Eating apples is good for you, even our grandparents knew that on the basis of the statement an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But today, thanks to science, it is finally possible to fully understand how effectively an apple is healthy, capable of communicating with our cells, reprogramming them and thus extinguishing inflammation that, if left free to act, can, in the long term, increase the risk of cellular degeneration, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a weakened immune system. This emerges from a very recent scientific research published in the journal Biomedicines thanks to the work of an Italian team from the University of Ferrara (Trentini et al, Biomedicines, 2022).
Small messages in bottles exchanged between cells
We must not think of our body as made up of cells closed in their small compartment and unable to communicate. On the contrary, our cells talk to each other and do so through different mechanisms. One of these communication systems is given by exosomes, which are vesicles, that is a species of sacs, which contain information within them, generally instructions for modifying the behavior of the cell that will receive the message. Plants also have vesicles similar to those cells use to communicate. Examples of these vesicles have been found in lemon, strawberries, sunflower seeds and, indeed, apples. These plant vesicles cross the stomach barrier and, as evidenced by previous research, then enter the blood flow. These vesicles are very similar to human exosomes and show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action. Precisely to better understand this action, scientists have studied the interaction between the exosomes of apples, a fruit that we usually consume and is very easily found in stores, and immune system cells.
How apples manage to extinguish inflammation
The exosomes were obtained from a type of apple of the Golden variety. The researchers then brought these exosomes into contact with human immune system cells in the laboratory. First, it was possible to observe that there is an interaction between these exosomes and the cells and that this interaction is safe and not harmful. Later, the scientists recreated an inflammatory environment. The cells of the immune system were immediately activated by producing pro-inflammatory substances, thus effectively nourishing the inflammatory process itself. What the researchers observed when putting the exosomes of apples into contact with the cells was truly fascinating. The exosomes were able to communicate actively with human cells and reprogram them, favoring the shutdown of inflammatory processes with a reduction of pro-inflammatory substances released and stimulating the action of repair and regeneration processes. A beneficial and anti-inflammatory effect of apple exosomes was observed both in the early stages of inflammation and in the subsequent ones.
Conclusions
Here is further confirmation that apples are precious for our health. Apples, in fact, are particularly rich in exosomes and play an active and well-demonstrated role which consists in talking to the immune system, stimulating its action aimed at extinguishing inflammation. This is why a regular intake of apples, as the study suggests, allows you to take small doses of anti-inflammatory substances every day, ensuring the control of inflammatory processes.
