The holidays are coming to a close. Leftover turkey sandwiches are that of the past, and empty wine bottles are filling your garbage bin. The overindulgences of the holidays prepare us for another holiday tradition: the New Year’s health kick. We all have different methodologies and advice for losing weight and staying fit. Still, we can agree that eating more fruits and veggies, explicitly eating more apples, is critical. Research shows that eating three servings of apples a day helps to increase good gut bacteria, kicking our systems into fat-burning weight-loss mode.
Apples are naturally high in pectin, a source of dietary fiber that feeds good gut bacteria. According to a Washington State University study, apples, especially the more tart varieties, have a high content of non-digestible compounds such as dietary fiber and polyphenols. These non-digestible compounds remain intact when they reach the colon despite chewing, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes. The compounds are then fermented by colon bacteria, which continue to feed the friendly gut bacteria. While providing the apple pectin, the good bacteria can thrive and replicate, fighting disease and inflammation.
Because apple pectin feeds good gut bacteria, researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro relate weight loss to a diet that includes apples. In a study of overweight women, weight loss increased significantly in women who ate three servings of apples daily, compared to a diet with minimal fruit intake. In a follow-up study, researchers compared weight loss between overweight women eating three apples daily and a group eating three oat cookies daily. The apples and cookies had similar calories and fiber, yet the apple group lost weight compared to the cookie group that gained weight. The researchers attributed the weight loss to the healthy gut bacteria the apple pectin feeds and maintained.
This same Rio de Janeiro study found that apples' soluble fiber and ursolic acid naturally boost our systems into fat-burning mode. So, as we embrace the New Year with healthy resolutions, remember that apples increase good gut bacteria, allowing them to do their good disease-fighting deeds in the intestines. Plus, they are naturally portable and will easily fit in your gym bag for that next trip to the gym you promised yourself in your New Year’s resolution.
Sources
Apples Help Maintain Optimal Weight (Nutrition, 2003, 19: 253-256)
Apples Strengthen Muscles (Cell Metabolism, 2011, 13 (6): 627-638)
Apples Improve Digestive Health (BMC Microbiology 2010, 10:13)
