Pineapples have exceptional
juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of
sweet and tart. They are second only to bananas as America's favorite
tropical fruit. Although the season for pineapple runs from March
through June, they are available year-round in local markets.
Pineapples are a composite of many
flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central
core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the
rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface. Pineapples have a
wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a
regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves and fibrous yellow flesh. The
area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and
therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.
Nutrients in
Pineapple
1.00 cup (165.00 grams)
Nutrient%Daily Value
vitamin C 131.4%
manganese 76.5%
fiber 9.2%
vitamin B 69%
copper 9%
vitamin B 18.6%
folate 7.4%
Calories (82)4%
This chart graphically details the %DV
that a serving of Pineapple provides for each of the nutrients of
which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our
Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these
nutrients provided by Pineapple can be found in the Food Rating
System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional
Profile for Pineapple, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can
be found under the Food Rating System Chart.
Health Benefits
Potential Anti-Inflammatory and
Digestive Benefits
Bromelain is a complex mixture of
substances that can be extracted from the stem and core fruit of the
pineapple. Among dozens of components known to exist in this crude
extract, the best studied components are a group of protein-digesting
enzymes (called cysteine proteinases). Originally, researchers
believed that these enzymes provided the key health benefits found in
bromelain, a popular dietary supplement containing these pineapple
extracts. In addition, researchers believed that these benefits were
primarily limited to help with digestion in the intestinal tract.
However, further studies have shown that bromelain has a wide variety
of health benefits, and that many of these benefits may not be
related to the different enzymes found in this extract. Excessive
inflammation, excessive coagulation of the blood, and certain types
of tumor growth may all be reduced by therapeutic doses of bromelain
when taken as a dietary supplement. Studies are not available,
however, to show these same potential benefits in relationship to
normal intake of pineapple within a normal meal plan.
Bromelain extracts can be obtained from
both the fruit core and stems of pineapple. Potentially important
chemical differences appear to exist between extracts obtained from
the stem versus the core fruit. However, the practical relevance of
these differences is not presently understood. Most of the laboratory
research on bromelain has been conducted using stem-based extracts,
however.
Although healthcare practitioners have
reported improved digestion in their patients with an increase in
pineapple as their "fruit of choice" within a meal plan, we
haven't seen published studies that document specific changes in
digestion following consumption of the fruit (versus supplementation
with the purified extract. However, we suspect that the core fruit
will eventually turn out to show some unique health-supportive
properties, including possible digestion-related and
anti-inflammatory benefits.
Antioxidant Protection
and Immune Support
Vitamin C is the body's primary
water-soluble antioxidant, defending all aqueous areas of the body
against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells. Free
radicals have been shown to promote the artery plaque build-up of
atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, cause the airway spasm
that leads to asthma attacks, damage the cells of the colon so they
become colon cancer cells, and contribute to the joint pain and
disability seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. This
would explain why diets rich in vitamin C have been shown to be
useful for preventing or reducing the severity of all of these
conditions. In addition, vitamin C is vital for the proper function
of the immune system, making it a nutrient to turn to for the
prevention of recurrent ear infections, colds, and flu.
Manganese and Thiamin (Vitamin B1) for
Energy Production and Antioxidant Defenses
Pineapple is an excellent source the
trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in a number
of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses.
For example, the key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase, which
disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy
production factories within our cells), requires manganese. Just one
cup of fresh pineapple supplies 128.0% of the DV for this very
important trace mineral. In addition to manganese, pineapple is a
good source of thiamin, a B vitamin that acts as a cofactor in
enzymatic reactions central to energy production.
Protection against Macular
Degeneration
Your mother may have told you carrots
would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks
like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data
reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology
indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower
your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary
cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who
consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.
In this study, which involved over
110,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study
participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant
vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early
ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness
associated with vision loss. While, surprisingly, intakes of
vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly
related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was
definitely protective against the severe form of this
vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a
lot to eat each day, but pineapple can help you reach this goal. Add
fresh pineapple to your morning smoothie, lunch time yogurt, any
fruit and most vegetable salads. For example, try adding chunks of
pineapple to your next coleslaw or carrot salad.
Description
Pineapple, Ananas comosus, belongs to
the Bromeliaceae family, from which one of its most important
health-promoting compounds, the enzyme bromelain, was named. The
Spanish name for pineapple, pina, and the root of its English name,
reflects the fruit's visual similarity to the pinecone.
