An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But what is behind it? Dr. Michael Neumüller is an agricultural scientist and head of the Bavarian Fruit Centre in Hallbergmoos, where he and his team are constantly breeding new varieties of fruit. In this interview, he explains why apples are the real superfood.
Superfoods are currently on everyone’s lips. Foods with an exceptional amount of vitamins, proteins or other nutrients that have a positive effect on health are referred to as superfoods. Is an apple less healthy?
Dr. Michael Neumüller: “No, quite the opposite. Just think of the goji berry or the aronia berry. The ingredients in these superfoods that are responsible for their health-promoting effects are also found in our local fruit, just not in such high concentrations.”
So what is the difference between goji or aronia berries and an apple?
Dr. Michael Neumüller: “The decisive difference is the taste. You simply can’t consume too much of these berries. However, the health-promoting effect is always an effect of the quantity that the body absorbs. If you drink half a liter of apple juice twice a day instead of torturing yourself with 250 ml of aronia juice every day, you have already done more for your health. People eat fruit primarily because it tastes good, not because it makes them less susceptible to disease.”
What ingredients make an apple so healthy?
Dr. Michael Neumüller: “There are thousands of different substances in an apple. But you can’t break the apple down into its individual components, because the effect of its components – from a chemical point of view – is completely different from that of the totality of its components. We don’t know exactly why this is the case, but it is. First and foremost, the apple has to taste good. Otherwise nobody gets anything out of it. The apple that tastes good is the healthiest because people eat it the most.”
Apples as home-grown superfoods naturally have the advantage that anyone can grow them in their own garden. Which apple variety is worthwhile for hobby gardeners when growing fruit?
Dr. Michael Neumüller: “All the varieties we know from the supermarket, such as Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Elstar or Pink Lady, are far too susceptible to various fungal diseases for the home garden. Laetitia is a variety that is resistant to scab and tastes similar to Pink Lady. Then there is Berlepsch, an old variety with very firm fruit. This variety can also be grown well in the home garden and stored until Christmas.”
Images © Municipality of Hallbergmoos
