When it comes to tropical climates, some of the first things that you think about are palm trees, coconuts and, of course, pineapples. While the average pineapple doesn’t look very edible from the outside because of its spiny appearance, there is sweet and delicious fruit on the inside that has been brought around the world over the past few centuries. They even got their name because travelers that found them said they looked like pine cones, but tasted like apples.
Now, we eat pineapples in a lot of different ways. Whether you eat them on your own, mix them in with other fruits, put them on meats or even stick them in your pina colada, you probably eat more pineapple than you think. The good news is, you’re getting a lot of health benefits when you’re eating pineapples. What are those benefits? Here are some of the best that have been backed up by science.
Pineapple Nutrition
You probably already know that most fruits have a high amount of vitamins, but the pineapple has more than that. Each one cup serving of raw pineapple chunks contains nearly 10 percent of your daily recommendation of dietary fiber. That same serving will also get you more than 130 percent of your recommended vitamin C intake, which is comparable to other fruits like oranges. Other vitamins found in pineapple include thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, niacin and others in small amounts.
Out of all of the minerals that you can also find in pineapple, the most abundant is manganese, which is essential for your bone health. Pineapple is a great source of manganese, with 76 percent of your daily recommended value. Other minerals found in smaller amounts include magnesium, potassium, copper and iron.
C You Later
As we mentioned, you get more than a full daily helping of vitamin C with just one cup of pineapple. That high amount of vitamin C is going to help you keep away a lot of diseases, as well as the other antioxidants found in the fruit. For starters, that high amount of vitamin C is going to boost your immune system, keeping away many harmful diseases that we see people get on an almost yearly basis.
Pineapples can also help you heal faster because of the vitamin C content, as your body will be able to produce more collagen. A small amount of vitamin C will help collagen levels, but pineapples will give you more than enough to get what you need. Finally, many serious diseases such as cancer can also be held in check with pineapples, as the nutrients help to fight free radicals and reduce cancer cell growth. Studies have shown that certain types of cancer (such as oral and breast cancers) can be prevented by eating more pineapple.
Strong Interior
While pineapple is strong on the outside and smooth on the inside, it can actually have the opposite effect on your body (which is a good thing). Eating more pineapple will certainly strengthen your bones, as there is a significant amount of manganese. This mineral helps to solidify your bones, and even repair them if they have become damaged.
For those that are already suffering from bone ailments such as arthritis, it’s beneficial to add more pineapples to your diet. The anti-inflammatory properties of pineapple will help alleviate the pain that is associated with arthritis. Studies have shown a reduction in pain, and it’s partially bromelain to thank, which is an enzyme that can only be found in a handful of foods, with the pineapple being one of them.
Looking Good
We’ve already listed many of the great vitamins that you can find in each serving of pineapple, and another added benefit is being able to see better. The vitamins and beta carotene improve eye health, as well as prevent diseases such as macular degeneration. But not only do people want to see well, they want to look good, too.
Pineapple can help you with that, as the vitamins will enrich your skin and give you a healthier appearance while preventing wrinkles and other signs of aging. For those that are watching their smile, pineapple improves oral health tremendously thanks to astringents. These will help make your teeth and gums stronger, preserving your smile for years to come.
For the Blood
We need our blood to flow without obstruction and help out our entire bodies, so we have to take care of the bloodstream. Eating more pineapple reduces your chances of getting blood clots, and even helps you reduce your blood pressure. The potassium allows your blood to flow more freely, reducing your chances of blood related problems such as stroke or heart attack.
Having an improved blood flow can also help you prevent neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s. Your body needs red blood cells to increase oxygenation, which means your body needs more copper. Since pineapple contains a fair amount of copper, you can expect a big boost in your body’s ability to allow blood to travel more freely.
Open Wide
If you are someone that is having digestive problems that range from diarrhea to constipation, you can benefit from eating pineapple. The fiber content improves your digestive system overall, allowing you to process food the way your body was designed too. There are two types of fiber in pineapple, which is rare for fruit, making it one of the better fruits for your digestive system overall.
Summing it Up
Like any good thing (including food), you don’t want to have too much, and pineapple is no exception. Since pineapples contain more than enough vitamin C for your body, you don’t want to overdo it. Too much vitamin C can be harmful to your body, and there is also a decent amount of sugar that can have some negative effects. Finally, there is plenty of acid in pineapple from bromelain that makes it unlike other fruits, which can lead to sensitivity in your mouth and cause digestive problems when eaten too much.
To experience any of these problems, you would have to eat quite a bit of pineapple or even be allergic to the fruit in the first place. It’s unlikely that you will ever run into these issues, and should feel comfortable eating a few servings of pineapple each week. Just make sure to go for the raw and organic version whenever possible to get the maximum benefits without any additions such as sugar, and you’ll be pleased with your decision.