Here Are The 7 Health Benefits Of Eating Pineapple
Pineapple is one of the most forgotten fruits in Spanish households, in fact, it is not even among the ten most consumed fruits: orange, banana, apple, watermelon, melon, mandarin, pear, peach, kiwi and strawberry.
Pineapple belongs to the group of exotic fruits, and they are the only ones that have increased their consumption in recent years, together with custard apple, mango, kiwi or persimmon.
However, consumption of other fruits continues to fall, and has fallen by 40% in the last fifty years. In fact, 30% of the population over the age of 15 admits that they do not eat any fruit at all and only four out of ten adults eat at least one piece of fruit every day.
Pineapple is a tropical fruit of Brazilian origin, called pineapple, which means “excellent fruit”, a delicious and nutrient-rich fruit. It has always been a symbol of luxury and hospitality, in fact, in royal courts it was a delicacy that was considered a sign of wealth.
It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in America and brought to Europe where it triumphed among the wealthy class as it had a very high price. Given the long distance it had to travel, it often arrived rotten, so they tried to cultivate it in Europe, creating greenhouses that imitated the tropical climate.
The fascination with the fruit was such that it began to be used in paintings, architecture, antiques and even as gifts for royalty. Gradually, the fruit became increasingly in demand, and with it, prices became more affordable. Today, it is consumed at any time of the year.
In addition to its delicious taste, it is one of the fruits with the highest number of minerals and vitamins, which makes it one of the best fruits for health. The experts of
Healthline shows us all its properties and benefits:
1. Regulates intestinal transit and improves digestionPineapple provides fibre and water to our body, in fact, it has more than 85% water. In addition, thanks to the fibre it contains, it plays a fundamental role in the function of the colon and stimulates intestinal transit, dragging toxins and helping to eliminate excess fat.
It also improves digestion as it contains bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme that helps digest and break down food proteins in the stomach and pancreas, facilitating digestion. It is important not to denature the pineapple at high temperatures, as with most enzymes, with heat one does not benefit 100% of its properties.
2. It is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatoryPineapple is one of the fruits that contains the most bromelain, even in the stem is the area where it is most concentrated. This enzyme has proved very interesting in the clinical field due to its many properties. Among them, it has been investigated, in isolation, for its mediation in inflammatory processes. In another study, it has also been shown to have antimicrobial action. Both qualities make it a very interesting fruit to include in your shopping basket.
3. Improves blood circulationAs mentioned above, pineapple contains bromelain, which in turn is made up of three enzymes: bromelain, extranase and ananase. In these studies, this interesting enzyme, bromelain, was analysed for its anticoagulant action, and has been shown to play an important role in increasing blood flow, thus improving blood circulation.
4. It is antioxidant and favours the correct functioning of the immune systemPineapple is a source of vitamin C, among many of its functions it contributes to protect cells against oxidative damage. Antioxidants are capable of neutralising the action of free radicals. In addition, this vitamin contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system. This delicious fruit also contains vitamins A and E and slowly absorbed carbohydrates.
5. Pineapple has minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus and iron. But above all, the amount of iodine it contains stands out. Iodine, among many of its functions, is necessary for the cells to transform food into energy and for the normal production of thyroid hormones.
6. It helps in slimming dietsPineapple is an ideal fruit to incorporate in a diet plan to lose weight, since, besides that, thanks to its bromelain content it improves the digestion of proteins and regulates the intestinal transit, it can help to diminish the abdominal swelling. It is also satiating thanks to its fibre content. It also helps to prevent fluid retention. It has a low calorie content thanks to its high water content and low carbohydrate content, making it ideal for a diet.
7. Improves the appearance of the skinPineapple, in addition to all the properties it has for health, also improves the appearance of the skin. The hydration obtained by eating pineapple makes the skin more elastic and shiny. In addition, as a source of vitamin C, it contributes to the normal formation of collagen for the normal functioning of the skin. In cosmetics, it is widely used as an ingredient to promote healing processes, to help heal skin ulcers and in acne treatment.
Pineapple is the tropical fruit par excellence, not only for its taste, but also for its properties. But why isn’t it consumed more? One of the big problems with pineapple is its size and the difficulty of splitting it. It is a much more awkward fruit to prepare than others, especially for older people who are used to fruits such as bananas, apples or pears, which can be eaten individually and without great effort.
Although little by little, it is being sold already peeled, cut and packaged for direct consumption, this makes its price increase and not everyone can afford it or likes this option, therefore, Nutritienda.com experts give us a few tips and tricks to consume more pineapple in our diet:
How to choose a pineapple when it is ready to eatTo know when the pineapple is ready to eat you have to look at several things: on the one hand, the leaves should be green, if they are brown or dry looking it means that it is not fully ripe or it is overripe, also if you pull the leaves they should come off easily.
If the pineapple sinks when you touch it with your fingers, it means that it is overripe, it must be hard and heavy, as it has a lot of juice inside. The colour should be yellowish to golden, if it has many green areas it is not yet ready.
How to peel it in a simple wayThere are many ways to peel a pineapple, and lately many videos have gone viral explaining how to cut and eat the pineapple in segments. But the most traditional ways would be, on the one hand, to cut it as if it were a melon, to do this you have to cut the base and the top part and cut it into slices, and the other way, also remove the ends and then lay the pineapple on the base and remove the skin from top to bottom, and once peeled cut it into slices.
How to store it so that it does not spoilOnce the pineapple has been sliced, it should not be eaten for too long because it will spoil. To make it last longer, it should be stored airtight and well covered. For those who do not want to eat all the pineapple at once, a good option is to split it, put it in bags and freeze it.
If the freezing is done correctly, the nutritional value does not change significantly, so the nutrient content is practically the same. It should also be defrosted correctly, i.e. it is best to defrost it slowly in the refrigerator and not at room temperature.