Pineapple nutrients and compounds have been linked to various impressive health benefits. Including improved digestion, a lower risk of cancer, improved immunity, and relief of arthritis symptoms. As well as enhanced recovery after surgery and strenuous exercise. It is an incredibly delicious and healthy tropical fruit known to originate in South America.
This is where early European explorers named it after its resemblance to a pinecone. Pineapples are sweet, convenient, and easy to incorporate into your diet. They are affordable and available year-round in many markets, as they can be purchased fresh, canned, or frozen. The well-known arable fruit has a complex flower head that forms around the stem.
The plant grows to a height of 1 m; the first crop is ready for harvesting approximately 18 months after planting. Because the plant uses water very efficiently, pineapple may be grown in areas of relatively low rainfall (50 to 200 cm). Two pineapple slices contain approximately 100 mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The usual dosage of bromelain is 40 mg, taken 3 or 4 times daily.
Each of the eyes on the surface is the dried base of a small flower. The top crown of leaves contains a bud that, when mature, indicates that the fruit is ready for cutting. Whether you choose fresh or canned pineapple, an 80g serving counts towards your five-a-day, but if you opt for the canned variety, choose a product with no added sugar. Let’s learn more about this fruit.
Understanding The Basic Pineapple Compounds And General Elements
- Calories: 82.5
- Fat: 1.7 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Carbs: 21.6 grams
- Fiber: 2.3 grams
- 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. Both in the online marketplace and locally-based storefronts, Pineapple products are available commercially in liquid, tablet, and capsule dose forms. Most products contain bromelain 500 mg; manufacturers suggest a dose of 500 to 1,000 mg daily.
The Tompmost Pineapple Benefits To Our Overall Health And Wellness
They are especially rich in vitamin C and manganese, providing 131% and 76% of the daily recommendations. Vitamin C is essential for growth and development, a healthy immune system, and aiding iron absorption from the diet. People use Bromelain In Pineapples to significantly reduce swelling (inflammation) of the nose and sinuses after surgery or injury.
Also, Bromelain used this way to reduce pain and improve knee function in people with arthritis. Meanwhile, manganese is a naturally occurring mineral that aids growth, maintains a healthy metabolism, and has antioxidant properties. It aids in forming connective tissue, bones, blood-clotting factors, and sex hormones. It plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism.
As well as calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function. Although research into bromelain’s anti-inflammatory effect on alleviating inflammatory bowel conditions’ symptoms, such as ulcerative colitis, looks promising, more evidence is needed before this benefit can be proven in humans.
As a rich Dietary Fiber source, fruit like pineapple may help support a healthy digestive system. It is also widely used as a commercial meat tenderizer because it breaks down tough proteins. With that in mind, below are a few other benefits of pineapple that you should know so you can consider it in your next dietary plan.
1. It may help reduce the risks of cancer
First, Pineapple juice is a great way to fight off hunger between meals. If you want a healthy and refreshing snack, try sipping pineapple juice. The natural sugars in pineapple juice will give you a boost of energy without causing a sugar crash. Regarding health, people do many things without realizing their consequences.
Drinking pineapple juice at night is one such thing. Most people think that drinking pineapple juice while sleeping is good for the body because it helps digestion and results in easy bowel movements. But this is not always true. Drinking pineapple juice at night can severely affect your health and wellness — you will stay active and rejuvenated.
Several studies have shown that pineapple and its compounds may reduce the risk of cancers. This is because they may minimize oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. Test-tube studies have shown that bromelain may also help fight cancer. For instance, two test-tube studies showed that bromelain suppressed the growth of breast cancer and stimulated cell death.
Other test-tube studies show that bromelain suppresses cancer in the skin, bile duct, gastric system, and colon, among other areas. Test-tube and animal studies have found that bromelain may stimulate the immune system to produce molecules that make white blood cells more effective in suppressing cancer cell growth and eliminating cancer cells.
2. It eases the digestion system
As we mentioned, Pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes known as bromelain. They function as proteases, which break down protein molecules into their building blocks, such as amino acids and small peptides. Once protein molecules are broken down, they are more easily absorbed across the small intestine. This can be especially helpful for most sick people.
Especially those with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas cannot make enough digestive enzymes. Furthermore, the enzymes help break down proteins into smaller building blocks of amino acids and peptides. They are active in the stomach’s acid environment and the small intestine’s alkaline conditions.
