Pineapple

Pineapple is a tropical fruit,it is  an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. It’s a very good source of vitamin B₁, vitamin B₆, copper, magnesium, and dietary fiber. Bromelain is is a proteolytic enzyme (enzymes that digest protein) found in pineapple, and to a greater extent in pineapple stems.

Find below the health benefits in detail:

1. Digestive Benefits

Bromelain is a complex mixture of substances that can be extracted from the stem and core fruit of the pineapple. Among dozens of components known to exist in this crude extract, the best studied components are a group of protein-digesting enzymes (called cysteine proteinases). Originally, researchers believed that these enzymes provided the key health benefits found in bromelain, a popular dietary supplement containing these pineapple extracts. Bromelain aids and promotes digestion due to its protein digesting capabilities, and may relieve symptoms of stomach upset or heartburn.

2. Antioxidant Protection and Immune Support

Vitamin C is the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant, defending all aqueous areas of the body against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells. Free radicals have been shown to promote the artery plaque build-up of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, cause the airway spasm that leads to asthma attacks, damage the cells of the colon so they become colon cancer cells, and contribute to the joint pain and disability seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, vitamin C is vital for the proper function of the immune system, making it a nutrient to turn to for the prevention of recurrent ear infections, colds, and flu. Mucha Habermann’s disease (Pityriasis lichenoides chronica) is a rare disease of the immune system of unknown origin, characterized by recurrent red, round and elevated lesions on the skin. In a 3-month study involving 8 patients with Pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC), they were treated with bromelain. It was concluded that bromelain is an effective therapeutic option for PLC after all patients showed complete recovery.

3. Energy Production and Antioxidant Defenses

Pineapple is an excellent source the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. For example, the key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase, which disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells), requires manganese. Just one cup of fresh pineapple supplies 128.0% of the DV for this very important trace mineral. In addition to manganese, pineapple is a good source of thiamin, a B vitamin that acts as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions central to energy production

4. Thrombosis

Studies have shown bromelain to display fibrinolytic and antithrombotic activity, and two clinical trials on heart patients have shown a practically complete elimination of thrombosis.

5. Sinusitis

In Germany, where bromelain is approved by the German Commission E for the treatment of sinusitis, a clinical trial demonstrated that children diagnosed with acute sinusitis recovered significantly faster when treated with pineapple bromelain compared to other treatments.

6. Anti Inflammatory

There is some clinical evidence that suggests the effectiveness of bromelain as an anti-inflammatory, and may reduce swelling, bruising, healing time, and pain following surgery and physical injuries. In a 3-month study involving subjects with mild acute knee pain, it was concluded that bromelain might be effective in ameliorating pain.

In a clinical trial involving patients with periarthritis of the shoulder, and also patients suffering from painful osteoarthritis of the knee, pain reduction with the treatment of proteolytic enzymes such as bromelain was comparable to those treated with NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

Adverse Reactions from Pineapples

Bromelain, which breaks down proteins, may cause irritant dermatitis. Pineapples may also cause allergic dermatitis. (Irritant dermatitis may occur in anyone who touches a pineapple; allergic dermatitis occurs only in an individual who is sensitive to a particular substance).