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Apple Skin: Peeling Back Cancer

Apple peels appear to upregulate the tumor suppressor gene maspin and have strong antiproliferative effects on breast and prostate cancer cell growth in vitro.

January 9, 2013 |
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Supplementary Info

Apple Skin: Peeling Back Cancer, 5.0 out of 5 based on 7 ratings

Sources Cited

Reagan-Shaw S, Eggert D, Mukhtar H, Ahmad N. Antiproliferative effects of apple peel extract against cancer cells. Nutr Cancer. 2010;62(4):517-24.

Henríquez C, Speisky H, Chiffelle I, Valenzuela T, Araya M, Simpson R, Almonacid S.Development of an ingredient containing apple peel, as a source of polyphenols and dietary fiber. J Food Sci. 2010 Aug 1;75(6):H172-81.

Acknowledgements

Images thanks to: 427 and jspad.

Transcript

Apples themselves are awesome, but it’s not because of the juice in them but rather, perhaps, primarily what’s found in the peel. Within the last year half a dozen studies have touted the benefits of apple peels, for example this one in the journal Nutrition and Cancer. The antiproliferative effects of apple peel extract against cancer cells. We know the more apples we eat, the lower our apparent risk of several cancers. The peels are the really good part, yet are often discarded. For example apple peel is a waste product of dried apple manufacturing; in one little country Chile, they throw away 9,000 tons of apple peels a year. That's like 20 million pounds--a tragedy! So these researchers decided to see what we’re missing. Here are two cell lines of human prostate cancer and two of human breast cancer growing merrily away in petri dishes —they’re the little black dots you can see. They are blissfully unaware that researchers at the University of Wisconsin were at whole foods buying some organic gala apples. The peels were thrown in a blender and a tiny bit dripped on the unsuspecting cancer cells. And then a bit more and a little more and as you can see by the end neither the prostate nor breast cancer cells were very happy. This ain’t chemo; it’s just apple peels. How did they do it? “To obtain a clue regarding the mechanism they determined the effect of apple peels on the tumor suppressor protein maspin inside the cancer cells. Maspin is a tumor suppressor gene that has been shown to have tumor suppressor, antiangiogenic and antimetastatic properties in both breast and prostate cancer cells. The tumor cells found a way to turn this gene off; and apple peels turned it back on. An upregulation of this tumor suppression gene as you add more and more of the apple peel extract to each of the cancer types. They conclude apple peels may possess strong antiproliferative effects against cancer cells, and they should not be discarded from the diet.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Jonathan Hodgson.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

What's wrong with just drinking apple juice? See my last video Apple Juice May Be Worse Than Sugar Water. Peeling conventionally grown apples does get rid of a significant proportion of the pesticides, but the benefits of eating the peels (even from conventional apples) far outweighs any risk that may come from the pesticide exposure. Of course one can get all the benefits without the risks by choosing organic, but one should never let pesticide concerns lead one to skimp on fruit and vegetable consumption. To see what a whole diet full of plant foods can do to prostate and breast cancer cell growth see Ex Vivo Cancer Proliferation Bioassay and The Answer to the Pritikin Puzzle, respectively. More on the wonders of apples in Dried Apples Versus Cholesterol and Apples & Breast Cancer.

If you haven't yet, you can subscribe to my videos for free by clicking here.

  • Audrey Pellicano

    Dr Greger, If I juice the apples, with the skin on of course, am I reaping the benefits or does juicing change the antiproliferative effect of maspin?
    Thank you
    Audrey Pellicano

    • Veganrunner

      Dr Don I hope you don’t mind. I found this comment on another video and thought Audrey might find it helpful. I believe Dr Greger has said the whole food is generally best. Don’t we lose the fiber with juicing?

      DrDons Schilly76 • 8 months ago −
      As a general rule when foods are processed(blended) or nutrients are extracted(water, fiber) they are less beneficial. As this video shows there are exceptions to the rule when dealing with complex systems. Garlic needs to be crushed to allow for the mixing of chemicals to liberate an antioxidant that is beneficial. Broccoli is another interesting case see http://nutritionfacts.org/vide…. Cooking is another variable that needs to be considered see video http://nutritionfacts.org/vide…. Since juicing removes fiber it is less beneficial as fiber is a valuable nutrition. Dr. Greger has done 25 videos touching on the value of fiber but you might start with http://nutritionfacts.org/vide….

  • HemoDynamic, M.D.

