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An Apple Peel a Day Keeps The Doctor Away
The Bacteria that keeps your gut lining intact
Do you know the old English-language proverb that appeared in the 19th century that said, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away "? There may be more truth to this than we know.
Apples have been associated with a number of benefits that could help promote long-term health, but one of my favorite things that apples, and more importantly the peel, can do is feed the all-important bacteria called Akkermansia muciniphila.
You might not have heard of it before now, but A. muciniphila is really important. It was discovered in 2004, and this (friendly) bacteria makes up one to four percent of our total gut microbes. [1]
Akkermansia muciniphila helps to maintain our gut lining and has many health benefits. Our gut lining keeps us protected from the outside world. When it's damaged you can have leaky gut syndrome which is linked to IBS, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In this day and age with so many taking Ibuprofen that can damage our gut lining and creates more problems than it solves, it's important to strengthen your gut lining. Foods can be powerful medicine and apples can keep your gut and microbes thriving.
Akkermansia loves the mucus in your gut
The "muciniphila" part of the name comes from Akkermansia’s love of the mucus in your gut. It loves to eat the slimy layer of mucus that coats your intestinal walls. The mucus layer is very important for gut health and it's very important for the health of your whole body. While it munches on the mucus, Akkermansia produces nutrients that feed our other good gut bacteria. It encourages the cells to become stronger and makes a tough gut barrier which is super important! [2]
Don't Starve Akkermansia
It's really important to feed this all-important bacteria because if you starve it of the fibrous foods it loves, it can turn around and eat the mucus surrounding the gut lining and cause permeability or leaky gut.
Researchers have been furiously studying Akkermansia, and several studies have already linked it to leanness.[3,4] Akkermansia is more abundant in lean individuals. In overweight individuals, there is a lower amount of this bacteria. Even more, studies are now saying that not having enough of the Akkermansia bacteria can lead to several diseases.
How to Feed Akkermansia
One of the foods Akkermansia loves and thrives on the most is apple peels. Apples are loaded with pectin. Apples contain over 50 percent pectin, a potent prebiotic, and Akkermansia grows like crazy when you eat apples and especially the peels.
Other foods that feed Akkermansia:
- Elderberries
- Blueberries
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Asparagus
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Plums
- Raspberries
- Apple peels
- Apples
- Apple Peel powders
- Rye bread
- FOS fructooligosaccharides— This had good results in feeding and growing Akkermansia in a laboratory. You can find FOS in Prebio Plus.
Apple Peel Powder
Once I learned about how to feed Akkermansia,[9,10] I spent days peeling apples and making applesauce to feed the special microbes that had made themselves known to me, and then I discovered apple peel powder. I love adding it to my smoothies in the morning but I also eat lots of apples too. It wasn't too long after that I read a book by Joel Greene The Immunity Code where he talks about how important it is to feed this bacteria and wouldn't you know he talked about apple peels being the most important food for these Akkermansia microbes!
Polyphenols in foods are really important for your microbiome to flourish. Foods such as berries and apples are loaded with them and nourish your gut bacteria and promote the growth of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Akkermansia muciniphila.
Apple Recipes
I have lots of ways to enjoy apples! Remember, the best way to grow your bacteria is to feed it the foods it loves!
Listen To My Podcast
Apples have been associated with a number of benefits that could help promote long-term health, but one of my favorite things that apples, and more importantly the peel can do is feed the all-important bacteria called Akkermansia Municiphila. Akkermansia helps to maintain our gut lining and has many health benefits by keeping gut lining strong. When it's damaged you can have leaky gut syndrome which is linked to IBS, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Check out the podcast to learn more.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6064808/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048395/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20648002/
- https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/akkermansia-muciniphila-a-bacterium-that-may-help-reduce-metabolic-syndrome/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/akkermansia - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23385241/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19926616/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034528814000319
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2012.110
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6064808/
- https://portlandpress.com/clinsci/article-abstract/130/23/2217/71485/Apple-peel-polyphenols-a-key-player-in-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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