Researchers at Cornell University in the United States recently discovered that eating apple peels helps prevent cancer.
The researchers analyzed red apple peels and found 12 types of triterpenoid compounds, three of which were newly discovered. They isolated each triterpenoid compound and used them to fight cancer cells. The results showed that each triterpenoid compound could inhibit the growth of cancer cells or kill them, but the inhibitory effects varied depending on the type of cancer cell.
The researchers stated that studies in mice have shown that various substances in apple peels can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, including liver cancer cells, colon cancer cells, and breast cancer cells. While eating apples helps prevent diseases, it is actually the apple peel that is effective, particularly the triterpenoid compounds it is rich in.
However, the researchers noted that the anti-cancer effects of triterpenoid compounds require further detailed research. The findings of this study were published in the latest issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in the United States.