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Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an incredibly delicious, healthy tropical fruit. It’s packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and other helpful compounds, such as enzymes that can protect against inflammation and disease. It’s commonly eaten freshly cut.
Originating in South America, it was named by early European colonisers for its resemblance to a pine cone. Pineapple and its compounds are linked to several health benefits, including improvements in digestion, immunity, and recovery from surgery.
According to Lisa Wartenberg on Healthline, here are some impressive health benefits of pineapple.
1. Loaded with nutrients
Pineapples are low in calories but boast an impressive nutrient profile. Pineapples also contain trace amounts of phosphorus, zinc, calcium, and vitamins A and K.
This fruit is particularly rich in vitamin C and manganese. Vitamin C is essential for immune health, iron absorption, growth, and development, while manganese offers antioxidant properties and aids in growth and metabolism. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation in your body, which may help ward off the inflammation that can lead to cancer and other chronic diseases.
2. Contains disease-fighting antioxidants
Pineapples are not only rich in nutrients but also loaded with antioxidants, molecules that help your body ward off oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is caused by an abundance of free radicals, and unstable molecules that cause cell damage often linked to chronic inflammation, weakened immune health, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
3. Aids digestion
This fruit contains a group of digestive enzymes called bromelain that eases the digestion of meat. Bromelain functions as a protease, which breaks down protein molecules into their building blocks, such as amino acids and small peptides.
Once protein molecules are broken down, your small intestine can more easily absorb them. This is especially helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas cannot make enough digestive enzymes.
4. Reduce your risk of cancer
Cancer is a chronic disease characterised by uncontrolled cell growth. Its progression is commonly linked to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
Pineapple and its compounds, including bromelain, reduce cancer risk by minimising oxidative stress and reducing inflammation. Bromelain also helps treat cancer that has already developed.
5. Boosts immunity and suppresses inflammation
Pineapples contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes such as bromelain that improve immunity and reduce inflammation.
6. Ease symptoms of arthritis
Bromelain’s anti-inflammatory properties provide pain relief for those with inflammatory arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties of pineapple can relieve symptoms of arthritis.
7. Speeds recovery after surgery or strenuous exercise
Eating pineapple reduces the time it takes to recover from surgery or exercise. Bromelain in pineapples reduces the inflammation, swelling, and discomfort that occurs after surgery. Its anti-inflammatory properties also aid recovery after strenuous exercise.
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