The benefits of eating pineapple might surprise you. Pineapple is sweet tropical fruit that is low in calories and rich in vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants.
Pineapple and its many nutrients are linked to some amazing health benefits, including aiding digestion, boosting immunity and speeding up recovery, among others.
Pineapple is one of the most nutritionally richest fruits in the world. Christopher Columbus called it the ‘Pine of the Indians’ and first introduced it to Europeans in the 15th century. He brought the fruit back with him to Spain from his voyage to South America.
Benefits of pineapple include high amounts of vitamin C and manganese. More importantly, pineapple contains Bromelain. This enzyme is responsible for the burning sensation we experience, when eating fresh pineapple.
Benefits of Pineapple
A lot of the benefits of pineapple are directly linked to an enzyme called Bromelain. It has many uses in medicine and has been used to reduce swelling, especially of the nose and sinuses after surgery or injury. Bromelain is also used to treat hay fever, treating bowel conditions that cause swelling, as well as ulcers and removing dead and damaged tissue after a burn, preventing the collection of water in the lung, relaxing muscles, stimulating muscle contractions, slowing clotting, improving the absorption of antibiotics, preventing cancer, shortening labor, and helping the body get rid of fat.
Basically, Bromelain has the ability to break down amino acids, the building blocks of all living cells. When amino acids join by forming peptide bonds, protein is formed. It can then be used for building and operating various tissues of the body, cells and organs. Bromelain breaks these peptide bonds, therefore breaking down protein. That’s why pineapple is often used for preparing meat as Bromelain softens the tissues in meat before cooking it.
Here are 8 powerful benefits of eating pineapple:
- It’s full of nutrients,
- It contains plenty of antioxidants
- It improves digestion
- Reduces the risk of developing certain types of cancer
- Has been shown to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation
- Can help with easing the symptoms of arthritis
- Improves recovery following surgery and workouts
- It’s sweet and tasty
As the surface of your tongue contains a lot of different proteins, eating pineapples can make it feel raw. This is because bromelain beings to break the peptide bonds, essentially eating us back as we eat it. This is only temporary though, and the cells are quickly regenerated.
An interesting myth that originated around harvesting pineapple was that workers would have their fingerprints erased after long term exposure to bromelain, which is present in all parts of the pineapple. This was once thought to be true, however is now known to be false as the fingerprint eventually returns after a while.
Pineapple for workout recovery?
Bromelain is a digestive enzyme and when combined with the consumption of protein can improve the rate of digestion. This leads to faster absorption of nutrients and therefore can speed up your recovery.
Bromelain is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties and is often used to treat acute inflammation in sports injuries, such as tendon pain or delayed onset-muscle soreness (DOMS). Pineapple is naturally high in vitamin C, which is known for its antioxidative properties and can help to keep you fit and healthy!
If you need a quick and convenient way to get more pineapple into your diet, try these Pineapple Energy Smoothies by Tribal Energy.
This article first appeared on GYMNASIUMPOST.com on 12th May, 2020.
