Pineapple is delicious, juicy and nutritious fruit. It is eaten raw and also as juice, jams, jellies and squashes. Pineapple is a tropical fruit indigenous to South America. It is the third most produced tropical fruit after banana and citrus. In India, it is cultivated in mostly in Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tripura and Orissa. Pineapple fruit is not produced from single flower, but from about 200 or more flowers. It is multiple fruit consisting of numerous combined berries. The individual flower produce fruit and several similar fruits are joined to form a pineapple fruit.
Bromelain which is proteolytic enzyme is derived from stem and fruit of pineapple plant. It has anti-inflammatory, smooth muscle relaxant, digester, blood platelet aggregation inhibiting actions.
Vernacular Names
English:Pineapple Hindi:Ananas Telugu:Annasapandu Sanskrit:Anamnasam, Bahunetraphalam, Unani:Anannaas Siddha/Tamil:Annanshippazham, Annas
Nutritional Value of Pineapple
Pineapple is excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. Manganese is required by body for strong bones, energy production and body immunity. It is a very good source of copper also. It provides fair amount of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, folate and fiber. If you are eating 1 cup pineapple pieces you will get about 79mg Vitamin C, 2mg of manganese and 0.18mg of copper. It gives about seventy three percent of daily required manganese. The fruit's richness in beta-carotene protects eyes.
Pineapple fruit contains very low amount of cholesterol and fat. Pineapple is a source of proteolytic enzyme bromelain.
Health benefits of Pineapple eating
Pineapple contains sulphur containing proteolytic enzyme bromelain. Proteolytic enzymes are those enzymes which helps in the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. Bromelain breaks complex proteins and improves digestion. It also reduces the acidity of body fluids. Bromelain reduces inflammation. If you are eating, pineapple to reduce body swelling/inflammation, which can be due to several reasons such as arthritis, gout, rheumatism, sore throat, sinusitis etc. then it should be eaten alone or as breakfast otherwise the enzyme will be used in food digestion.
Pineapple is full of taste and nutrition. Pineapple is good natural source of vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, potassium, thiamine and fibres.
It is an anti-oxidant that improves immunity against diseases. Vitamin C helps to prevent recurrent respiratory infections.
Fibre content of pineapple gives relief in constipation or hardness of stool.
Pineapple is a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting.
Pineapple removes toxins from body and reduces obesity. It improves digestion, metabolism and assimilation.
Pineapple fruit is highly recommended in arthritis, rheumatism, gout and similar conditions due to its swelling reducing and pain relieving properties.
Pineapple is indicated in constipation, fluid retention, diarrhoea, painful periods, painful urination, fever, gas, piles, jaundice, stones, obesity, ulcers and rheumatism.
Who should not eat pineapple?
Pineapple should be avoided by people suffering from kidney, liver diseases and haemophilia.
Pineapple increases blood flow in pelvic region. It has fertility reducing and estrogenic effect. High level of estrogen (a female hormone) causes the start of menstrual cycle and pineapple produces similar effect in body. Due to this reason, pineapple is recommended in amenorrhea and restricted in pregnancy. It is one fruit that should not be consumed during pregnancy. Although some people say it is safe to eat pineapple in small amount during pregnancy.
Few side effects of pineapple eating are allergy, diarrhoea, GI problems, metrorrhagia/ abnormal bleeding from the womb, nausea, and vomiting.