Pineapple- 11 Amazing Health benefits

Pineapple, a delicious tropical fruit, has been celebrated for centuries not only for its unique taste but also for its miraculous health benefits. The health and medicinal benefits of pineapple include improving the immune system, respiratory health, and digestion, strengthening bones, reducing inflammation, curing coughs and colds, and weight loss.

What Are Pineapples?

Pineapples belong to the Bromeliaceae family. The name pineapple actually evolved in the 17th century due to its similar structure and appearance to pine cones. Traditionally, they were known as “ananas”. The fruit itself is up to a foot long and is surrounded by thorny spikes, topped with hard and waxy leaves.

Historically, the most significant grower of pineapples was Hawaii, but they are now cultivated in large quantities in Brazil, the Philippines, and Costa Rica. That being said, the fruit is actually native to Paraguay and Brazil, and possibly parts of the Caribbean. The pineapple was first brought to Europe and Spain following Christopher Columbus’s return there in 1493.

The fruiting season of pineapples runs from March until June and each tree can produce a number of fruits. They are eaten fresh, juiced, cooked and preserved. Pineapples and their sweet juice are used and enjoyed around the world, even as a popular flavor in alcoholic drinks, the most famous of which is the tropical drink, Pina colada!

Nutritional Value of Pineapples

Aside from the interesting story and appearance of this fruit, it also has an impressive health benefits due to its wealth of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, thiamin, B6, and folate, as well as soluble and insoluble fiber, and bromelain.

Health Benefits of Pineapples

A pineapple fruit is known to offer a lot of benefits, which include a stronger immune system, weight loss, improved respiratory health and strengthened bones, among others. Let us now discuss each benefit in detail.

Treat Arthritis

One of the most celebrated uses of pineapple in terms of health is its ability to reduce the inflammation of joints and muscles, particularly those associated with arthritis, a debilitating disease that affects millions of people around the world. Pineapples contain a relatively rare proteolytic enzyme called bromelain, which is primarily associated with breaking down complex proteins and has serious anti-inflammatory effects. Bromelain is also positively correlated with reducing the signs and symptoms of arthritis in many.

Boost Immunity

A single serving of pineapple has more than 130% of the daily requirement of vitamin C for human beings, making it one of the richest and most delicious sources of ascorbic acid. Vitamin C helps in reducing illnesses and boosting the immune system by stimulating the activity of white blood cells and acting as an antioxidant to defend against the harmful effects of free radicals. Free radicals are dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism that can damage various organ systems and disrupt function, as well as cause healthy cells to mutate into cancerous ones. The vitamin C content of pineapples defends against this.

Improve Cellular Health

One of the commonly overlooked benefits of vitamin C is its essential role in creating collagen. This is partly the reason why it is seen as a healing vitamin because collagen is the essential protein base of blood vessel walls, skin, organs, and bones. High vitamin C content in pineapple helps you heal wounds and injuries quickly, along with defending your body against infections and illnesses.

Prevent Cancer

Pineapple has been directly related to preventing cancers of the mouth, throat, and breast, as it is rich in various other antioxidants, including vitamin A, beta carotene, bromelain, various flavonoid compounds, and high levels of manganese. Manganese is an important cofactor of superoxide dismutase, an extremely potent free radical scavenger that has been associated with a number of different cancers.

Aid Digestion

Eating a healthy amount of pineapples can protect you from a vast amount of health conditions, including constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, atherosclerosis and blood clotting, as well as high blood pressure. Fiber can bulk up the stool, which promotes the passage of food through the digestive tract at a normal rate and also stimulates the release of gastric and digestive juices to help food dissolve. Furthermore, it bulks up the loose stool, which helps with diarrhea and IBS. Fiber also helps in eliminating the excess cholesterol from blood vessels and the body, thereby boosting cardiovascular health.

Treat Cough and Cold

The normal immune system boosting the power of vitamin C is well known, but that special enzyme, bromelain, is also connected with the reduction of phlegm and mucus build up in the respiratory tracts and sinus cavities. Pineapples, rich in bromelain and vitamin C, therefore prevent and treat respiratory illnesses, and eliminate phlegm and mucus from your body if you’ve already contracted an illness or infection.

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Improve Bone Health

Although pineapples are not famous for having a strong calcium content, which most people immediately associate with bone health, they do have an impressive amount of manganese. Manganese is another trace mineral essential for the strengthening of bones, as well as their growth and repair. It is the most prominent mineral in pineapple, and a single serving can deliver more than 70% of your daily requirement of this mineral.

Oral Health

Along with the antioxidant compounds that protect against oral cancer, pineapples also have astringent properties, which strengthen gums and prevent loose teeth. Astringent agents help to tighten up tissues and tone the body so that tooth loss, hair loss, and muscle weakness or skin loosening do not occur. Pineapples are very powerful astringents and are often prescribed as a natural remedy to fix the loosening of teeth or for the retraction of gums.

Improve Vision

Vision is one of the most important senses for human beings and pineapples have been directly connected to improving eye health and preventing the age-related eye deficiencies that often occur. Macular degeneration affects many elderly people, and beta-carotene can help delay this vision problem. Keeping proper amounts of beta-carotene in your diet from fruits and vegetables is essential in maintaining good eyesight as you age.

Regulate Blood Pressure

Pineapples are a valuable source of many minerals, and potassium is among them. Potassium deficiency can result in a wide array of health hazards. One of the most important functions of potassium is a vasodilator, meaning that it eases the tension and stress of the blood vessels and increases blood circulation to various parts of the body. When your blood vessels relax, your blood pressure is reduced and the flow of blood is less restricted. This can prevent clots from blocking the flow of blood and reduces the accumulation of plaque in the arteries and vessels which, in turn, helps people prevent conditions like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes, so eat your pineapples for a healthy heart!

Improve Blood Circulation

In a related benefit to the vasodilating potential of potassium, pineapples also provide the body with copper, another essential mineral that functions in a number of enzymatic reactions and compounds in the body. Most notably, copper is a necessary element for the formation of healthy red blood cells. High red blood cell count increases oxygenation to the various organ systems and makes them function at optimal levels. It also increases cognitive abilities and can maintain neural pathways to prevent neural disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Word of Caution: The benefits of eating pineapple are clear from the impressive list of qualities that you just read, but any food or fruit should be eaten in moderation including pineapple. The bromelain in pineapples is primarily a meat-tenderizing enzyme, which helps in the digestion of tough foods. This can result in the softening or tenderness of your “meat” as well, meaning that your lips, gums, and tongue may experience some tenderness or sensitivity if you eat too much pineapple. Bromelain and vitamin C are in high proportions in pineapple, and an “overdose” can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and nausea. Also, bromelain has been known to stimulate menstruation, so pregnant women should avoid excessive intake of pineapple to prevent miscarriage.

Other than those health concerns, grab one of these spiky tropical fruits and dig in. Your body will thank you for it.

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