Pineapple is a delicious, low-calorie and healthy tropical fruit. This popular fruit is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and other useful compounds, such as enzymes that can fight inflammation and disease. Pineapple and its compounds have been linked to numerous health benefits, including aiding digestion, reduced cancer risk, improved immunity, relief of arthritis symptoms, and improved recovery after surgery and strenuous exercise. Pineapples are also very versatile and can be eaten in a variety of ways.
Rich in nutrients
Pineapples are low in calories but incredibly nutritious. One cup (5.8 ounces or 165 grams) of pineapple chunks contains: Calories: 82.5, Fat: 1.7g, Protein: 1g, Carbohydrates: 21.6g, Fiber: 2.3g, Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI, Manganese: 76 of the RDI %, Vitamin B6: 9% of RDI, Copper: 9% of RDI, Thiamine: 9% of RDI, Folic acid: 7% of RDI, Potassium: 5% of RDI, Magnesium: 5% of RDI, Niacin: 4% of the RDI, Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI, Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI, Iron: 3% of the RDI, Pineapple also contains trace amounts of vitamins A and K, phosphorus, zinc and calcium . They are rich in vitamin C and manganese, accounting for 131% and 76% of the recommended daily value respectively. Vitamin C is essential for growth and development, a healthy immune system, and helping to absorb iron from the diet. Meanwhile, manganese is a natural mineral that aids growth, maintains a healthy metabolism and has antioxidant properties.
Summary
Pineapple is rich in various vitamins and minerals. They are especially rich in vitamin C and manganese.
Contains disease-fighting antioxidants
Pineapples are not only nutritious, but they are also packed with healthy antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that help your body fight oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a state of excess free radicals in the body. These free radicals interact with body cells and cause damage associated with chronic inflammation, weakened immune systems, and many harmful diseases. Pineapple is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids and phenolic acids. What's more, many of the antioxidants in pineapple have some binding power. This allows antioxidants to survive harsher conditions in the body and produce longer-lasting effects.
Summary
Pineapple is a good source of antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Many of the antioxidants in pineapple are binding, so they may have longer-lasting effects.
Its enzymes can promote digestion
Pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes called bromelain. They function as proteases, breaking down protein molecules into their component parts, such as amino acids and small peptides. Once protein molecules are broken down, they are more easily absorbed in the small intestine. This is especially helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, in which the pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes. For example, one study showed that participants with pancreatic insufficiency experienced better digestion after taking a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain compared to taking the same digestive enzyme supplement without bromelain. Bromelain is widely used as a commercial meat tenderizer due to its ability to break down tough meat proteins.
Summary
Pineapples contain bromelain, a group of digestive enzymes that break down protein. This may aid digestion, especially in patients with pancreatic insufficiency.
May help reduce risk of cancer
Cancer progression is often associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Several studies have shown that pineapple and its compounds may reduce the risk of cancer. This is because they minimize oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. One of these compounds is a digestive enzyme called bromelain. Test-tube studies suggest that bromelain may also help fight cancer. For example, two test-tube studies showed that bromelain inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells and stimulated cell death. Other test-tube studies show that bromelain inhibits cancer in areas such as the skin, bile ducts, gastric system, and colon. Test-tube and animal studies have found that bromelain stimulates the immune system to produce molecules that make white blood cells more effective at inhibiting cancer cell growth and eliminating cancer cells. That being said, pineapples contain much less bromelain than supplements. More human-based studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
Summary
Pineapple contains compounds that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are linked to cancer. One of these compounds is bromelain, which can stimulate cell death in certain cancer cells and aid white blood cell function.
May enhance immunity and suppress inflammation
Pineapples have been part of traditional medicine for hundreds of years. They contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes like bromelain that work together to boost immunity and suppress inflammation. A nine-week study fed 98 healthy children either no pineapple, pineapple (140g), or pineapple (280g) every day to see if it boosted immunity. Children who eat pineapple have a significantly reduced risk of viral and bacterial infections. Additionally, the children who ate the most pineapples had nearly four times the number of disease-fighting white blood cells (granulocytes) compared to the other two groups. Another study found that children with sinus infections recovered significantly faster after taking bromelain supplements, when used in combination with standard treatments or both. Furthermore, studies show that bromelain can reduce inflammatory markers. These anti-inflammatory properties are thought to aid the immune system.
Summary
Pineapple has anti-inflammatory properties that strengthen the immune system.
May reduce symptoms of arthritis
Arthritis affects more than 54 million adults in the United States alone. There are many types of arthritis, but most involve inflammation of the joints. Because pineapples contain bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties, they are often thought to provide pain relief to people suffering from inflammatory arthritis. In fact, research as far back as the 1960s suggests bromelain is used to relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, a type of arthritis that involves inflammation of the joints. Several recent studies have investigated the effectiveness of bromelain in treating arthritis. A study of patients with osteoarthritis found that taking a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain reduced pain as effectively as common arthritis medications like diclofenac. Additionally, one review analyzed bromelain’s ability to treat osteoarthritis. The conclusion is that bromelain has the potential to relieve arthritis symptoms, especially in the short term. However, it's unclear whether bromelain can treat arthritis symptoms long-term. Longer studies are needed before bromelain can be recommended for relief of arthritis symptoms.
Summary
The anti-inflammatory properties of pineapple may provide short-term symptom relief to people suffering from common arthritis.
Recovery may be faster after surgery or strenuous exercise
Eating pineapples can reduce recovery time from surgery or exercise. This is mainly due to the anti-inflammatory properties of bromelain. Several studies have shown that bromelain can reduce inflammation, swelling, bruising and pain that often occurs after surgery. It also appears to reduce inflammatory markers. For example, one study showed that those who took bromelain before dental surgery experienced significantly less pain and felt happier than those who did not take bromelain. In fact, it appears to provide similar relief to regular anti-inflammatory drugs. Strenuous exercise can also damage muscle tissue and cause inflammation around it. The affected muscles cannot produce as much force and are painful for up to three days. Proteases like bromelain are thought to speed recovery from damage caused by strenuous exercise by reducing inflammation around damaged muscle tissue. One study tested this theory by giving participants a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain after 45 minutes of vigorous exercise on a treadmill. People who take supplements experience less inflammation and maintain greater strength later. Several other studies have shown that bromelain may speed recovery from exercise-induced damage. 
Summary
The bromelain in pineapples can reduce inflammation, swelling, bruising, and pain after surgery. Bromelain’s anti-inflammatory properties may also aid recovery after strenuous exercise by reducing tissue inflammation.
