Apples are packed with health benefits

NEW YORK - "An apple a day" might seem like overkill, but the US' most popular fruit - weighing down branches in orchards everywhere - is packed with health benefits. Here is what nutrition experts have to say about apples.

- 

THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOUR GUT

Apples are rich in dietary fibre, a type of complex carbohydrate that the body is not capable of digesting on its own. That fibre acts as food for many of the bacteria species that reside in the gut. These bacteria have a powerful impact on health, affecting everything from cancer risk to weight to mood.

A diet high in fruit and vegetables, including apples, has been shown to increase the number of beneficial bacteria and decrease the number of harmful bacteria in people's guts, said Dr Marie van der Merwe, a nutrition scientist at the University of Memphis. That could lead to better overall health, she said.

In addition, apples contain a host of beneficial bacteria. While this is true for all fruit and vegetables, one study found that apples have a greater variety of bacteria than most.

When you eat an apple, some of those bacteria may become part of your microbiome. The apple is "acting like a probiotic in addition to acting like a prebiotic", said Dr van der Merwe.

THEY ARE HEART-HEALTHY