There is a saying that goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This could be true, especially if you will base your judgment to the nutritional facts this fruit has.
With no saturated fat or cholesterol, and low sodium and carbohydrates contents, apples can be pretty healthy as it is packed with Vitamins A and C, Fiber, Potassium, and Magnesium, five of the most needed nutrients of our body. Furthermore, this fruit is also rich in antioxidants, which effectively helps in eliminating free-radicals cells.
Given this reason, it is indeed undeniable how apples play an important role in everyone's lives. But did you know that amid all the demands and benefits, some apples can be risky too?
Researchers from the Graz University of Technology in Austria found out that since we are all now living in a polluted world, apples and other raw foods already tend to be more prone to dirt and other microorganisms. Once consumed, the body is not just absorbing the nutrients that come along with the fruit, but also the microbes that can be risky and negatively affect the body, as reported by Medical News Today.
"The bacteria, fungi, and viruses in our food transiently colonize our gut. Cooking kills most of these, so raw fruit and veg are particularly important sources of gut microbes", explains Prof. Grabriele Berg, who is the lead author of the study.
To find answers to their questions, the experts examined three types of apples: organic, hand-grown, and conventional, which are those that can be bought from stores. Throughout their research, they were able to analyze every part of the fruit such as its pulp, calyx, seeds, fruit, peel, and stem.
The results of the study, which were published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, revealed in every 240 gram of apple, there are about 100 million bacteria that can be found. Though most of these bacteria lie on the pulp, there is still a huge amount of it present in its seeds.
Researchers also found several differences when it comes to the bacterial content of organic apples and those that can be bought from stores. According to them, though both apples are carrying the same number of bacteria, organic apples have a more diverse and distinct bacterial community as compared to the other. They also found how conventional apples possess more harmful bacteria than the other. Organic apples, on the other hand, have more good bacteria in it.
One of the harmful bacteria that can be found in conventional apples is Escherichia-Shigella. Also known as E.coli, this type of bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever once ingested, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