This makes it a beneficial digestive aid for those who don’t digest their food properly, especially for those with pancreatic insufficiency, whose pancreas fails to produce enough digestive enzymes. For example, one study showed that participants with pancreatic insufficiency experienced better digestion after taking a bromelain digestive enzyme supplement.
3. It is an organic disease-fighting antioxidant
Like other fruits, Pineapple Juice has a Vitamin C source — it helps boost the immune system. It can help fight infection and keep you healthy due to its high antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that help your body combat oxidative stress. Usually, Chronic Inflammation may lead to oxidative stress, a state in which too many free radicals exist in the body.
These free radicals interact with the body’s cells and cause damage linked to chronic inflammation, a weakened immune system, and many harmful diseases. According to a recent research study, pineapple juice may help lower inflammation, which is thought to be the fundamental cause of many chronic illnesses.
Pineapples are especially rich in antioxidants known as flavonoids and phenolic acids. This can help improve digestion, reduce bloating and gas, and keep your gut healthy. Moreover, the antioxidants survive harsher conditions in the body and produce longer-lasting effects.
4. It boosts immunity and suppresses inflammation
Pineapples have been a part of traditional medicine for centuries. They contain various vitamins, minerals, and enzymes like bromelain that may collectively boost immunity and suppress inflammation. One nine-week study fed 98 healthy children either no pineapple, some pineapple (140g), or lots of pineapples (280g) daily to see if it boosted their immunity.
Children who ate pineapples had a significantly lower risk of viral and bacterial infections. Also, children who ate the most pineapple had close to four times more disease-fighting White Blood Cells (Granulocytes) than the other two groups. Another research study found that children with a sinus infection recovered significantly faster while taking a bromelain supplement.
More so compared to a standard treatment or combination of the two. What’s more, other research studies have shown that bromelain can reduce markers of inflammation in a very significant way for consumers. Pineapple juice is also rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure and protects against heart disease. It can also help reduce cardiovascular system strain.
5. It helps ease the symptoms of arthritis
There are many types of arthritis, but most of them involve inflammation in the joints. Since pineapples contain bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties, it’s commonly thought that they may relieve pain for those with inflammatory arthritis. Research from as early as the 1960s shows that bromelain was used to alleviate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Essentially, a type of arthritis that involves inflammation of the joints. Several recent studies have looked into the effectiveness of bromelain in treating arthritis. One study in patients with osteoarthritis found that taking a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain helped relieve pain as effectively as common arthritis medicines like diclofenac.
Furthermore, one review analyzed the bromelain’s ability to treat osteoarthritis and other related forms of arthritis. It concluded that bromelain could relieve arthritis symptoms, especially in the short term. However, it’s unclear if bromelain can be a long-term treatment for arthritis symptoms.
6. It may help support the immunity system
A nine-week study of school children who ate either a moderate amount of canned pineapple (140g) or a large amount (280g) daily had a significantly lower risk of catching a viral or bacterial infection than those who ate none. In addition, those who ate the higher amount had four times the number of infection-fighting white immune cells.
The anti-inflammatory properties of bromelain also appear to be valuable in helping modulate the immune system and may be especially valid for those with auto-immune conditions. Eating pineapples may reduce the time it takes to recover from surgery or exercise. This is mainly due to the anti-inflammatory properties of bromelain.
Several studies have shown that bromelain may reduce the inflammation, swelling, bruising, and pain that often occurs after surgery. Pineapple juice is low in calories and rich in fiber, both of which can help with weight loss. Fiber helps keep you feeling full, so you’re less likely to overeat, and the vitamins and minerals in pineapple juice can help boost your metabolism.
7. It may support the cardiovascular system
Once again, it is bromelain that appears to have value to the heart and circulatory system through its action on preventing or minimizing the severity of attacks of Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) and Angina. It’s also thought that bromelain may break down the cholesterol plaques responsible for the hardening of the arteries, which may lead to atherosclerosis.
In addition, some animal studies suggest bromelain also influences blood clotting by inhibiting the production of a protein called fibrin which is involved in blood coagulation. Several studies suggest that bromelain helps reduce inflammation.