Pineapples are actually not just one
fruit but a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse
together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an
"eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface.
Pineapples have a wide cylindrical
shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of
spiny, blue-green leaves. The fibrous flesh of pineapple is yellow in
color and has a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of
sweet and tart. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more
sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.
History
Although thought to have originated in
South America, pineapples were first discovered by Europeans in 1493
on the Caribbean island that came to be known as Guadalupe. When
Columbus and other discovers brought pineapples back to Europe,
attempts were made to cultivate the sweet, prized fruit until it was
realized that the fruit's need for a tropical climate inhibited its
ability to flourish in this region. By the end of the 16th century,
Portuguese and Spanish explorers introduced pineapples into many of
their Asian, African and South Pacific colonies, countries in which
the pineapple is still being grown today.
Since pineapples are very perishable,
and modes of transportation to bring them stateside from the
Caribbean Islands were relatively slow centuries ago, fresh
pineapples were a rarity that became coveted by the early American
colonists. While glazed, sugar-coated pineapples were a luxurious
treat, it was the fresh pineapple itself that became the sought after
true symbol of prestige and social class. In fact, the pineapple,
because of its rarity and expense, was such a status item in those
times that all a party hostess had to do was to display the fruit as
part of a decorative centerpiece, and she would be awarded more than
just a modicum of social awe and recognition.
In the 18th century, pineapples began
to be cultivated in Hawaii, the only state in the U.S. in which they
are still grown. In addition to Hawaii, other countries that
commercially grow pineapples include Thailand, the Philippines,
China, Brazil and Mexico.
How
to Select and Store
Look for pineapples that are heavy for
their size. While larger pineapples will have a greater proportion of
edible flesh, there is usually no difference in quality between a
small and large size pineapple. Pineapples should be free of soft
spots, bruises and darkened "eyes," all of which may
indicate that the pineapple is past its prime. Pineapple stops
ripening as soon as it is picked, so choose fruit with a fragrant
sweet smell at the stem end. Avoid pineapple that smells musty, sour
or fermented.
For the most antioxidants, choose fully
ripened pineapple:
Research conducted at the University of
Innsbruck in Austria suggests that as fruits fully ripen, almost to
the point of spoilage, their antioxidant levels actually increase.
Key to the process is the change in
color that occurs as fruits ripen, a similar process to that seen in
the fall when leaves turn from green to red to yellow to brown—a
color change caused by the breakdown and disappearance of
chlorophyll, which gives leaves and fruits their green color.
Until now, no one really knew what
happened to chlorophyll during this process, but lead researcher,
Bernard Kräutler, and his team, working together with botanists over
the past several years, has identified the first decomposition
products in leaves: colorless, polar NCCs (nonfluorescing chlorophyll
catabolytes), that contain four pyrrole ringsyes—like chlorophyll
and heme.
After examining apples and pears, the
scientists discovered that NCCs replace the chlorophyll not only in
the leaves of fruit trees, but in their very ripe fruits, especially
in the peel and flesh immediately below it.
"When chlorophyll is released from
its protein complexes in the decomposition process, it has a
phototoxic effect: when irradiated with light, it absorbs energy and
can transfer it to other substances. For example, it can transform
oxygen into a highly reactive, destructive form," report the
researchers. However, NCCs have just the opposite effect. Extremely
powerful antioxidants, they play an important protective role for the
plant, and when consumed as part of the human diet, NCCs deliver the
same potent antioxidant protection within our bodies. . Angew Chem
Int Ed Engl. 2007 Nov 19;46(45):8699-8702.
Pineapple can be left at room
temperature for one or two days before serving. While this process
will not make the fruit any sweeter, it will help it to become softer
and more juicy. Yet, as they are very perishable, you should still
watch them closely during this period to ensure that they do not
spoil. After two days, if you are still not ready to consume the
pineapple, you should wrap it in a plastic bag and store it in the
refrigerator where it will keep for a maximum of three to five days.
Pineapple that has been cut up should
be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will stay
fresher and retain more taste and juiciness if you also place some
liquid, preferably some juice from the pineapple, in the container.
Although pineapple can be frozen, this process greatly affects its
flavor.
