When to Eat Pineapple

In this brief article, we will answer the question, “when to eat pineapple?” and provide you with insights on the effects adding pineapple to your diet can have on your health.

When to eat pineapple?

You can eat pineapple between meals as a snack and not as a whole meal. Though pineapple does have some great health benefits, it can not be substituted for a whole meal. Studies suggest that consuming fruit juices after a high fat meal may be beneficial due to the intake of antioxidants. It has recently been demonstrated that postprandial inflammation induced by high-fat and -sugar meals is attenuated by the concomitant ingestion of antioxidant-rich foods and beverages, such as pineapple (4).

In the Philippines, fresh fruits are one of the country’s biggest dollar earners with fresh banana ranking first when it comes to total volume exported in 2013 (2.88 million metric tons or 86.9% of total export volume) followed by pineapple at 0.41 million metric tons (12.5%), mango (0.15%) and papaya (0.15%). Other fruits contributed 0.30% to the total volume of fruits exported in 2013 (1).

What are the health benefits of pineapple?

Pineapples are loaded with Vitamin C. One cup of pineapple chunks contains 131 percent of the daily value of Vitamin C (2).

This helps protect the body against viruses and thereby builds a strong skin defense mechanism against infection (3). vitamin C supports the formation of collagen in bones, blood vessels, cartilage and muscle, as well as the absorption of iron (2).

So, instead of restricting yourself to the regular orange or grapefruit, enjoy the juicy flavour of a tropical pineapple to get your daily requirement of this important nutrient.

It helps you have strong bones as well as the creation and activation of certain enzymes.  A single cup of approximately 165 grams of pineapple contains about 76% of the recommended daily value of manganese.

Manganese is essential for maintaining strong bones and healthy connective tissues. Thus, in addition to brushing your teeth and flossing, you should add a healthy dose of pineapple to your dental routine. Pineapple juice’s high manganese content means it is a good choice for boosting fertility through sperm quality (2).

It is a good digestive aid. To add to its benefit, pineapples also contain bromelain, an enzyme that aids indigestion, controls coughs, and loosens mucus. Besides helping to break down the proteins in food, the enzyme bromelain found in pineapple, aids in destroying the harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestine (2).

In order to maximize its health benefits on the digestive system, it’s best to eat pineapple in between meals as a snack. 

Bromelain is also very effective at reducing inflammation from infections and injuries. Thus it helps reduce swelling, bruising, healing time, and pain after physical injuries and surgery.

It is also ideal for weight watchers. With its natural sweet and filling qualities and contain significant fiber, it is a good option for those looking for a sweet snack with the good taste coming in from the natural sugar it contains. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, several studies indicate that increased fiber intake diminishes metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health hazards including high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess abdominal weight and high triglyceride levels (2).

At the same time weight watchers should be happy that they consume Pineapples which are 87% water and relatively few calories as compared to high-sugar or high-fat foods.

Pineapple also improves your eyesight. Along with carrots that keep your eyes bright and healthy. In addition, vitamin A gives support to the immune system and inflammatory systems, cell growth and development, antioxidant activity, promoting proper cell communication (3).. 

By adding more pineapple to your diet you ensure getting the antioxidants you need. .

How can you enjoy pineapples?

Research. You can eat it as it is or add pineapple to a variety of foods for new and unusual tastes. You can add them to chicken, salads, and vegetables to get a tart flavour. Pineapple may be consumed fresh, canned, juiced, and are found in a wide array of food stuffs – dessert, fruit salad, jam, yogurt, ice cream, candy, and as a complement to meat dishes (2).

A very fun and easy way to enjoy pineapples is to soak pineapple chunks in brown sugar and use a toothpick to skewer them in their own juice.

For a unique taste and texture, you can add them to sauces, sundaes, stews and sorbets. 

They can also be paired with walnuts, raisins, whipped cream and get a sugar punch with fibre and make it an enjoyable diet food.

If you prefer pineapple juice to the pulp, remember the nutritional benefits of a pineapple in a liquid form is different than when eaten as a whole fruit.

Along with pineapple there are fruits which are also high in manganese, like apples, blueberries, and nuts..

You can always make a delicious fruit salad packed with manganese and other essential vitamins and minerals.

Despite all the above mentioned benefits, pineapple does have some side effects.

What side effects does pineapple have?

Consuming too much pineapples may cause tenderness of the mouth as the fruit is a great meat tenderizer. The fruit acids in pineapple can have an aggressive, corrosive effect on certain substances. In the body, the gums and tooth enamel are at particular risk and eating too much pineapple may contribute to gingivitis and cavities (2).

Eating too many pineapples may cause a range of symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or heartburn due to its high vitamin C content (5). 

Furthermore, bromelain, when taken in excess, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, and excessive menstrual bleeding, according to studies (6) 

According to studies, bromelain can also interact with certain medications such as antibiotics, anticoagulants, insomnia drugs and tricyclic antidepressants, etc (6).

Additionally, one should avoid eating unripe pineapple or drinking unripe pineapple juice as it can be dangerous. Excessive consumption of pineapple cores has caused the formation of fiber balls in the digestive tract (7).  

Other FAQs about Pineapples that you may be interested in.

How long is pineapple good for in the fridge?

Will a pineapple ripen after being picked?

How to juice pineapple?

Conclusion 

In this brief article, we answered the question, “when to eat pineapple?” and provided you with insights on the effects adding pineapple to your diet can have on your health.

References 

1. Rodeo, ARLAN JAMES D. The Philippine fruit industry: An overview. Proceedings of the Conference on International Training Workshop on Cultivation Techniques for Fruit Trees. 2016.
2. Debnath, Prasenjit, et al. A Survey on Pineapple and its medicinal value. Schol Acad J Pharm, 2012, 1, 24-29.
3. Maqbool, Muhammad Amir, et al. Biological importance of vitamins for human health: A review. J. Agric. Basic Sci, 2018, 2, 50-8.
4. Miglio, Cristiana, et al. Fruit juice drinks prevent endogenous antioxidant response to high-fat meal ingestion. Brit J Nutr, 2014, 111, 294-300.
5. Vitamin C. The Nutrition Source. University of Harvard. 
6. Dighe, Nachiket S., et al. Bromelain a wonder supplement: A review. Pharmacologyonline, 2010, 1, 11-8.
7. Hossain, Md Farid, Shaheen Akhtar, and Mustafa Anwar. Nutritional value and medicinal benefits of pineapple. Int J Nutr Food Sci, 2015, 4, 84-88.