Benefits of Pineapple

Pineapples are tropical fruits very rich in antioxidants, enzymes, and many vitamins. There are several benefits of pineapple. They stimulate the immune system, develop strong bones and facilitate digestion. Despite their sweetness, they have few calories.

Benefits of Pineapple

As stated earlier, there are a lot of benefits to be derived from the consumption of pineapples. Let us go ahead to discuss some pineapple benefits.

1. Immune System

Pineapples have been part of traditional medicine for centuries.

According to the FDA, Pineapples contain all the proposed daily value of vitamin C. It is a water-soluble antioxidant that fights cell damage, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at the University of Oregon.

Also, pineapples contain vitamin C which is a useful fighter against problems such as heart disease and joint pain. Also. vitamin C is essential for growth and development, a healthy immune system and the absorption of iron in the diet.

Meanwhile, manganese which the pineapple also contains, is a natural mineral that promotes growth, maintains healthy metabolism and has antioxidant properties.

Additionally, they contain bromelain that can collectively increase immunity and suppress inflammation.

An equally important pineapple benefit is that they help reduce the risk of respiratory diseases and mucus build-up in the airways and sinus cavities.

2. Increases the Strength of Bones

Pineapples can help you stay tall and strong. It contains almost 75% of the daily value of manganese prescription. Moreover, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center Pineapple is a food source of manganese, a mineral essential for maintaining bone strength. Hence, pineapple is important in building bones that are strong and connective tissue.

Furthermore, a 1994 study suggests that manganese, along with other trace elements, may be useful for preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Manganese can help prevent osteoporosis and improve the overall density of bones and minerals.

3. Eye Health

“Pineapples can help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a disease that affects the eyes as people get older, because of its high vitamin C content and the antioxidants it contains,” said Flores. Elderly people are usually at risk of this eye condition.

Furthermore, it contains a large amount of beta-carotene, an essential element necessary for a healthy vision that must be consumed regularly.

4. Digestion

For starters, like other fruits and vegetables, pineapple contains dietary fiber. This helps prevent constipation and promote regularity and health of the digestive tract.

However, unlike many other fruits and vegetables, pineapple contains significant amounts of bromelain. They function as proteases, which break down proteins into their basic components, such as amino acids and small peptides.

Once the protein molecules decompose, they are easily absorbed by the small intestine. It can be especially helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas can not produce enough digestive enzymes.

Additionally, bromelain reduces inflammatory immune cells, called cytokines, which damage the lining of the digestive tract.

5. Prevention of Asthma

Beta-carotene is one of those nutrients found in orange, yellow and dark green vegetable foods such as pineapple, mangoes, apricots, broccoli, squash, melon, papaya, and carrots.

Furthermore, some smaller studies have suggested that bromelain may also help reduce asthma symptoms.

This one of pineapple benefits as people who consume a large number of certain nutrients is less likely to develop asthma.

6. Blood Pressure

In general, eating more potassium-rich fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure.

Among other vitamins and minerals, pineapples contain a large amount of potassium. Potassium is a powerful natural vasodilator, which means it relieves blood vessel tension and promotes good blood circulation in various parts of the body.

And, according to the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), less than two percent of US adults reach the daily requirement of 4,700 mg of potassium.

Again, a high intake of potassium is linked to a 20% decrease in the risk of death from all causes.

As your blood vessels relax, your blood pressure goes down. As a result, pineapples can help prevent conditions such as stroke and atherosclerosis.

7. Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes who est high fiber diet tend to have lower blood sugar. On the other hand, people who have type 2 diabetes may have improved levels of blood glucose, lipid levels, and insulin.

However, an average pineapple offers about 13 grams of fiber. Therefore, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 21-25 g per day for women and between 30 and 38 g per day for men.

The benefits of pineapple are that it has high fiber content and can supply the body with the fiber the body needs.

8. Fertility

Antioxidant-rich diets have been shown to improve fertility. Therefore, since free radicals can destroy the reproductive system, foods with high antioxidant activity (such as pineapple) come in handy for people trying to conceive.

