Pineapples health benefits includes improving body immune system, great source of healthy carbs, lowering risk of cancer, helping heal wounds, improving gut health, strengthening bones, improving eye health and promoting tissue and cellular health of skin. Other benefits includes alleviating common cold and strengthening gums.
What is Pineapple?
Pineapples are perhaps one of the widest consumed tropical fruit in the world. It tastes amazing and can be eaten as well as processed into juice. Although many people prefer it in juice form, there are countless benefits to eating it fresh. Getting through its hard shell might be a daunting task, but once you get through, the yellow inner fruit is delicious. The fruit could be a bit sour, but it all depends on your luck so that makes it fun to consume. You never really know what you might get.
Pineapples help improve your health and boost your immune system to provide you optimum protection against external viruses and bacteria. Other than that, continuous use of the fruit can help you lose weight as well as help you get rid of your chronic cough. Pineapples have a lot of health benefits and are also prescribed to people suffering with respiratory complications. They contain ample amounts of bromelain that is responsible for cancer prevention, a reduction in inflammation as well as a good digestion system. Gone are the days where you will feel constipated after eating anything.
Nutritional Value of Pineapple
Here is a chart showing the nutritional value of pineapple (raw) per 100 grams:
| Nutrient | Amount per 100g |
|---|---|
| Calories | 50 kcal |
| Water | 86.0 g |
| Protein | 0.54 g |
| Total Fat | 0.12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.01 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.02 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.04 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13.12 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.4 g |
| Sugars | 9.85 g |
| Vitamin C | 47.8 mg (53% DV) |
| Vitamin A | 3 µg (0% DV) |
| Vitamin K | 0.7 µg (1% DV) |
| Folate | 18 µg (5% DV) |
| Potassium | 109 mg (2% DV) |
| Calcium | 13 mg (1% DV) |
| Iron | 0.29 mg (2% DV) |
| Magnesium | 12 mg (3% DV) |
| Phosphorus | 8 mg (1% DV) |
| Sodium | 1 mg |
- Note: Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Pineapple is low in calories but rich in Vitamin C and provides small amounts of other essential nutrients like dietary fiber, folate, potassium, and magnesium. It also has a high water content, making it a hydrating fruit.
10 Amazing Health Benefits of Pineapples
1. Great Source of Healthy Carbs
Pineapples contain three kinds of carbohydrates that help the body. They are called glucose, sucrose and fructose. They are necessary for chemical reactions in the body and a single cup of pineapples has around 21.7 grams of carbohydrates. This means that even if all you consume are pineapples, you will still get the necessary carbohydrates you need to survive.
2. Improves Immunity
Since pineapples contain bromelain, they are a key defender against any external viruses affecting your body. Imagine not getting sick anymore due to an increase intake of pineapples on a daily basis. You can enjoy them in a fresh tropical cocktail and not even notice that behind the great taste, the fruit is actually benefiting your body. Improved immunity also means lesser damage to organs due to inflammatory diseases as they will never get the chance to affect you in the first place.
3. Lowers Risk of Cancer
Bromelain is an active anti-inflammatory agent that helps prevent the spread of cancerous cells across the body. Research states that an increased intake of bright yellow foods can help reduce the risk of cancer.
4. It May Help Heal Wounds
Certain diseases can prevent the body from healing itself properly. A weak body cannot sustain its cellular growth hence the person’s life could be in danger. The high quantity of bromelain in pineapples has shown to increase the healing ability in human beings. The research carried out in Saarland University produced such amazing results that later on the findings were used to manufacture and promote pineapple lotions.
5. Improves Gut Health
Your gut is the primary indicator of your health. An efficient and healthy gut will show its effects on a person’s face while a weak digestion can lead to several gastrointestinal problems. People who eat pineapples on a regular basis can steer clear of bloating and other gastrointestinal problems such as constipation and whatnot.
6. Strengthens Bones
Along with bromelain, pineapples also contain manganese that is important for bone regeneration as well as bone growth and help. Pineapples have an ample amount of manganese present making them the perfect substitute for meat or milk. A German study therefore states that by eating one cup of pineapples, you are able to consume 65% of your daily mineral intake.
7. Improves Eye Health
Do you have weak eyesight? Well, if you are tired of wearing glasses and want to enhance your eye health, then the best thing you can do is eat pineapples. As per recent research, it has been successfully proven that eating pineapples can help heal your eyesight. Generally, people are subject to weak eyesight as they grow past their forties, but eating pineapples on a daily basis can slow down macular degeneration.
8. Promotes Tissue and Cellular Health of Skin
The fruit has an ever increasing list of benefits. One of the major items on that list is how pineapples help keep your skin intact and helps prevent any skin problems through cellular degeneration. People who consume one pineapple a day are known to have increased collagen synthesis, which is an integral part of your skin health. Other than that, pineapples also contain vitamin C, which in most cases is one of the most overlooked skin rejuvenator. Eating pineapples therefore can maintain tissue and cellular health of your body.
9. Alleviates Common Cold
Changing seasons brings with it a plethora of diseases. A lot of people have to face the effects of the common cold including a runny nose as well as a weak immune system. Bromelain has been recorded to have been instrumental in reducing mucus production and it also increases the effectiveness of the immune system. Overall, eating pineapples can help defend a person against the common cold.
10. Strengthens Gums
Pineapples also consist of astringent, which helps prevent bacteria from affecting your gums. We are still susceptible to bacterial infection in our gums regardless if we brush our teeth or not. In that situation, a cup of pineapples can help reduce the risk of you having to suffer for weeks, not to mention the constant pain while you face while trying to chew something. Pineapples really are nature’s greatest gift to us as they have all the properties needed to help defend us against a world full of diseases, infections and most of all, cancer.
See Also
11 Amazing Health Benefits of Elderberries
11 Proven Health Benefits of Ginger and Honey
11 Impressive Health Benefits of Raisins
11 Amazing Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea
11 Impressive Health Benefits Of Figs (Anjeer)
