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Regardless of its rough exterior, Pineapples have been a prevalent tropical fruit, used as a symbol of hospitality and care. Pineapples have also been used as a medicine since ancient times because of their beneficial elements. In this article, let’s find out does Pineapple help with digestion? Even if it does help, how does Pineapple help with digestion?
Indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for centuries, Europe appropriated the fruit as an icon of luxury in the 17th century. Why is it named Pineapple? Well, the early European explorers named the fruit after its resemblance to a pinecone.
Presently, it is the world’s third most significant tropical fruit in terms of production. In the 20th century, Hawaii was a substantial producer of pineapples, particularly for the United States. However, in 2016, about one-third of the world’s Pineapple production took place in Costa Rica, Brazil, and the Philippines.
This well-known fruit is high in minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial elements, such as enzymes that combat inflammation and illness.
Pineapple and its ingredients are associated with various health benefits, including improved digestion, immunity, and accelerated recovery from surgery.
Does Pineapple help with digestion? What are the health benefits of Pineapples? Let’s find out!
Does Pineapple Help with Digestion?
Pineapple contains digestive enzymes called Bromelain. This enzyme is well known for its ability to quickly break down tough proteins. It is used commercially as a meat tenderizer to break down tough meat proteins. Bromelain also helps in treating inflammation and nasal swelling.
So, how does Pineapple help with digestion with the help of Bromelain? They act as proteases, breaking down protein molecules into components such as amino acids and small peptides.
Protein molecules that have been broken down are more readily absorbed across the small intestine. This is especially beneficial for those with pancreatic insufficiency, a disease in which the pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes. The enzyme called Bromelain also decreases cytokines, which are inflammatory immune cells that harm the digestive system lining.
Pineapple has traditionally been used to treat digestive ailments in Central and South American countries. Moreover, because of its fiber and water content, Pineapple helps in treating constipation and encouraging regularity. Hence, does Pineapple help with digestion? A hundred percent yes.
Other Health Benefits of Pineapple
1. Rich in Vitamin C
Along with being low in calories, it is ideal for losing weight, and pineapple is rich in vitamin C. Pineapple is suitable for your immune system. One cup contains over 100% of your daily intake of Vitamin C, which protects cells and produces collagen.
Vitamin C is necessary for growth and development, a strong immune system, and iron absorption from the diet.
In addition to high levels of vitamin C and manganese, Pineapple contains copper, thiamine, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, and iron.
If you want to know how long it takes for Vitamins to work, check this article out.
2. Rich in Manganese
One cup of Pineapple also contains more than half the amount of Manganese you need every day.
Manganese is a naturally occurring mineral that promotes development, maintains a healthy metabolism, and has anti-oxidant characteristics. Manganese also helps in maintaining healthy bones with calcium.
3. Contains Anti-Oxidants
Along with nutrients, Pineapples are rich in anti-oxidants. Pineapples are exceptionally high in antioxidants called flavonoids and phenolic acids. But, what are anti-oxidants? These are molecules (natural, in this case, but can also be artificial) that help in preventing cell damage and combat oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is caused by the presence of too many free radicals in the body. Free radicals are chemicals that may harm cells and cause health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and vision impairments.
These free radicals interact with the cells of the body, causing damage that has been linked to chronic inflammation, a weaker immune system, and a variety of dangerous illnesses. Consuming antioxidant-rich foods such as pineapple can help to mitigate these hazards.
4. Good for Skin
When consumed in its natural form or used topically, the antioxidant Vitamin C can help battle skin damage caused by the sun and pollution, decrease wrinkles, and improve overall skin texture.
Vitamin C is also essential for the development of collagen, the skin’s support system.
5. Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Properties
According to Harvard Health Publishing, excessive inflammation can lead to a variety of disorders such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Fortunately, eating anti-inflammatory foods like pineapple can help lessen the amount of inflammation in the body.
Bromelain, pineapple’s digestive enzyme, provides anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities. This is useful if you have an infection, such as sinusitis, or an injury, such as a sprain or burn. It also alleviates the joint discomfort associated with osteoarthritis. Pineapple juice contains vitamin C, which helps to keep inflammation at bay.
6. Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Cancer is a chronic and dangerous disease that is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. The course of the disease is frequently connected to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
Several studies have found that pineapple and its constituents may lower cancer risk. This is because they may reduce oxidative stress 1and inflammation.