    To eat a chicken, eat like one. How about them Apples’–peels!

  • stevebillig

    I like to dry fruit, including apples. Drying apples with the skin on results in a tough and unpleasant texture to the skin. So I peel the apples I intend to dry, save the peel, and use it in my fruit and vegetable smoothies. My Vitamix will wiz that peel down to a liquid and results in a good taste, a nice mouthfeel, and of course, all that nutrition. Caveat: be sure to use organic.

    More generally, if you buy into the concept of whole foods, dump the juicer and invest in a superblender such as Vitamix. Your body will thank you.

  • Thea

    This video was so fun (those poor unsuspecting cancer cells!) and so clear.

    I eat an apple a day during winter. (My dog gets some too.) As a kid, I hated the skin. As an adult, I tolerate it, but don’t like it. So of course we learn that that’s the healthiest part. sigh.

  • celticson

    Just as vitally important for exploding cancer cells is eating the seeds WITH the rest of the apple.

    • Thea

      celticson: You post surprises me. I thought that apple seeds contain significant amounts of arsenic and that one should definitely not eat them. I’m curious why you would advocate eating the seeds. Do you do that yourself? Do you have a link to a study that uses apple seeds? Thanks

      • Eve

        No arsenic but does contain cyanide. Good news- the rest of the apple has counter-properties for the cyanide, so all is balanced nicely.

        • Thea

          Thanks for the correction!

          Balancing cyanide? I don’t know about that…

          • Coacervate

            Thea et al., please note: Dr. G reports science and cites refs. What does Eve do “so you don’t have to”? Can you choose wisely?

  • Eve

    Was this study done with organic apples? If so, I wonder if same results will apply with non organic? I try to eat organic apples. But if it is not organic, I wonder if it’s healthier to take the peel off?

    • Eve

      Wish there was a way to edit or delete. Just saw vid- Organic!

  • Renee Jensen

    Cell lines in a petri dish are better than nothing I suppose but may not extend that much to cancer cells in situ. It would be nice to know if the cancer cells were primary cultures or cell lines instead.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kip.rode Kip Rode

    What I do is I thinly slice the apples on a Mandoline slicer leaving the peel on. I then sprinkle cinnamon on the slices and then place them in the oven for about two hours. At the end I have apple chips or crisps and I can easily eat three apples worth without feeling full. It one of my favorite snacks I make, that and sweet potato chips.

    • LynnCS

      Hey Kip! Great idea. I don’t know if you are raw vegan or not, but wondering about temp. and also do you use lemon or anything to avoid oxydation?

  • vegan2u

    Why is store bought apple fiber not made with just apple peels and not the center sugar laden portion

  • faella70

    I start my day with a smoothie made from fresh (mostly organic) fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, protein powder, cinnamon and almond milk. I always include an apple (seeds, peel and all). I look forward to the smoothie every morning because it is so delicious!

    • Billy B

      Apparently the seeds are a good source of cyanide, which will collects in you system. I too, ate the whole apple until I read that factoid in the paper about 5 years ago.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide

  • wolfgang61

    This puts a different spin an earlier video “Dried Apples vs. Cholesterol,” 1/12/12, the problem is it’s hard to find dried apple rings with the skin on. By the way, I’ve heard the same thing about seeds, how could any amount of cyanide be tolerable?

  • wolfgang61

    Sorry, 1/10/12.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong

    I don’t remember the last time I peeled my apples — perhaps childhood. Nowadays, all but the core goes into the Vitamix with other fruits. Thanks Dr. Greger, team, and apples. :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000966482115 Michelle Mace Rowe

    http://www.deccanherald.com/content/304101/superfoods-may-cause-cancer-nobel.html
    Dr. Greger – please comment on this article. It’s already posted by
    the plant based crowd who dismiss the power of “super foods.”

  • marijo

    Which is the amount recommended for daily consumption of apple skin to prevent cancer?
    It has the same effect if consumed dehydrated?

  • NBMaggie

    I follow Dr. Greger’s reviews of the research with great interest so I am very keen to hear his reaction to this research:

    http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/01/10/u-s-failing-in-war-on-cancer-and-antioxidants-superfoods-focus-is-part-of-the-problem-dna-research-pioneer/

    by Dr. Francis Crick concerning the possibly negative influence of antioxidant loading through food intake. It was just a quick read but what I took away from it was that these foods MAY interfere with the action of chemo during treatment.