Tips for Preparing and
Cooking
Tips for Preparing Pineapple
Pineapple can be cut and peeled in a
variety of ways. Regardless of how you proceed, the first step is
always to remove the crown and the base of the fruit with a knife.
To peel the pineapple, place it base
side down and carefully slice off the skin, carving out any remaining
"eyes" with the tip of your knife. Or cut the pineapple
into quarters, remove the core if desired, make slices into the
quarters cutting from the flesh towards the rind, and then use your
knife to separate the fruit from the rind. Once the rind is removed,
cut the pineapple into the desired shape and size.
You can also use pineapple corers that
are available in kitchen supply stores. While they provide a quick
and convenient method for peeling and coring pineapples, they often
result in a good amount of wasted fruit since they often cannot be
adjusted for different fruit size. Similarly, some markets offer
devices that will peel and core the pineapple you purchase, but once
again, this process may waste a lot of fruit.
Cut Fruit, if Chilled,
Retains Many of its Nutrients for at Least 6 Days
Everyone loves colorful, delicious
fresh fruit salad, plus it's a perfect addition to any meal and makes
a great snack or dessert. So why don't we enjoy fresh fruit salad
more? Simply because it's been thought that cut fruit rapidly
degrades, so fruit salad, which can take 15 minutes to prepare, would
have to be freshly prepared to be good.
Now, a study published in the Journal
of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that minimal processing
of fruit—cutting, packaging and chilling—does not significantly
affect its nutritional content even after 6, and up to 9, days.
In practical terms, this means that you
can prepare a large bowl of fruit salad on the weekend, store it in
the refrigerator, and enjoy it all week, receiving almost all the
nutritional benefits of just prepared fruit salad.
If you're really pressed for time,
packaged cut up fresh fruit, although more expensive, is a
nutritionally sound option.
In this study, researchers cut up
pineapples, mangoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, strawberries and kiwi
fruit. The freshly cut fruits were then rinsed in water, dried,
packaged in clamshells (not gastight) and stored at 41°F (5°C).
After 6 days, losses in vitamin C were
less than 5% in mango, strawberry, and watermelon pieces, 10% in
pineapple pieces, 12% in kiwifruit slices, and 25% in cantaloupe
cubes.
No losses in carotenoids were found in
kiwifruit slices and watermelon cubes. Cantaloupe, mango, and
strawberry pieces lost 10-15%; pineapples lost 25%, although this is
not of much concern since they are not usually consumed for their
carotenoid content since this is not one of the nutrients in which
they are most concentrated.
No significant losses in phenolic
phytonutrients were found in any of the fresh-cut fruit products.
"Contrary to expectations, it was
clear that minimal processing had almost no effect on the main
antioxidant constituents. The changes in nutrient antioxidants
observed during nine days at five degrees Celsius would not
significantly affect the nutrient quality of fresh cut fruit. In
general, fresh-cut fruits visually spoil before any significant
nutrient loss occurs," wrote lead researcher Maria Gil.
How to Enjoy
A Few Quick Serving
Ideas
Combine diced pineapple with
chopped shrimp, grated ginger and a little olive oil. Season to taste
and serve this fragrant shrimp salad on a bed of romaine lettuce.
Mix diced pineapple and chili
peppers for an easy to prepare salsa that's an exceptional complement
to fish such as halibut, tuna and salmon.
Drizzle maple syrup on pineapple
slices and broil until brown. Serve plain or with yogurt.
Chopped pineapple, grated fennel
and cashews go well together and are especially delicious as a side
dish to chicken.
Pineapple is a wonderful addition
to fruit salads, especially those containing other tropical fruits
such as papaya, kiwi and mango.
For some of our favorite recipes, click
Recipes.
Individual Concerns
Pineapple is not a commonly allergenic
food, is not known to contain measurable amounts of oxalates or
purines and is also not included in the Environmental Working Group's
2010 report "Pesticides in Produce" as one of the 12 foods
most frequently containing pesticide residues. In fact, pineapple is
often used as a fruit in allergy avoidance diets partly for these
reasons, and for its bromelain (digestive enzyme) component.
Nutritional Profile
Pineapple is an excellent source of
vitamin C and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin B1,
vitamin B6, folate, copper and dietary fiber.
In-Depth Nutritional
Profile
In addition to the nutrients
highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for
Pineapple is also available. This profile includes information
on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble
and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino
acids and more.
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