Apples have been a part of our diets for a good long while.  Even Adam and Eve enjoyed them much to their supposed demise.  Maybe the devil was on to something though!  Apples are surprisingly healthy for reasons scientists are only just finding out about.

Sure, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ has been ingrained in our minds since we were children, but why exactly?  Up until recently, apples didn’t seem to provide much, especially when compared to such powerhouse foods as berries, spinach, kale, etc.

Recently, a study done at Washington State University using Granny Smith apples – those tart, green ones – demonstrated a great deal of evidence regarding some very important health benefits gained by eating these apples.

Much of what the study showed was not necessarily in the nutritional value of apples in terms of vitamins and other important nutrients, but in terms of the bulk apples – specifically, Granny Smith apples – offered in the form of indigestible fiber.

Food scientist and lead researcher, Guiliana Noratto, stated that the high level of indigestible contents in these apples is incredibly conducive to the growth of friendly bacteria during the digestion process.  The abundance of fiber in these apples are not broken down by stomach acids and enzymes.  Instead, they remain intact upon reaching the colon.  There, these undigested fibers actually ferment and greatly aid in the growth of essential, friendly bacteria. 

According to Noratto, friendly bacteria stabilizes our metabolism.  It also has a beneficial effect on inflammation related to obesity and diabetes.  In fact, obese people often have a definite lack of friendly bacteria that not only affects their metabolic rate, but also contributes to their inability of feeling full hence the compulsion to overeat, at least in part. 

This recent study is not only a great reason to grab an apple, but to also start or maintain a diet high in fiber.  Maybe the devil was right after all!