Alright, you already know that fighting obesity involves 1) eating less and 2) doing more. Here’s one more thing: eat a granny smith apple.
A study published in Food Chemistry has found that eating granny smith apples promotes the growth of good gut bacteria, which can improve feelings of satiety.
Researchers looked at a number of varieties of apples, including braeburn, fuji, gala, golden delicious, and red delicious, to discover the amont of non-digestible compounds they contain. They found that granny smiths contain the highest levels of these non-digestible compounds.
The non-digestible compounds in apples survive chewing, saliva, stomach acid, and other enzymes before reaching the colon, where they must be fermented by bacteria in the colon. The more non-digestible material that reaches the colon, the more healthy bacteria grow, since more are needed for the fermentation. More healthy gut bacteria could help reduce low-grade inflammation, which can lead to diabetes, and could help reduce metabolic disorders, which are associated with obesity.
So, if you want an easy way to improve your gut flora, go for granny smiths. Don’t like apples? Well, remember: they’re better than poop transplants.
___
Photo courtesy of Nic Taylor.
