freshly harvested demonstrated a significantly “more diverse, more even and distinct microbiota”, in contrast to their conventional apple counterpart. Variations, however, between organic and freshly, harvested organic apples were only mild; the consumption of organic apples not only has health benefits to the consumer, yet also to the environment with its sustainable approach to consuming food.
Conversely, conventional apples harbour food-borne pathogens and do in fact feature on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list. The list outlines the fruits and vegetables with the highest concentration of pesticide residue; consequently, conventional apples with their permeable, relatively thin peel and allowance of pesticides make an appearance on the “Dirty Dozen.”
Getting the Bacteria Balance Right
In the majority of conventional apples studied as part of the study, escherichia-shigella was present, which belongs to a group of pathogens. The microbial patterns in organic apples mirrored the impact that antioxidant rich polyphenols have on human health, such as being able to ease symptoms of an allergic reaction and encourage the growth of the two main types of gut bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Nutritional Changes to Food Labels
In terms of further research Birgit Wassermann from Graz University of Technology and the lead author of the study, noted moving onwards research into microbiomes would explore the extent to which diversity in the “food microbiome translates to gut microbial diversity and improved health outcomes”.
Concurrently, the research could pave the way of retailers having to include the “microbiome and antioxidant profiles” of fresh produce on packaging or labels. The inclusion of the number of beneficial bacterial and antioxidants for produce items would allow consumers to make more informed decisions about purchases, an important element in promoting healthy eating habits.
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