Microbes: 100 million on an apple
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.100 million microbes settle on a single apple. They can be a blessing for the intestines. However, it does not matter how the apples are grown.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" - "An apple a day keeps the doctor at a distance." Swiss scientists have now subjected this truism to a closer examination. In doing so, they did not focus on the vitamins, fiber, etc. of the pome fruit, but on its invisible sub-tenants: the microbes that settle on them.
If you usually think that fruit should be washed thoroughly because of the germs, this study was about the health-promoting potential of the apple inhabitants. They can act like a fresh cell treatment on the microbiome in the intestine. "The bacteria, fungi and viruses in our food temporarily colonize our intestines," explains Gabriele Berg from the University of Graz.
Gut bacteria affect the body and mind
In recent years, more and more studies have shown that the diversity of the gut microbiome is critical to health. Body weight, immune system, and mood are just a few of the factors that are influenced by the bacterial community in the digestive tract.
The researchers write that the microorganisms are essential for the intestinal flora and the digestive system. However, cooking would kill most of the bacteria. "Raw fruit and vegetables are a particularly important source of microorganisms in the intestine," says study director Berg.
Comparison of organic apples with conventional fruit
Her team has now compared how organic apples and their conventionally grown counterparts are colonized - and what that means for the tiny colonies in the intestine. To do this, the scientists analyzed the genetic diversity of the apple microbes.
Among other things, they took samples from the peel, the kernels, the casing and the pulp. They discovered most of the bacteria in the nucleus. The researchers write that those who only eat the peel and pulp take in only about a tenth of the entire apple microbiome. But it also contains a wide variety of microorganisms.
Organic cultivation promotes bacterial diversity
The comparison of organic apples with conventionally grown apples was clearly in favor of organic fruit: far more diverse types of bacteria settled here. Among other things, the researchers discovered representatives of the genus Lactobacillus. These are considered to be particularly healthy for the intestines and are therefore added to probiotic yoghurts.
Diarrhea germs on conventional fruit
In contrast, Shigella bacteria were found in common apples, which can provoke diarrhea. However, their share in the bacterial culture was only small at five percent. On the other hand, the diarrhea germs did not settle on the organic apples. The multicultural bacterial community that thrives on them may be able to effectively displace pathogens, the scientists speculate.
As interesting as the findings are, they still need to be substantiated by further investigations with a large number of samples. For this study, the researchers only tested four organic and four normal apples.
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