Impressive Health Benefits of Pineapple

Womenscorner Desk
December 11, 2020

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an incredibly delicious and healthy tropical fruit. It originated in South America, where early European explorers named it after its resemblance to a pinecone. This popular fruit is full of nutrients, antioxidants and other helpful compounds, like enzymes which will fight inflammation and disease. Pineapple and its compounds are linked to several health benefits, including aiding digestion, boosting immunity and speeding up recovery from surgery, among others.

Here are some impressive health benefits of pineapple.

Loaded With Nutrients :Pineapples are low in calories but have an incredibly impressive nutrient profile. One cup (5.8 ounces or 165 grams) of pineapple chunks contains the following :

Calories: 82.5

Fat: 1.7 grams

Protein: 1 gram

Carbs: 21.6 grams

Fiber: 2.3 grams

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Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI

Manganese: 76% of the RDI

Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDI

Copper: 9% of the RDI

Thiamin: 9% of the RDI

Folate: 7% of the RDI

Potassium: 5% of the RDI

Magnesium: 5% of the RDI

Niacin: 4% of the RDI

Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI

Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI

Iron: 3% of the RDI

Pineapples also contain trace amounts of vitamins A and K, phosphorus, zinc and calcium. They are especially rich in vitamin C and manganese, providing 131% and 76% of the daily recommendations, respectively. Vitamin C is important for growth and development, a healthy system and aiding the absorption of iron from the diet. Meanwhile, manganese may be a naturally occurring mineral that aids growth, maintains a healthy metabolism and has antioxidant properties.

Contains Disease-Fighting Antioxidants : Not only are pineapples rich in nutrients, they're also loaded with healthy antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that help your body combat oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may be a state during which there are too many free radicals within the body. These free radicals interact with the body’s cells and cause damage that's linked to chronic inflammation, a weakened system and lots of harmful diseases. Pineapples are especially rich in antioxidants referred to as flavonoids and phenolic acids. What’s more, many of the antioxidants in pineapple are bound. this enables the antioxidants to survive harsher conditions within the body and produce longer lasting effects.

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Its Enzymes Can Ease Digestion : Pineapples contain a gaggle of digestive enzymes referred to as bromelain. They function as proteases, which break down protein molecules into their building blocks, like amino acids and little peptides. Once protein molecules are weakened , they're more easily absorbed across the tiny intestine. this will be especially helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition during which the pancreas cannot make enough digestive enzymes. For example, one study showed that participants with pancreatic insufficiency experienced better digestion after taking a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain, compared to taking an equivalent digestive enzyme supplement without bromelain. Bromelain is additionally widely used as a billboard meat tenderizer thanks to its ability to interrupt down tough meat proteins.

May Help Reduce the danger of Cancer : Cancer may be a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. Its progression is usually linked to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Several studies have shown that pineapple and its compounds may reduce the danger of cancers. this is often because they'll minimize oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. One of these compounds is that the group of digestive enzymes called bromelain. Test-tube studies have shown that bromelain can also help fight cancer. For instance, two test-tube studies showed that bromelain suppressed the expansion of carcinoma cells and stimulated necrobiosis. Other test-tube studies show that bromelain suppresses cancer within the skin, bile duct, gastric system and colon, among other areas. Test-tube and animal studies have found that bromelain may stimulate the system to supply molecules that make white blood cells simpler at suppressing cancer cell growth and eliminating neoplastic cells. That said, pineapple contains much less bromelain than supplements do. More human-based research is required before any conclusions are often made.

May Boost Immunity and Suppress Inflammation : Pineapples are a neighborhood of traditional medicine for hundreds of years. They contain a good sort of vitamins, minerals and enzymes like bromelain which will collectively boost immunity and suppress inflammation. One nine-week study fed 98 healthy children either no pineapple, some pineapple (140g) or many pineapple (280g) daily to ascertain if it boosted their immunity. Children who ate pineapples had a significantly lower risk of both viral and bacterial infections. Also, children who ate the foremost pineapple had on the brink of fourfold more disease-fighting white blood cells (granulocytes) than the opposite two groups. Another study found that children with a sinus infection recovered significantly faster while taking a bromelain supplement, compared to a typical treatment or combination of the 2 . What’s more, studies have shown that bromelain can reduce markers of inflammation. It’s believed that these anti-inflammatory properties aid the system .

Delicious and Easy to Add to the Diet : Pineapples are sweet, convenient and easy to incorporate into your diet. They are very affordable and available year-round in many American markets, as they can be purchased fresh, canned or frozen. You can enjoy them on their own or in smoothies, salads or on homemade pizzas.

Here are a few easy recipe ideas that use fresh pineapple:

Breakfast: Pineapple, blueberry and Greek yogurt smoothie

Salad: Tropical roast chicken, almond, blueberry and pineapple salad

Lunch: Homemade Hawaiian burgers (beef burgers with a pineapple ring)

Dinner: Baked ham with pineapple and cherries

Dessert: Pineapple fruit salad