Health benefits of pineapples
Pineapple is a tropical fruit packed with essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Women who eat pineapple get benefits including improved bone health, essential nutrients during pregnancy, and reduced breast cancer progression.
Pineapple, orAnanas comosus, is a tropical fruit packed with essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. This delicious fruit helps women fight inflammation and several health-related issues.
Pineapplesare also rich in multiple healthy compounds that strengthen a woman's body. This sweet fruit enhances bone mass density and offers anti-cancer effects and the required dose of nutrients during pregnancy.
Some people with underlying diseases or sensitivity may have an allergic reaction to pineapples. It's best to consult a professional healthcare provider when you notice any negative change in your body due to pineapple consumption.
Pineapples improve a woman's health in various ways.
Promote bone health
Osteoporosis is a bone condition that many women face as they grow older. This disease reduces bone mass density, resulting in weak bones. It may also lead to bone fractures.
Osteoporosis is an irreversible disease that usually gets better with surgery. Anyone can develop this condition, but it is diagnosed four times more in women than men.
Healthcare professionals prescribe vitamin C-rich foods to people with bone conditions. Vitamin Cstimulates bone cell production, forming stronger bones and protecting the cells from damage. Pineapples are an excellent source of vitamin C.
Having enough vitamin C ensures higher bone mass density and fewer bone fractures and osteoporosis risks. A review reported that people who include vitamin C in their diets have lower risks of osteoporosis and 34% less occurrence of hip fractures.
With one cup or 165 grams of pineapples, you'll get 88% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C. This pineapple quantity also offers 5% of the DV for magnesium. These minerals strengthen your bones and prevent them from fractures.
Any woman with a family history of bone disease should take pineapples regularly. The fruit benefits bone health and prevents osteoporosis at every stage of life.
Provide essential nutrients during pregnancy
Many people believe that eating pineapple during pregnancy can cause complications. But fortunately, no evidence proves this claim. Pineapple is rich in several essential nutrientsthat make it a great addition to your pregnancy diet.
Your body needs copper to form red blood cells. Copper also plays a significant role in developing the fetus' blood vessels, heart, and nervous and skeletal systems.
A woman's body requires more copper during pregnancy to support the increased blood flow. This additional requirement is 1 mg per day.
Pineapple is the best way to fulfill this copper requirement. One cup or 165 grams of pineapple contains approximately 18% of the DV for copper.
This delicious, juicy fruit is also packed with multiple types of vitamin B, such as:
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
- Vitamin B9 (folate)
During pregnancy, your body needs all these B vitaminsto maintain optimal health. These vitamins are also essential for the proper development of your baby's organs and their growth.
Pineapples are rich in vitamin C and other compounds, such as zinc, calcium, and iron. These ingredients work together to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Slow down breast cancer progression
Breast cancer affects a large number of women. It makes up approximately 25% of all types of cancers diagnosed in women. Pineapples contain a small amount of bromelain, an enzyme with anti-breast cancer properties.
Currently, we have several animal studies and test-tube trials about the benefits of bromelainin breast cancer treatment. But no research on humans confirms these effects of bromelain.
Pineapples usually have low bromelain content, but the studies used the enzyme in high quantities.
Research also indicates a connection between pineapple vinegar and breast cancer development. Pineapple vinegar is extracted from the fermentation of pineapple juice. It is rich in antioxidants.
A mice study found that daily consumption of pineapple vinegar slowed down breast cancer progression.
As promising as these effects of pineapple may look, they are not yet proven in human studies.
Some potential downsides of eating pineapples
Pineapple is generally safe for everyone, but it may have certain downsides for women.
Inflammation
Pineapple contains high acidity. So eating these fruits may result in heartburn and inflammation. It can also cause reflux symptoms in people already having gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Allergies
Many people complain about having allergies after eating pineapples. You need to contact your healthcare provider if you observe allergic reactions in any part of your body right after eating pineapples.
Some common allergic reactions include:
- Itching of your mouth
- Swelling in mouth
- Congested or runny nose
- Difficulty in breathing
- Hives or rashes
Pineapples are more likely to cause allergic reactions in people with latex allergies. It is due to the similar proteins that pineapple and latex contain. This condition is known as latex-fruit syndrome.
Interaction with medicines
Pineapples usually have little bromelain content, but the enzyme can increase the effect of some medications. Some medicines affected by pineapple consumption include:
- Antidepressants
- Antibiotics
- Blood thinners
Therefore, if you're already taking any of the above medicines, you should avoid eating pineapples. Always consult your healthcare provider before including pineapples in your diet. A professional nutritionist can better evaluate the right and safe pineapple dose for you.
Added sugars
Pineapple is a sweet, juicy fruit with controlled sugar content. But commercially available pineapple juices are made with added sugars, which can harm your health.
A diet with lots of sugary beverages can increase the risk of several health issues. These include diabetes, heart conditions, and obesity.
It's better not to overdose on pineapple juice to get the benefits of the fruit. Instead, raw pineapples cut into cubes are the best way to stay healthy. If you like pineapple juices, buy the ones with no added sugars.
If you have a history of medical conditions, avoid eating pineapples on your own. Instead, always check with a healthcare professional before incorporating this tropical fruit into your diet.
Frozen pineapples, smoothies, trifles, and grilled pineapplesare healthy and delicious snacks to get a daily dose of essential vitamins and minerals. If you have no health conditions or allergies, fill your fridge with pineapples without any worries.
Medically Reviewed on 9/7/2022
References
SOURCES:
Allergo Journal International: "Food allergies resulting from immunological cross-reactivity with inhalant allergens."
BioFactors: "Pineapple bromelain induces autophagy, facilitating apoptotic response in mammary carcinoma cells."
Biology Research International: "Properties and Therapeutic Application of Bromelain: A Review."
Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: "Physiological changes in pregnancy."
Food Chem Toxicol: "Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of non-transformed and transformed pineapple: a comparative study."
FoodData Central: "Pineapple, raw, all varieties."
Frontiers in Endocrinology: "Can Dietary Intake of Vitamin C-Oriented Foods Reduce the Risk of Osteoporosis, Fracture, and BMD Loss? Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses of Recent Studies."
Integrative Cancer Therapies: "Bromelain Enhances the Anti-tumor Effects of Cisplatin on 4T1 Breast Tumor Model In Vivo."
International Journal of Biological Sciences: "Risk Factors and Preventions of Breast Cancer."
Joints: "Osteoporosis: Current Concepts."
Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: "The Roles and Mechanisms of Actions of Vitamin C in Bone: New Developments."
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: 'Minerals in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Review Article."
Journal of Clinical Medical Research: "Gender Disparities in Osteoporosis."
Journal of Conservative Dentistry: "Evaluating the buffering capacity of various soft drinks, fruit juices and tea."
Nutrients: "Dietary Magnesium May Be Protective for Aging of Bone and Skeletal Muscle in Middle and Younger Older Age Men and Women: Cross-Sectional Findings from the UK Biobank Cohort," "Macronutrient and Micronutrient Intake during Pregnancy: An Overview of Recent Evidence."
Nutrition and Metabolism: "Apoptosis and metastasis inhibitory potential of pineapple vinegar against mouse mammary gland cells in vitro and in vivo."
Obesity Facts: "Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review from 2013 to 2015 and a Comparison with Previous Studies."
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Magnesium intake, bone mineral density, and fractures: results from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study."
