9 Powerful Reasons to Eat More Pineapples

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Pineapple is love! Besides the delicious, tangy taste, pineapples are rich in several health benefits. From preventing digestive issues, cough, blood pressure to cancer, pineapple is a must eat for its myriad benefits. Here are strong reasons to eat a pineapple now.

1. Boost Your Immune System and Fight Disease

One serving of pineapple (about a cup of cubed fruit) contains 50% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin C. This vitamin is best known for its role in the functioning of the immune system (in stimulating the activity of certain white blood cells). Other benefits of vitamin C intake include protection against prenatal disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer and skin wrinkling. Pineapples also contain a mixture of enzymes, collectively known as bromelain, which help the body fight off infections and kill bacteria. Bromelain is responsible for pineapple juice’s efficacy as a cough syrup alternative, as it is known to ease coughs and wheezing by reducing inflammation and mucus production.

2. Pineapples Prevent Cancer

Components of pineapple are directly involved in the prevention of mouth, throat and breast cancers. Besides vitamin C, they contain a variety of other potent antioxidants such as vitamin A, beta carotene and bromelain. Antioxidants stabilize extremely reactive particles called free radicals, thereby protecting the body from their damaging, cancer causing effects.

3. Increase Bone Strength

Pineapples have a very high manganese content. Just one serving contains more than 70% of the recommended daily manganese intake. This essential trace mineral contributes to bone strengthening, growth and repair, accounting for pineapples’ ability to prevent osteoporosis (a disease characterized by loss of bone density and strength), especially in menopausal women.

4. Enhance Oral Health

The astringent properties of pineapple help strengthen your gums, while the antioxidants they contain fight against oral cancer.

5. Pineapples Improve Eye Health

As a result of their high vitamin C and antioxidant content, pineapples reduce the risk of macular degeneration—an age related medical condition which results in blurred vision.

6. Facilitate Digestion

Pineapples can protect your body from a variety of digestion related health conditions such as constipation and diarrhea. They contain large amounts of soluble fiber, which attracts water from the walls of your intestines, slowing down absorption and allowing more time for the retention of important nutrients from food. They also contain insoluble fiber, which facilitates the movement of food along the gut and waste expulsion. The bromelain in pineapple, assists your body in the breakdown and digestion of proteins. It is also known to provide relief from stomach aches, diarrhea and heatburn.

7. Prevent Blood Clot Formation

Bromelain is believed to play a role in increasing the body’s production of plasmin, an enzyme that destroys blood clots by attacking the protein fibrin as well as in reducing the accumulation of platelets and their adhesion to the walls of blood vessels. Vitamin C also helps with prevention of atherosclerosis.

8. Pineapples Help Lower Blood Pressure

Pineapples are rich in potassium (195 mg per serving), a mineral which works to lower blood pressure by balancing out the blood-pressure raising effects of sodium. In comparison to other fruits, pineapple contains a very small quantity of sodium (only 1 mg per serving).

9. Reduce Arthritis Related Pain

Pineapples help reduce inflammation and swelling in joints—increasing mobility and reducing pain.

Note: Please note that canned and cooked pineapple contain far less bromelain than fresh pineapple. Thus, this fruit should be eaten fresh to maximize its health benefits.

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