Pineapple: Nutrition Facts / 100gr
100gr. of pineapple is a thick slice
Carbohydrates
13.4 gr
5%
Sugars
9.8 gr
20 %
Fiber
1.4 gr
6 %
Protein
0.54 gr
0.4%
Total Fat
0.12 gr
0.3%
Macronutrients Ratio
Energy /100gr 🍍
Daily Coverage for 2000kcal diet*
Calories
50kcal
2.5 %
Vitamins, Minerals and Trace Elements 🍍
47.8 mg
64 %
47.8 mg
53 %
Manganese Women 🚺
0.927 mg
52%
Manganese Men 🚹
0.927 mg
40 %
Copper 🚹 🚺
0.11 mg
12%
Vitamin B6 🚹 🚺
0.112 mg
9%
0.079 mg
7.2 %
0.079 mg
6.6%
Folate (Β9) 🚹 🚺
18 μg
4.5 %
Pantothenic Acid (Β5) 🚹 🚺
0,213 mg
4.3 %
Potassium Women 🚺
109 mg
4.2 %
Potassium Men 🚹
109 mg
3.2 %
Bromelain: The unique ingredient of pineapple
Pineapple is the only fruit that contains the enzyme bromelain. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that break down proteins into amino acids. Various health benefits have been reported in studies (in vivo and in vitro):
- Helps the cardiovascular system and blood circulation
- Relieves the symptoms of osteoarthritis
- Has a strong anti-inflammatory effect (inflammations, autoimmune diseases, etc.)
- Has anti-cancer effect (cellular level)
- Reduces the symptoms of diarrhea caused from bacteria such as e.coli
- Helps in wound healing and postoperative recovery (swelling, bruising, pain) when taken before surgery
- Has been used experimentally with success at indebridement (burns, wounds)
Bromelain has a wide range of therapeutic benefits, but its mode of action is not yet fully understood. Bromelain is well absorbed by the body after oral administration and has no significant side effects, even after prolonged use. All the evidence examined in the study * suggests that bromelain can be used as an effective health supplement to prevent cancer, diabetes and various cardiovascular diseases in the long run.
The luxurious history of pineapple
Why an anana used to cost 8.000$ ?
- The scientific name of pineapple is Ananas comosus and it is a tropical fruit
- Christopher Columbus (1493) was the first to bring pineapple to Spain where people loved it for its sweet and exotic taste
- The first cultivation attempt failed due to the different climate as well as its transportation by ships due to the long voyage
- In the middle of the 17th century some began to grow ananas in special greenhouses in England and the Netherlands in very small quantities and at such a high cost that only the very rich and monarchs could access this fruit
- In America, their import from the Caribbean made a pineapple cost $ 8000 at today’s value
- At that time the possession of a pineapple was a symbol of luxury, and few could buy it
- The merchants rented a pineapple to those who could not buy it only to walk around with it or to place it in the center of the table at the parties they organized to impress their guests! Then they returned it intact without eating it.
- Only those who were very rich could buy and eat a pineapple!
- Fortunately, this comically tragic situation did not take long to change when in 1900 James Dole began cultivating them in Hawaii with the aim of distributing them locally
- Today, the DOLE company produces 75% of the pineapples worldwide and played a key role so that the pineapple from a very expensive fruit for a few to become a fruit for the masses!
Benefits from Pineapple Consumption
Pineapple -like all fruits- has multiple benefits for our health and based on scientific research contributes to weight loss. Below we will see some of them:
- Pineapple is highly antioxidant due to high concentration of natural vitamin C and flavonoids
- Relieves the symptoms of osteoarthritis due to antioxidants and the enzyme bromelain contained
- Contains fiber that casues satiety , reduces hunger & modify intestinal microbiota
- Helps with digestion as the enzyme bromelain breaks down proteins into amino acids
- Researches show a very high concentration of flavonoids and phytochemicals which have many (and still unknown) health benefits
- Helps with weight loss and is an ideal choice for diet (read here how fruits have anti- obesity mechanisms)
- It is the only fruit that contains the enzyme bromelain!
Pineapple has a very special taste and there are many ways to consume it. It is ideal for fruit salads or vegan bowl smoothies and is a great combination with yogurt or kefir. Most supermarkets cut fresh pineapple into slices for you, while the cost of buing it does not exceed that of apples. A slice weighs about 100gr. and the recommended portion for the pineapple is 165g which roughly (if you do not have a scale) is equal to 1.65 slices or a cup of pineapple pieces.
Sources & Links
- Pineapple 🍍 -Snap ed Connection- US Department of Agriculture
- Properties and Therapeutic Application of Bromelain: A Review- U.S Department of Health & Human Services-NIH (National Insitute of Health)
- The Super Luxe History of Pineapples—And Why They Used to Cost $8000
- Total phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of tropical fruit pineapple -Food Research International
- Fitness Pal -Food Data