As well as swelling and bruising after injury or surgery. It can even be helpful if taken before dental surgery when it appears to help reduce pain and provide as much relief as an anti-inflammatory medication. In vitro research (conducted in a test tube) has also demonstrated bromelain’s value in wound healing.
8. Speedy recovery after surgery or strenuous exercise
It also seems to reduce markers of inflammation. For example, one study showed that those who consumed bromelain before dental surgery had significantly reduced pain and felt happier than people who did not. It appeared to provide a similar amount of relief as common anti-inflammatory medicines. Strenuous exercise can also damage muscle tissue.
It can also cause surrounding inflammation. Affected muscles cannot produce as much force and are sore for up to three days. Proteases like bromelain are believed to speed up the recovery of damage caused by strenuous exercise by reducing inflammation around the damaged tissue. One study tested this theory by providing participants with a digestive enzyme.
Plus, a supplement that contained bromelain. Specifically after 45 minutes of strenuous exercise on the treadmill. Those who took the protease supplement had less inflammation and maintained more strength afterward. Several other studies have shown that bromelain can speed up recovery from damage caused by exercise.
Does Consuming Pineapples Have Any Associated Health Risks?
The juice from unripe pineapples can cause severe vomiting. Bromelain ingestion is associated with common adverse reactions, including diarrhea, excess menstrual flow, nausea, skin rash, and vomiting. The swelling of the mouth and cheeks can result from eating large amounts of fruit — hypersensitivity to any pineapple components.
Cross-reaction with honeybee venom, olive tree pollen, celery, cypress pollen, bromelain, and papain have been reported. Potentiation of amoxicillin and tetracycline has been documented because of increased distribution volume by bromelain. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your circumstances.
Today, most of the world’s pineapple crop comes from Thailand, the Philippines, and Brazil. Traditional uses include brewing pineapple wine, producing fiber, and medicinal use to induce menstruation, abortion, killing parasitic amoebas, and expelling worms. You can enjoy pineapple alone or in smoothies, salads, or homemade pizzas.
Not to mention, they are also incredibly versatile and can be consumed in a variety of ways. To experience their health benefits, try incorporating pineapples into your diet.
Here are a few easy recipe ideas for using 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
Below are a few things about drinking pineapple juice before bed.
Disrupt Your Sleep
Pineapple juice is full of natural sugars and acids, which can disrupt your sleep if consumed at night. The sugar content in the fluid can cause a sudden spike in your blood sugar levels, leading to insomnia.
Cause Acid Reflux
The acids in pineapple juice can aggravate the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn. If you already suffer from these conditions, avoiding drinking pineapple juice at night is best.
Irritate Your Stomach
Pineapple juice is also known to irritate the stomach lining and cause indigestion. If you drink it before bed, you will likely experience stomach pain and discomfort throughout the night.
Worsen Allergies
If you are allergic to pineapples, drinking them at night can worsen your symptoms and result in an allergic reaction. Avoiding pineapple juice before bed is best if you suffer from allergies or sensitivities.
While there are certainly a lot of benefits to drinking pineapple juice regularly, you should always stick to moderation and avoid drinking it at night. Doing so can help you avoid potential health problems and enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Unless you experience an allergy to pineapple, it is generally considered safe for most people when included in a healthy, balanced diet. However, eating or drinking large quantities may cause digestive upset. Avoid unripe fruit, as this can cause diarrhea and throat irritation. If you experience an allergic reaction, you should also seek help from medical experts.
Summary Thoughts:
Pineapple juice is often associated with tropical drinks and poolside lounging. But this refreshing beverage can be beneficial if you drink it before or after a workout. As a rule of thumb, the main benefit of drinking pineapple juice before a movement is that it can help to increase your energy levels. The natural sugars in the juice will give you a quick burst of energy.
Eventually, which can help reduce fatigue while exercising. The other benefit of drinking pineapple juice before a workout is that it can help to improve your performance. The high electrolytes in this juice are ideal for replenishing the nutrients lost when you sweat. This will allow you to push yourself harder during your workout, and you can do more steps.
Another benefit of drinking pineapple juice after a workout is that it can help to reduce muscle soreness. The antioxidants in this beverage are great for soothing tired muscles and joints, preventing them from becoming stiff or achy. Pineapple juice’s natural anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce inflammation during your workout.
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