800-year-old apple could be healthiest to eat

London, Sept 8 (ANI): An organic variety of apples first grown more than 800 years ago could be the healthiest to eat, according to a new study.

Pendragon apple, which has been grown in England since the 12th century, contains higher levels of plant chemicals linked to health benefits - including reducing inflammation and lowering blood sugar - than other varieties, claim researchers.

In a test, the apple came top of 12 organic and three normally grown apples, beating rivals such as Golden Delicious, Royal Gala and Cox, reports The Telegraph.

"Of all the organic varieties, Pendragon was the best apple variety and contained seven of the eight kinds of healthy components at the highest levels," said pharmacist Michael Wakeman, who led the study and presented his findings to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's annual conference in Manchester.

"In contrast, the non-organic apples consistently had low levels ... in both the flesh and the peel," said Wakeman, who works for Eden Healthcare Technologies in Leicestershire. (ANI)