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posted by LaminatorX on Tuesday October 14 2014, @06:43AM   Printer-friendly
from the power-of-rhyming dept.

Scientists at Washington State University have concluded that nondigestible compounds in apples -- specifically, Granny Smith apples -- may help prevent disorders associated with obesity.

"We know that, in general, apples are a good source of these nondigestible compounds but there are differences in varieties," said food scientist Giuliana Noratto, the study's lead researcher. "Results from this study will help consumers to discriminate between apple varieties that can aid in the fight against obesity."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140929181156.htm

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @07:05AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @07:05AM (#105849)

    The "scientists" recommend Washington apple. No, really.

    • (Score: 2) by MrGuy on Tuesday October 14 2014, @11:52AM

      by MrGuy (1007) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @11:52AM (#105893)

      Well, yeah. They're in Washington.

      I actually strongly suspect that was the selling point for the study, actually. Like a theme episode of Mythbusters, some researchers in the Apple State were wondering over lunch if the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" had any scientific merit, and decided it would be fun to find out. The apple industry, thinking they could get some good press out of it, gave them some money to do the research.

  • (Score: 2) by WizardFusion on Tuesday October 14 2014, @09:05AM

    by WizardFusion (498) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 14 2014, @09:05AM (#105874) Journal

    And apple a day can keep the doctor away, but only if you are a good throw

  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @09:08AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @09:08AM (#105875)

    An apple a day keeps the doctor away. That's why it is a bad idea to eat apples in the early stage of your academic career.

    After you've got your doctor, you can start eating apples.

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday October 14 2014, @12:41PM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 14 2014, @12:41PM (#105906) Journal

      An apple a day

      Do you think I'm made of iMoney? No thank, a Linux a day is healthy enough for me.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday October 14 2014, @03:52PM

        by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @03:52PM (#105966) Journal

        "A unix everyday keeps the trouble away" ;)

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by MrGuy on Tuesday October 14 2014, @11:45AM

    by MrGuy (1007) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @11:45AM (#105890)

    From TFA:

    The tart green Granny Smith apples benefit the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon due to their high content of non-digestible compounds, including dietary fiber and polyphenols, and low content of available carbohydrates.

    The linkage between dietary fiber [wikipedia.org] obesity is well researched. Apples, like many crunchier vegetables are a reasonable source (though there are better ones). So this is hardly earth shattering.

    The linkage between polyphenols [wikipedia.org] and obesity (or myriad other health benefits claimed) are still more pop science than hard science - there are some positive studies, but there's not yet any definitive research. Notwithstanding, the food industry is very much on the polyphenol hype train, though the FDA still prohibits labeling with health benefits in the Us (I don't have first hand knowledge of other countries). Like most fruits and vegetables, apples are high in polyphenols.

    While "low carbohydrates" is the rage these days, it's hardly a selling point to eat MORE food because it doesn't have a lot of carbohydrates. Low carb diets are about absolute amounts, not percentage amounts - someone with a higher carb diet who elects to add an apple to their diet does NOT benefit (because the apple has RELATIVELY fewer carbs than the other stuff they eat). They suffer (because they ADDED carbs to their diet).

    So, basically, yeah. Apples. You're almost certainly better off eating a carrot, but like most fruits and vegetables, they're probably good for you.

    • (Score: 1) by Buck Feta on Tuesday October 14 2014, @01:22PM

      by Buck Feta (958) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @01:22PM (#105917) Journal

      So it's the constant flatulence that keeps the doctor away?

      --
      - fractious political commentary goes here -
  • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday October 14 2014, @01:22PM

    by Reziac (2489) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @01:22PM (#105916) Homepage

    We just got done discussing how nondigestible sweeteners cause a shift in gut bacteria that increases the chance of obesity...

    Now we're saying that other nondigestibles, which encourage the same spectrum of bacteria, decrease the chance of obesity...

    Guess which one has research behind it rather than marketing.

    --
    And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @03:29PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @03:29PM (#105960)

      You are a victim of over-simplification. You've let the singled word "nondigestible" be a proxy for two extremely different and complex chemical and biological processes that are only superficially similar and then you made a judgement based on that word rather than the specifics of the actual processes.

    • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday October 14 2014, @03:58PM

      by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @03:58PM (#105968) Journal

      Artificial sweeteners made using chemistry is something completely different from a natural product. And they both affect the flora of gut bacteria which in turn some science has shown affects things like obesity.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Reziac on Tuesday October 14 2014, @04:20PM

        by Reziac (2489) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @04:20PM (#105985) Homepage

        My background is biochemistry. Show me the compound and the metabolic path, don't just claim one is natural and the other is not. Cyanide is natural too.

        --
        And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
        • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday October 14 2014, @04:40PM

          by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @04:40PM (#105994) Journal

          Our bodies has been adapted to the chemistry in the nature and the compounds are fabricated by cells which means greater control per molecule. Our bodies are obviously not adapted to cyanide.

          When humans mix chemicals there's just hope that all reactants will react as desired. But some won't. And the resulting compounds may have side effects that humans just lack the capability to grasp.

        • (Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday October 14 2014, @04:43PM

          by Immerman (3985) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @04:43PM (#105995)

          Isn't the point that there is no metabolic path, at least for humans? As for compound A encourages some gut flora versus compound B encourages *other* gut flora - isn't that almost the default assumption?

          • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday October 14 2014, @06:31PM

            by Reziac (2489) on Tuesday October 14 2014, @06:31PM (#106029) Homepage

            The basic point is that if you feed non-digestible-by-humans carbohydrates (eg. fiber, sucralose) to bacteria that utilize such stuff, the result is that it's broken down into human-digestible sugars, which means more calories are being absorbed from the "nondigestible" stuff than the "none" that was expected. Whether it was cellulose or sucralose probably isn't too relevant.

            --
            And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
            • (Score: 2) by Immerman on Wednesday October 15 2014, @02:13AM

              by Immerman (3985) on Wednesday October 15 2014, @02:13AM (#106143)

              >Whether it was cellulose or sucralose probably isn't too relevant.

              I suspect it's VERY relevant to exactly which kind of bacteria are flourishing in your gut - and different bacteria can have very different side effects. For example cattle coevolved with bacteria that ferment grass - feed the cows grain instead and their gut gets colonized by completely different bacteria which did NOT coevolve with them, and which stress the cow's system significantly, to the point where grain-fed cows have something like 1/3 the life-expectancy of their grass-fed siblings.

              • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday October 15 2014, @04:24AM

                by Reziac (2489) on Wednesday October 15 2014, @04:24AM (#106165) Homepage

                You got a cite on that? (not from some AR interest) Cuz I grew up in ranching and feedlot country, and I never heard any such thing. And grain-fed cattle are headed for the slaughterhouse within a few short months, which naturally skews their lifespan...

                Mmm, corn-finished Angus.

                --
                And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
                • (Score: 2) by Immerman on Wednesday October 15 2014, @04:36AM

                  by Immerman (3985) on Wednesday October 15 2014, @04:36AM (#106171)

                  As I recall the study I saw was on dairy cows, not beef, where prolonged grain feeding doubled daily milk production but shorten lifespan by 2/3. 'Fraid that's the best I can offer.

                  • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday October 15 2014, @05:18AM

                    by Reziac (2489) on Wednesday October 15 2014, @05:18AM (#106181) Homepage

                    Lots of dairies around here.. maybe I'll go ask 'em.

                    --
                    And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @08:37PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @08:37PM (#106060)

          Thanks for being on Soylent and sharing your insight.

          (This is not sarcasm.)

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @06:04PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 14 2014, @06:04PM (#106021)

    people could choke on them and DIE!