Having this in mind, the antioxidants in pineapples, such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, as well as the vitamins and minerals of copper, zinc and folic acid have properties that can affect the fertility of men and women.

9. Blood Clot Reduction

Flores noted that the bromelain levels of pineapples help reduce excessive blood clotting.

Therefore, this is the perfect snack for frequent travelers and people at risk of coagulation.

10. Healing and Inflammation

Studies have shown that bromelain, found mainly in the stem, can reduce swelling, bruising, healing time and pain accompanying wounds and surgery. Furthermore, studies have shown that bromelain can reduce markers of inflammation.

The high vitamin C content of pineapple promotes faster healing. It is considered as a healing vitamin because collagen is the vital protein base of blood vessel walls, skin, organs, and bones. Again, bromelain has been used in Europe to heal surgical wounds, traumatic inflammations and to treat deep burns, according to the Journal of the Medical Association of Pakistan.

According to other research published in 2016, pineapple also has anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and fibrinolytic effects, which makes it super effective in case of internal or external injury.

11. Contains Antioxidants That Fight Diseases

Not only are pineapples rich in nutrients, but they are also rich in healthy antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules that help your body fight against oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a condition in which there are too many free radicals in the body. These free radicals interact with the body’s cells and make them associated with chronic inflammation, a weakened immune system, and many harmful diseases.

Pineapples are particularly rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids.

Additionally, many antioxidants in pineapple are linked. This allows antioxidants to survive in harsher conditions and produce longer-lasting effects.

12. Reduce Stress

Pineapple benefits you by reducing stress and increasing your efficiency. Pineapple contains a good level of B vitamins that spur the brain to work excellently well. Thus, improving your ability and effectively deal with stress.

14. May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Several studies have shown that pineapple and its compounds can reduce the risk of cancer. This is because they can minimize oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.

One of these compounds is the group of digestive enzymes, bromelain. Test tube studies have shown that bromelain can also help fight cancer.

For example, two tube studies showed that bromelain inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells and stimulated death cells.

Other studies on test tubes show that bromelain suppresses cancer of the skin, bile ducts, gastric system, and colon, among others.

Furthermore, studies in test tubes and animals have shown that bromelain can stimulate the immune system to produce more molecules that make white blood cells more effective in suppressing the growth of cancer cells and eliminate cancer cells.

Furthermore, antioxidants, which you can get through the pineapple will help fight against free radicals to reduce your risks of getting cancer.

That said, pineapple contains far less bromelain than supplements. Though there should be more human research before concluding.

15. Eating Pineapple can Improve Your Weight Loss

You probably must have heard that pineapple can lead to weight loss. There isn’t a lot of evidence for this but an animal study published in April 2018 in Food Science and Biotechnology showed that pineapple juice can help reduce fat formation and increase its breakdown. However, to confirm this there should be more human research.

While it does not have a significant effect on your metabolism, it’s a good snack option because it is low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals, and does not include saturated or trans fats. There are no specific fruits or vegetables that cause weight loss, but they will help you fill up on calories,” said Andrews. “As a result, people tend to consume fewer calories in general if they consume several cups of fruits and vegetables each day as part of a well-balanced diet.”

16. It can Relieve the Symptoms of Arthritis

Arthritis affects more than 54 million adults in the United States alone.

There are many types of arthritis, but most of them involve inflammation of the joints.

Pineapples contain bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties. It is generally accepted that they can relieve the pain of people with inflammatory arthritis.

In fact, research conducted in the early 1960s showed that bromelain was used to relieve the symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis, a form of arthritis involving inflammation of the joints.

Several recent studies have analyzed the effectiveness of bromelain in the treatment of arthritis.

A study in patients with osteoarthritis found that taking a bromelain-containing digestive enzyme supplement helped relieve pain as effectively as common arthritis medications such as diclofenac.

Pineapple benefits arthritis patients by providing bromelain which is the main nutrient in pineapples.

However, it is unclear whether bromelain can be a long-term treatment for the symptoms of arthritis. Longer studies are needed before recommending bromelain to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

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