When it comes to a healthy diet, all of us are aware that a nutritional regimen consisting of an abundance of fruits and vegetables is a sure way to a healthy lifestyle. Some plant based foods fight cancer, some assist in bolstering the immune system, and still others make the aging process a bit more palatable by assuaging such maladies as macular degeneration. Each vegetable and fruit seems to have its own “specialty” when it comes to the health benefits they provide.
All except for the pineapple; this wonderfully tasty fruit doesn’t just have one specialty, it offers a plethora of health benefits that no miracle drug could ever claim. Indigenous to South America, primarily Brazil and Paraguay, here are some of the pluses that pineapple provides to the health conscious:
Vitamin C
Pineapples have an abundance of this free radical fighting vitamin, along with a good portion of B1, B6 and magnesium, according to the online journal “Elements 4 Health.” Centuries ago, explorers discovered that the fruit was an effective “cure” for scurvy; thus the first instances of pineapple importation across the continents.
Bromelain
Many of the positive health benefits come from one substance found throughout the pineapple: bromelain. Bromelain is a protein ingesting enzyme, known as a proteolytic enzyme, that aids digestion and “banishes inflammation better than drugs,” according to Barbara Minton, editor of Natural Health.
According to a study conducted by Duke University Medical Center, bromelain is an effective agent against bowel disease. Already effective on its own, bromelain also works as a catalyst with other substances and enzymes to produce favorable results. As far as breaking down proteins, bromelain is as effective as meat tenderizer.
More Health Benefits
Pineapple, loaded with the “miracle” enzyme bromelain, doesn’t just aid digestion and the immune system. Following are more benefits noted by researchers:
Reduces Swelling
Because of its anti-inflammatory attributes, the bromelain in pineapple reduces swelling in bruises and sprains. Doctors have also found that it can reduce postoperative swelling and tenderness.
And, according to “Elements 4 Health,” clinical studies have shown that treating osteoarthritis patients with proteolytic enzymes such as bromelain is equivalent in effectiveness to NSAID treatment.
Benefits the Circulatory System
Heart patients can benefit from bromelain because it eliminates thrombosis in its entirety, according to the journal “Med Hypotheses.” The enzyme also significantly reduces excessive coagulating of the blood.
Fights Free Radicals
According to a recent article in Natural Health, researchers found that skin tumors in laboratory mice were reduced by 65%. Volume in the tumors was significantly reduced because the bromelain results in the up-regulation of the anti-cancer gene p53.
Historically, the pineapple has been a symbol for hospitality. Soon it will become increasingly known for its myriad health benefits; truly, some “[pine]apple a day, helps keep the doctor away.”
Source: foodconsumer.org
Publication date: 5/4/2009
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