An apple a day good for the health of the intestines, according to a study

EFor an apple a day, you need to consume 100 million bacteria that can help you stay healthy, scientists said.

But Austrian researchers have discovered that if you leave the kernel and seeds, the number of microbes you consume drops to 10 m.

"By collecting the averages for each apple component, we estimate that a typical 240 g apple contains about 100 million bacteria," said Professor Gabriele Berg of the Graz University of Technology.

"Bacteria, fungi and viruses in our food transiently colonize our intestines. Cooking kills most of them. Raw fruits and vegetables are therefore a particularly important source of intestinal microbes. "

Many of these microbes are important for maintaining a healthy intestinal environment, or microbiome, Berg added.

The microbiome contains about 100,000 billion bacteria and other microbes. The more varied it is, the better it is for our health.

The study found that the bacterial community of organic apples was more balanced, which made them healthier than conventional alternatives.

"Freshly harvested and organically managed apples harbor a much more diverse, homogenous and distinct bacterial community than conventional communities," Berg said.