Bromelain, which we mentioned earlier, also helps in fighting cancer. Bromelain has been shown in animal and test-tube tests to activate the immune system to create chemicals that make white blood cells more effective in suppressing cancer cell development and eliminating cancer cells.
7. Boost Immunity
Because of its nutritional benefits, Pineapple has been historically used as medicine. With the digestive enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, Pineapple can help in boosting immunity and keeping inflammation in check.
Pineapple eaters had a much-decreased incidence of both viral and bacterial illnesses. Furthermore, the youngsters who ate the most pineapple had nearly four times the number of disease-fighting white blood cells (granulocytes2) as the other two groups.
8. Ease Symptoms of Arthritis
Most types of Arthritis involve inflammation at the joints. Pineapples contain Bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties which can ease symptoms of inflammatory Arthritis.
Furthermore, one study looked at bromelain’s capacity to cure osteoarthritis. It came to the conclusion that bromelain has the ability to alleviate arthritic symptoms, particularly in the short term.
9. Recovery after Surgery or Strenuous Exercise
The anti-inflammatory property of Pineapple is evident now. After a strenuous exercise or surgery, Pineapples can help you in the prevention of any kind of inflammation and thus aid you in not feeling sore. It may also reduce the time of recovery needed after surgery, thanks to Bromelain.
One research, for example, found that individuals who drank bromelain before undergoing dental surgery experienced much less pain and felt happier than those who did not. It appeared to give comparable pain relief to standard anti-inflammatory medications.
10. Heart Health
Pineapple’s fiber, potassium, and vitamin C levels all improve heart health.
In research, persons who ingested 4,069 mg of potassium per day had a 49 percent lower chance of dying from ischemic heart disease when compared to those who took less potassium. Increasing potassium intake through the consumption of rich potassium fruits and vegetables can aid in the reduction of blood pressure.
How to Add Pineapple to your Diet?
Pineapples are sweet, tasty, and easy to add to your diet. Affordable and accessible, they are available fresh, frozen, or canned pineapple. From smoothies to salads, there are a variety of ways you can incorporate Pineapples into your daily diet.
Some easy recipes with Pineapples are Pineapple, Blueberry, and Greek yogurt smoothie, Tropical roast chicken, Almond, Blueberry, and Pineapple Salad, Homemade Hawaiian burgers (beef burgers with a Pineapple ring), Baked ham with pineapple and cherries, Pineapple fruit salad.
FAQs
1. Do you Feel Tingly when you Eat Pineapple? It’s Normal.
Fresh pineapple can tickle or burn your mouth. This is due to the fact that our tissues are formed of protein, and bromelain 3in pineapple breaks down protein. This is quite normal. It is transient and does not indicate that you are allergic to pineapple. It may be beneficial to have a dairy item in addition to the fruit.
2. How to Cut Pineapples?
Remove the top, often known as the crown, and the bottom. Remove any “eyes” that have been left behind. Stand it up and cut the outer shell off from top to bottom. Cut it in half from the top to the bottom, then into quarters. Remove the core from all four sections before cutting it into smaller parts.
3. How to Store Pineapples?
A ripe, whole, fresh fruit will last for about 2-3 days on the counter. Once cut, it will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 6 months or longer. It can be stored on its own or in its juice.
In a Nutshell
Pineapples fall under are a must for a healthy digestive tract and have impressive health benefits. They have a natural sweetness while low in calories, thus perfect for weight loss.
Along with helping with digestion because of digestive enzymes 4like Bromelain and fiber content, Pineapple has a range of other health benefits.
From anti-inflammatory properties and being in the group of high-potassium foods to boosting immunity and reducing the risk of fatal and chronic diseases, Pineapples are a must for your diet.
Now that you know the answer to the question- does Pineapple help with digestion, and how does Pineapple help with digestion, what are you waiting for? Add Pineapples to your diet today!
- Griendling, Kathy K., et al. “Oxidative stress and hypertension.” Circulation research 128.7 (2021): 993-1020. ↩︎
- Mehta, Puja, et al. “Therapeutic blockade of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in COVID-19-associated hyperinflammation: challenges and opportunities.” The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 8.8 (2020): 822-830. ↩︎
- Chakraborty, Arka Jyoti, et al. “Bromelain a potential bioactive compound: a comprehensive overview from a pharmacological perspective.” Life 11.4 (2021): 317. ↩︎
- Copeland, Robert A. Enzymes: a practical introduction to structure, mechanism, and data analysis. John Wiley & Sons, 2023. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
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