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What Are The Health Benefits Of Pineapple (Ananas comosus)?

JEROME MICHAEL EBRUPHIYO Monday, September 20, 2021 Science and Nature

 
This post will provide information on "What are the health benefits of pineapple (Ananas comosus)?" as well as provide answers to questions like: When was the pineapple first discovered? What did pineapples evolve from? Where did pineapple originally come from? What was pineapple originally used for? Is it good to eat pineapple everyday? What does pineapple do for a woman? Why pineapple is bad for you? What is the best time to eat pineapple? What are the side effects of eating pineapple? Is it bad to eat pineapple daily? What is the best time to eat pineapple?

History of Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

The wild plant originates from the Paraná–Paraguay River drainages between southern Brazil and Paraguay. Little is known about its domestication, but it spread as a crop throughout South America. Archaeological evidence of cultivation/use is found as far back as 1200 - 800 BC (3200-2800 BP) in Peru[20] and 200BC - AD700 (2200-1300 BP) in Mexico, where it was cultivated by the Mayas and the Aztecs. By the late 1400s, cropped pineapple was widely distributed and a stable component of the diet of Native Americans. The first European to encounter the pineapple was Columbus, in Guadeloupe on 4 November 1493. The Portuguese took the fruit from Brazil and introduced it into India by 1550. The 'Red Spanish [es]' cultivar was also introduced by the Spanish from Latin America to the Philippines, and it was grown for textile use from at least the 17th century. Pineapples come originally from South America, most probably from the region between South Brazil and Paraguay. From here, pineapples quickly spread around the continent up to Mexico and the West Indies, where Columbus found them when visiting Guadeloupe in 1493. Columbus then brought the pineapple back to Europe, from which it later made its trip to Hawai?i. Pineapples proved to be an exceptionally good fruit to bring on long sailing voyages because they help to prevent, just like oranges, the often lethal disease scurvy. As a side note: the mix of pineapple and sand also is a great cleaning agent for the large wooden ships used to cross the oceans. When exactly the first pineapples arrived in Hawai?i is not certain. It is probable that they arrived together with the earliest European visitors to the Hawaiian Islands. The first documented claim of these early visits was by the Spaniards in the 16th century. For the astute reader, that is more than 2 centuries before the arrival of captain James Cook! Since pineapples were such a popular fruit to take on long transatlantic voyages, any ship arriving in Hawai?i may have brought some of these fruits along with them. By the early 1960s, Hawai’ì supplied over 80% of the world´s output of canned pineapple. This golden period did not last long though. Growing pineapples became cheaper in other countries and just 20 years later, in 1983, the last big Hawaiian cannery folded. Today, 75% of the world’s pineapples come from Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Description of Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

The pineapple is a herbaceous perennial, which grows to 1.0 to 1.5 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 11 in) tall, although sometimes it can be taller. In appearance, the plant has a short, stocky stem with tough, waxy leaves. When creating its fruit, it usually produces up to 200 flowers, although some large-fruited cultivars can exceed this. Once it flowers, the individual fruits of the flowers join together to create a multiple fruit. After the first fruit is produced, side shoots (called 'suckers' by commercial growers) are produced in the leaf axils of the main stem. These may be removed for propagation, or left to produce additional fruits on the original plant.[6] Commercially, suckers that appear around the base are cultivated. It has 30 or more long, narrow, fleshy, trough-shaped leaves with sharp spines along the margins that are 30 to 100 cm (1 to 3+1/2 ft) long, surrounding a thick stem. In the first year of growth, the axis lengthens and thickens, bearing numerous leaves in close spirals. After 12 to 20 months, the stem grows into a spike-like inflorescence up to 15 cm (6 in) long with over 100 spirally arranged, trimerous flowers, each subtended by a bract.

Nutritional Composition of Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

One cup (5.8 ounces or 165 grams) of pineapple chunks contains the following:
  • Calories: 82.5
  • Fat: 1.7g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Carbs: 21.6g
  • Fiber: 2.3g
  • Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI
  • Manganese: 76% of the RDI
  • Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDI
  • Copper: 9% of the RDI
  • Thiamin: 9% of the RDI
  • Folate: 7% of the RDI
  • Potassium: 5% of the RDI
  • Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
  • Niacin: 4% of the RDI
  • Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI
  • Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
  • Iron: 3% of the RDI

Health Benefits of Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

  • Pineapples are packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals. They are especially rich in vitamin C and manganese which are needed for the proper functioning of the immune system
  • Pineapples are a good source of antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers
  • Pineapples contain bromelain, a group of digestive enzymes that breaks down proteins which can aid digestion
  • Pineapple contains compounds that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are linked to cancer thereby reducing the risk of cancer
  • Pineapples have anti-inflammatory properties that may boost the immune system
  • The anti-inflammatory properties of pineapple may provide short-term symptom relief for people with common types of arthritis
  • The bromelain in pineapples may reduce the inflammation, swelling, bruising and pain that occurs after surgery

Side Effects of Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

  • Consuming too much pineapples may cause tenderness of the mouth as the fruit is a great meat tenderizer
  • Eating too much pineapples may cause a range of symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or heartburn due to its high vitamin C content

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