    I left Stage IIIB Lobular Invasive Carcinoma behind me fifteen years ago after the usual treatment regimen of Slash, Poison, and Burn (for which I am grateful, despite my description of it) but now sustain life and health with a whole plant food, no processed ‘phood’, low fat eating plan. And yes, I DO load up on antioxidants with a home made tea blend of rose hips, hibiscus, fresh ginger, amla, and lemon. I love it and hope that since I no longer take any prescription medication that this concoction is doing me a lot of good and maxing out what I can do to prevent a recurrence.

  • rahje

    Good day Dr. Greger,

    I would like to firstly thank you for providing nutritional facts to the general public for creating a deep understanding of dietary and lifestyle improvement and to debunk the food myths the food industry markets heavily to us.

    I do not know whether or not you take video requests. but if so I would greatly appreciate if you did a discussion on phytic acid and its beneficial or detrimental impacts on our system. I have recently found a video by these youtubers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQbBCd22qZM which seems very erroneous to me.

    Thank you for your time.
    R. Shields

  • Lew Payne

    I use Now Foods Apple Fiber in my morning AOX shake…

    http://www.amazon.com/Lew-Payne-Uses-This/dp/B0009NBCVY

    It is made from discards – apple peels – and also contains 10% pectin. I use 25 cc Apple Fiber along with 30 cc of Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal.

  • MikeZP

    PROCYANIDINS IN THE MOST POPULAR IN POLAND DESSERT APPLE VARIETES
    S u m m a r y
    The contents of major flavan-3-ols : epicatechin, procyanidins: B1, B2, C, oligomeric procyanidins in ethanol extracts of 7 dessert apple varieties (Jonagold, Cortland, Lobo, Idared, Gloster, Champion, Elstar)was measured. The measurement was performed by RP-HPLC. Spectrophotomeric measurements of total polyphenols by Folin-Ciocalteau method and total procyanidins by vanillin test method were alsoperformed.

    The contents of total procyanidins in apple flesh was on level 258-631mg/kg (HPLC), including epicatechin 33-172 mg/kg, procyanidin B1 4-47 mg/kg, procyanidin B2 64-166 mg/kg, procyanidin C1 5-73 mg/kg and oligomeric procyanidins 108-172 mg/kg. For apple flesh the total polyphenols ranged 407-643 mg/kg.

    For apple peel the total procyanidins ranged 701-1445 mg/kg, including epicatechin 156-400 mg/kg, procyanidin B1 14-74 mg/kg, procyanidin B2 185-369 mg/kg, procyanidin C 97-213 mg/kg and oligomeric procyanidins 211-459 mg/kg. For apple peel the total polyphenols ranged from 1573 to 2850 mg/kg. Elstar variety was characterized as the richest in procyanidins, both in apple flesh and in peel.

    Apple peel was shown to be richer in procyanidins than apple flesh. Good correlation between vanillin test and HPLC method for quantifying procyanidins in flesh and in edible part of apple was established.
    source: http://www.pttz.org/zyw/wyd/czas/2006,%202(47)%20Supl/14_Kosmala.pdf

  • Cathleen c

    In cold weather, I tend to make applesauce and eat it warm. I leave the skins on. (If you have diabetes, you can also add lots of cinnamon.) Does anyone know if there is a difference in efficacy between raw and cooked peels?

    • MikeZP

      Why cook? warm meal (up to 40 degrees) is also warming the body.

  • veggielove

    Hi there even the organic apples where i live have wax on them, just take a sharp knife and see the white wax flake off, i always peel my apples and sad to do so. :(

    • http://twitter.com/JenDiggityDirt JenDiggityDirt

      Although they do wax some fruit, apples make wax naturally! Just spray with some water and lemon juice or vinegar (or a commercial produce cleaner) and wipe with a towel.

  • The Naked Nutritionist

    Stewed apple with coconut oil tastes not only tastes great but can be helpful for digestion.

    Daniel
    thenakednutritionist.co.uk

  • LynnCS

    Mother knew best, “An apple a day etc…. I try to eat 2 a day, but often fall short. My fave is Fuji. Sweetest. Not so pretty, so don’t judge a book by it’s cover. I am interested in some info on not eating fruit with other foods. I’ll snoop around your archives, but if you haven’t addressed it yet, would love your opinion. Thanks, Lynn

  • Maximus

    What about wax on apples? How safe is it?

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