7 Health Benefits of Eating Pineapples Pineapples are some of the most popular tropical fruits in the world.

They are sweet, juicy, and delicious. More importantly, they are very healthy and nutritious. It is no wonder many people who want to have a healthy lifestyle include these fruits in their diets. To know more about them, here are some of the many health benefits of eating pineapples. 1. Packed with Vitamins and Minerals Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also rich in fiber and calories. On top of it all, this fruit is low in fat and cholesterol. All the nutrients it contains promote good health. 2. Prevents Cough and Colds Since pineapples are rich in vitamin C, it can fight off viruses that cause cough and colds. Even when you are already infected with such ailment, pineapples can help you. These fruits have bromelain, which is effective in suppressing coughs and loosening mucus. Eating pineapples while taking the right medications prescribed by the doctor for your sickness can help you recover more quickly. 3. Strengthens Bones Pineapples are also popular for their ability to build and maintain strong bones. This is because these fruits contain manganese, which is a trace mineral that your body needs to build bones and connective tissues. In fact, if you consume a cup of pineapple, you can already get 73 percent of your total body requirement for manganese. 4. Keeps Gums Healthy People are always very concerned with their teeth that they sometimes fail to give importance to the gums, which are equally essential since they hold the teeth in place. If a person has unhealthy gums, his/her teeth would be in bad condition, and eventually will fall out. Eating pineapple will strengthen your gums that will help keep your teeth healthy and strong. 5. Lowers Risk of Macular Degeneration Pineapples are known to prevent different kinds of ailments. One example is macular degeneration. This disease, which is the primary cause of vision loss in adults, is caused by damage to the retina. Reading, recognizing faces, and doing daily activities can become a lot more difficult because of this problem. Including pineapple in your diet can lower risk of this disease by as much as 36 percent. This is because this fruit contains beta carotene that is good for our sense of sight. 6. Alleviates Arthritis Since these fruits have anti-inflammatory qualities, eating pineapples can greatly alleviate the pain of arthritis while at the same time improve the condition by strengthening the bones. Apart from arthritis, it can also improve other similar conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and gout. 7. Improves Digestion Bromelain found in pineapples work to neutralize fluids to ensure that they are not too acidic. It also helps regulate the secretions in the pancreas to aid in digestion. Apart from that, since bromelain has protein-digesting properties, it can keep the digestive track healthy

Availability Were generally available all year round with our best value being from November to February.

Did you know? We were given our name because an explorer thought we looked like a pine cone European explorers discovered us almost 500 years ago Once picked, we dont get any riper. We become juicier, but not sweeter, once were harvested. Varieties In Australia were sold as rough leaf or smooth leaf. Rough leaf - We have a very rough, spiky surface and very sweet juice. Smooth leaf - We are larger and juicier than rough leaf pineapples. Why Pineapples are Good to Eat We contain an enzyme that can tenderise meat if used in a marinade Were a good source of vitamin C. We a good source of dietary fibre Were a source of a mineral called manganese. We dont hear a lot about manganese, but its needed by our bones and for the cartilage in joints as well as the brain. Our natural sugars include mainly sucrose but we also have some fructose and glucose. 100g of our flesh has 180kJ.

One of the most prized and popular fruits, pineapple or "ananas" has an interesting history to narrate. The ananas plant is actually native to Paraguay in South America. It spread by the local Indians up through South and Central America and to the West Indies. Later, it was brought to Spain when Columbus discovered Americas in 1493, from where; it spread to rest of the world by the sailors (just like tomatoes) who carried it for protection from scurvy wherever they went. Scientifically, it is known as "Ananas comosus" and belongs to the family of Bromeliaceae, of the genus; Ananas. Pineapple is a tropical, perennial, drought-tolerant plant that grows up to 5-8 ft in height and spreads around about three to four ft. It is essentially a short, stout stem with a rosette of waxy long, needle-tipped leaves. The plant bears several long, oval to cylindrical fruits during each season from March until June. The fruit is described as compound (multiple) fruit that develops from many small fruits fused together around the central core. Its pulp is juicy and fleshy with the stem serving as a supporting fibrous core. The outer rough, tough, scaly rind may be dark green, yellow, orange-yellow or reddish when the fruit is ripe. Internal juicy flesh may range from creamy white to yellow and has a mix of sweet and tart taste with rich flavor. Each fruit measures in size up to 12 inches long and weighs 1 to 8 pounds or more. See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients: Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Fresh, Nutritive Value per 100g Nutrient Value Energy 50 Kcal Carbohydrates 13.52 g Protein 0.54 g Total Fat 0.12 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary Fiber 1.40 g Vitamins Folates 18 g Niacin 0.500 mg Pyridoxine 0.112 mg Riboflavin 0.018 mg Thiamin 0.079 mg Vitamin A 58 IU Vitamin C 47.8 mg Vitamin E 0.02 mg Vitamin K 0.07 g Electrolytes Sodium 1 mg Potassium 109 mg Minerals Calcium 13 mg Copper 0.110 mg Iron 0.29 mg Principle Percentage of RDA 2.5% 10% 1% <1% 0% 4% 4.5% 4% 9% 1.5% 6.5% 2% 80% <1% 0.5% 0% 2.5% 1.3% 12% 3.5%

Magnesium Manganese Phosphorus Selenium Zinc

12 mg 0.927 mg 8 mg 0.1 g 0.12 mg

3% 40% 1% <1% 1%