The general perception of apples as a health-promoting food is reflected in the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and new research shows this may be close to the truth.

The reason, according to the results of a study by microbiologists at the University of Denmark’s National Food Institute, is that apples may be good for intestinal health because they boost the levels of good bacteria in the digestive system.

Its foray into China didn’t go so well, but Fonterra has set its sights on a new frontier – selling yoghurt to young, over-worked women with digestive problems.

It’s a lucrative market – stage two of the Anchor Symbio Survey on the digestive health of New Zealand women, conducted by polling company Colmar Brunton, found that 60% of women aged 18 to 39 report feeling stress at least weekly, compared to only 36% of women over 40.

Women have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands than men according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

But everyone has more types of bacteria on their hands than the researchers at the University of Colorado expected to find.