Pineapple: Exceptional in Many Ways  

      Your mother may have told you that carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruits are even more important for keeping your sight. In a study published in the  Archives of Ophthalmology, report indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruits per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily. One of these fruits is the tropical, sweet, and prized fruit Pineapple.

      Pineapple, Ananas comosus, belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, from which one of its most important health-promoting compounds, the enzyme bromelain, was named. The Spanish name for pineapple, pina, and the root of its English name, reflects the fruit's visual similarity to the pinecone.

      Pineapple is actually not just one fruit but a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface (partly the reason why one may think that it is really good for eyesight). It has a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and a more tender texture.  

Nutritional Value and Health Benefits: 

      Pineapple contains proteolytic enzyme bromelain,a popular dietary supplement containing pineapple extracts, which helps in the digestion of protein and in the prevention of blood clot formation. Further studies have shown that bromelain has a wide variety of health benefits, and that many of these benefits may not be related to the different enzymes found in the fruit extract. Excessive inflammation, excessive coagulation of the blood, and certain types of tumor growth may all be reduced by therapeutic doses of bromelain when taken as a dietary supplement. However, studies are not available to show these same potential benefits in relationship to normal intake of pineapple within a normal meal plan. These enzymes, on the other hand, are present in raw pineapple or freshly squeezed juice.  

      Pineapple is also an excellent source of 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 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.  

      Vitamins and antioxidants are at their peak when pineapples are ripe, so by selecting ripe pineapples, you will also be enjoying pineapples with the highest nutritional value. Pineapples will soften and become juicier after they are picked, but they will not get sweeter because their starches will not turn to sugar. Vitamin C present in pineapples 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. Due to its high vitamin C content, pineapples are good for the oral health as well. Vitamin C can reduce the risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Vitamin C also increases the body's ability to fight invading bacteria and other toxins that contribute to gum disease.

      Enzymes found in pineapples have been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and to speed tissue repair as a result of injuries, diabetic ulcers and general surgery. Pineapple reduces blood clotting and helps remove plaque from arterial walls. Studies suggest that pineapple enzymes may improve circulation in those with narrowed arteries, such as angina sufferers.

Pineapple is also beneficial in the following conditions :

1. It regulates the gland and found to be helpful in cases of goiter(enlargement of the thyroid gland).
2. Dyspepsia (chronic digestive disturbance).
3. Bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes.)
4. Catarrh (secretions from mucous membranes).
5. High Blood pressure/ hypertension.
6. Arthritis (diseases of the joints)
7. Fresh pineapple juice is also used in removing intestinal worms (purgative).
8. Fresh pineapple juice has been used to combat diptheria and other infections of the throat or other parts of the body.
9. Prevents nausea (includes morning sickness and motion sickness), Take 230 cc. of pineapple juice or papaya juice.
10. Constipation

      Contrary to popular belief, pineapple is not a commonly allergenic food, It is not proven to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines. In fact, pineapple is often used as a fruit in allergy avoidance diets partly for these reasons, and for its bromelain (digestive enzyme) component.