During your routine grocery shopping, you might have come across small stickers on fruits like apples. Have you ever wondered what these labels signify and how they impact your health?

An authority in the field, known as the “UK’s No.1 Longevity Creator” and a clinical nutritionist with two decades of coaching expertise, sheds light on this topic. He points out that while most apples have a wax coating, the crucial detail lies in the numbers on those stickers. “If the number begins with a three or four, it indicates the apple is non-organic,” he explains.

Zib Atkins, dedicated to unlocking the full potential of human health and wellness, elaborates by saying such stickers imply the use of “synthetic wax.” He stresses the importance of looking for a nine as the first digit. Numbers starting with three or four mean the wax is not natural, potentially hazardous due to its toxicity, and it can hide pesticides used on the apple.

Atkins advises consumers to prioritize organic purchases. He emphasizes that apples with stickers starting with nine are organic and thus, safer for consumption. To further protect yourself from pesticides, he suggests a simple method to cleanse your apples. Mix a couple of liters of water with a teaspoon of baking soda, soak the apples for 15 minutes, then scrub them with a firm brush. This process reportedly removes up to 90% of surface pesticides.

Urging people to “buy organic”, he said people can also “minimise the risk and reduce some of those pesticides” by “getting yourself a couple of litres of water, mix in a teaspoon of baking soda, then soak your apples in it for 15 minutes.”

After you’ve done this, remove and scrub them with a hard brush “and that should reduce about 90% of the surface pesticides.”

Whilst you are shopping for your apples, you should also look out for a few other key items. In a separate post, the expert shares that these items are what you should be putting into your trolley, or basket, for brain health.

These include:ㅤ

• Walnuts
• Spinach
• Dark chocolate
• Avocado
• Sardines

He said: “Your brain is an energy-hungry organ. Feed it with nutrient-dense, omega-rich and antioxidant-powered foods.” In fact, he isn’t the only expert to urge people to buy dark chocolate.

The late Dr Michael Mosley endorsed incorporating dark chocolate into diets.

In his BBC Radio 4 series, Just One Thing, he detailed the health wonders of this food, stating that eating merely two squares could reduce cardiovascular disease risk, improve LDL cholesterol, and enhance cerebral blood flow.

Dr Mosley explained: “Some of the first excitement that cocoa could be good for you came from population studies related to the Guna people who live off the coast of Panama.

Studies found that they were living long lives and unlike most of us, their blood pressure wasn’t going up with age. One theory was that they were drinking a lot of unsweetened cocoa, up to five cups a day.

“Studies have revealed that the key element in cocoa seems to be a class of chemical compounds called flavonoids. They are present in many plant foods such as strawberries, tea, blueberries, apples and onions.

But the bitter seeds of the cacao tree are one of the richest known sources of flavonoids. And luckily, you don’t have to eat those bitter seeds to get the benefits. Just chocolate with high cocoa content.”