Did you know that apples contain one of the greatest types of fiber known to man? This fiber is formally known as a substance called pectin, which has the ability to bind not only heavy metals like mercury, but LDL cholesterol as well!
As apple pectin moves through your digestive tract, both the cholesterol and metals are safely removed from the body.
Pectin also acts as a highly valuable prebiotic fiber that selectively feeds the good bacteria in your gut, while actively fighting and reducing pathogenic bacteria.
For those with long-standing gut issues, there is no greater “superfood” than the common apple (see my post on applesauce for leaky gut here). Pectin’s last great feat is its ability to act as a highly accessible fuel that your gut cells can instantly use to heal and regenerate. As apples are stewed during the process of making applesauce, the skin begins to shimmer, signaling that pectin has been released from the inside of the apple and is now available on the surface.
As your ‘good bugs’ eat up apple pectin, they produce SCFAs (short chain fatty acids) that benefit the lining of your colon. These SCFAs acids also promote epithelial growth of the cells in the intestines, leading to repair and regeneration of the gut.
Lastly, apples are an excellent remedy for constipation, as the pectin supports digestive transit by swelling in the digestive tract, increasing the bulk of your stool and making it softer/easier to pass. They are one of my favorite foods on the planet (and were well-loved by my grandmother as well).
References
<1> https://bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2180-10-13
