Pineapple illustration. © 2014 Merdeka.com/Shutterstock/Dream79 Merdeka.com – Who is not familiar with this yellow fruit and this unique shape? This fruit lives in the tropics, has jagged leaves that grow at the top and a sharp rind. Of course you can already guess the fruit in question is pineapple.
Pineapple fruit is indeed found in many tropical countries, including Indonesia. It can even be said, pineapple is one of the most popular fruits and is widely consumed by the public. Usually this pineapple fruit is processed into pickles, salad, jam, until it is used as additional material for making various kinds of cakes.
Apart from being processed into food, pineapple can also be mixed with other fruits or vegetables to make a refreshing juice dish. Even just peeled, cut, and eaten right away, this pineapple is already delicious. No wonder the pineapple is one of the favorite fruits for the community.
Besides its sweet and sour taste and refreshing, pineapple fruit also has various nutritional contents that are beneficial to the body. This yellow fruit has a high source of vitamin C which is good for boosting the body’s immune system. Not only that, pineapple fruit also contains calories, fat, protein, and copper which are no less important.
With the many ingredients in it, it’s no wonder there are various health benefits of pineapple that you can get. Reporting from the Healthline website, here we summarize some of the health benefits of pineapple that need to be known:
Contains Lots of Nutrients
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The first benefit of pineapple is, of course, because it has a wide variety of good nutrients in it. Pineapple is known to have a low calorie content that is good for the body. Not only that, pineapple also contains other nutrients that are important to meet the body’s intake, namely as follows:
- Calories
- Fat
- Protein
- Carbohydrate
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Manganese
- Vitamin B6
- Copper
- Thiamin
- Folate
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Niacin
- Pantothenic acid
- Riboflavin
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Phosphor
- Zinc
- Calcium
Rich in Antioxidants That Can Fight Disease
In addition to some of the nutritional content above, the benefits of the next pineapple also come from the high antioxidant content contained in it. This content is very useful to help the body fight oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is a state in which there are too many free radicals in the body. These free radicals interact with body cells and cause damage associated with chronic inflammation, a weak immune system, and many dangerous diseases.
Pineapple which is rich in flavonoid antioxidants is useful for warding off any free radical compounds that enter the body. Not only that, this content also helps strengthen the body’s immunity to fight various disease attacks due to exposure to free radicals.
Digestion
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The benefits of pineapple for further health are to facilitate digestion. This benefit is none other than obtained from a group of bromelain enzymes contained in it. This enzyme works as a protease that breaks down protein molecules such as amino acids and small peptides.
The protein molecules that are successfully broken down by these enzymes are more easily absorbed by the small intestine. This is especially useful for people who have pancreatic insufficiency. Where the pancreas cannot produce digestive enzymes as needed.
Based on the results of the study, it was found that people with pancreatic insufficiency experienced better digestion after taking supplements containing the enzyme bromelain. That way, pineapple is very good for consumption for people with pancreatic insufficiency to improve digestion.
Helps Reduce Cancer Risk
The next benefit of pineapple fruit is that it can help reduce cancer risk. Please note that cancer can develop due to oxidative stress conditions and chronic inflammation that occurs in the body. In this case, pineapple has been shown to have compounds that can fight oxidative stress conditions and reduce inflammation.
One such compound is a group of digestive enzymes called bromelain. Based on the results of studies, this enzyme can suppress breast cancer sex growth and stimulate cell death. In addition, other studies have also shown that this bromelain enzyme can suppress cancer in the skin, bile ducts, and the stomach and colon systems.
Boosts Immunity and Reduces Inflammation
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Other benefits of pineapple can also increase immunity and reduce inflammation. In this case, pineapple has various vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that can increase immunity and suppress inflammatory conditions in the body.
Based on the study results, it was found that children with sinus infections recover significantly and faster after taking bromelain supplements. What’s more, studies have shown that bromelain can reduce markers of inflammation. It is believed that these anti-inflammatory properties help the immune system.
Relieves Arthritis Symptoms
The benefits of pineapple are also useful for relieving arthritis symptoms. Usually arthritis sufferers experience inflammation in the joints which is very disturbing. In this case, pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain and anti-inflammatory properties that can relieve pain in people with arthritis.
In fact, research since the 1960s has shown that bromelain has been used to relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, a type of arthritis that involves arthritis. Not only that, this content is also known to treat osteoarthritis sufferers as effectively as common arthritis medications.
However, further research showed that the enzyme bromelain only has the potential to relieve arthritis symptoms in the short term.
Speed up recovery after surgery or strenuous exercise
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The health benefits of pineapples are no less important, namely that they can speed up recovery after surgery and strenuous exercise. Based on the research results, the bromelain content in pineapples can reduce inflammation, swelling, bruising, and pain that often occur after surgery.
Not only that, protease enzymes such as bromelain are also able to speed up the recovery of damage from severe sports injuries. In this case, bromelain works to reduce the inflammation around the damaged muscle tissue. That way, this can be a natural way if you experience serious injuries due to sports activities.
Delicious and Can Be Consumed Everyday
The last benefit of pineapple fruit is none other than its delicious taste. The refreshing sweet and sour taste of pineapple is indeed very suitable for consumption during the day.
Pineapple fruit can be consumed directly as a healthy snack, or it can also be processed into smoothies, salad mixes, and delicious pizza toppings. That way, don’t hesitate to add pineapples in your daily diet.
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