Gut health doctor issues warning to people who eat supermarket apples

When it comes to quick and easy snacks, there are few things better than a good old apple.

Whether you're plucking one straight from your own tree, or slathering some slices in peanut butter, a good apple can sometimes really hit the spot.

However, it seems as if even fruit is following the same trend as a lot of other foods and our own health, as it seems as if au natural is always the way to go when sourcing your apples.

While it's long been said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, it turns out that eating apples from supermarkets could be potentially damaging to our gut health.

That's according to gastroenterologist Dr Paul Froomes, who explained why the wax that grows on apples inside supermarket packaging might not be too beneficial for our bellies.

It doesn't matter if they're red or green (Getty Stock)

In a recent video, he said: "Are you still buying supermarket apples? And eating the skin? Here's what you're actually consuming.

"Supermarket apples are coated in a synthetic wax layer applied during processing. The fruit naturally produces a fine wax of its own, but that gets stripped and replaced with an artificial one - designed to preserve shelf life.

"The skin of an apple is where most of the fibre and polyphenols sit - the exact nutrients that feed beneficial gut bacteria and support intestinal barrier function."

Although you might not get the ease or satisfaction of simply biting into the apple, or breaking it in two with your bare hands like Bob Mortimer, you might just protect your stomach if you decide to peel it.

Dr Froomes added: "If you want to eat supermarket-bought apples, that's fine. It's just safer for your health if you peel them."

Natural and organic apples might well be better (Getty Stock)

In a world which is increasingly obsessed with what we're eating, buying organic apples could also be safer for our stomachs, and it's no surprise that some are keen to do everything they can to protect themselves given the rapid growth of bowel cancer cases.

'"f you can, buy organic. An organic apple lets you eat the whole fruit - skin included -without the chemical baggage,' Dr Froomes explained.

"If organic isn't accessible, peel your supermarket apples. You'll lose some fibre, but you'll avoid what's sitting on the surface.

"Small swaps like this compound over time. Your microbiome doesn't need more chemical stress - it needs more real food."

He concluded: "Unless you want to be eating wax, buy yourself organic apples."

So, if you want to do everything you can to protect your health, and the carnivore diet shockingly isn't working for you, then maybe the next step is to start peeling your apples. A peeled apple a day keeps the doctor happy, apparently.