Pineapple Health Benefits

Pineapple health benefits are aplenty. Pineapple is a tropical fruit and it tastes sweet and sour. In tropical areas, pineapple juice is a widely preferred fresh fruit drink. With a cylindrical like shape, pineapple has a scaly surface.

The fruit has more sugar content or tastes sweet near the base. Pineapple was first discovered by Europeans on the Caribbean island.

Pineapple is rich in bromelain, a dietary supplement. This enzyme is found in the stem of a pineapple. Bromelain was thought to just cure intestinal tract infections. However, further research has found that bromelian can help control blood coagulation and tumor growth.

Many healthcare practitioners on the health benefits pineapple has to offer said their patients showed an improvement in digestion after they increased pineapple consumption.

Among pineapple health benefits, Vitamin C helps in protecting the body against various infections. Vitamin C protects the body against common cold, improves immunity, prevents ear infections and reduces joint pain.

Pineapple is a good source of Vitamin B1 or rich in manganese and thiamin. Manganese along with thiamin work with various body enzymes in the body help in building up of energy and antioxidants.

A study in the Archives of Ophthalmology said among other pineapple health benefits, the fruit helps in reducing macular degeneration, which causes loss of vision in adults. The study indicated that consuming three servings of pineapple can lower the risk of macular degeneration.

To derive the maximum health benefits pineapple has to offer is to include it in the daily diet. Pineapple as juice or smoothie for breakfast, in yogurt for lunch and a fruit in the salad for dinner is perfect to get the best health benefits pineapple has to offer.

How to choose a pineapple: To derive the maximum health benefits of pineapple is to choose the right fruit. Do not choose pineapple that have bruises and are darkened. A fruit should smell sweet at the stem, as pineapple begins to ripe once it is plucked.

To have the maximum benefit of antioxidants, choose the fruit that is completely ripened. The University of Innsbruck, Austria, found that pineapple which is that fully ripened has the highest amount of antioxidants.

Again to gain more from pineapple health benefits is to preserve it carefully. A study in the journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry said minimal processing of the fruit such as cutting, chilling and processing does not considerably affect the nutritional content up to nine days.

So, go ahead and enjoy the complete pineapple health benefits. Cut and mix pineapple in a large bowl of salad and enjoy for an entire week without worrying about losing the nutrient contents.