The benefits of eating pineapple

Pineapples, or Ananas Comosus if you want to get technical about it, are large tropical fruits that originated in South America. They’re common in various recipes all over the world – from healthy fruit salads to not-so-healthy Hawaiian pizzas – and are packed with a range of natural nutrients.

Here, we explore the health benefits of pineapples, as well as list some healthy ways to prepare them. But first, let’s take a look at their nutritional profile.

Pineapple nutritional profile

Pineapples are loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Here are just a few:

Vitamin C: helps with iron absorption and supports immunity. It’s also been linked to maintenance of blood pressure¹
Manganese: plays a role in blood sugar regulation and helps contribute to bone health and formation of connective tissue in the body²
Vitamin B6: linked to brain health, normal blood cell formation and can help combat tiredness and fatigue³
Fibre: helps to normalise bowel movements and maintain good digestive health

The benefits of eating pineapples

They’re loaded with antioxidants

Antioxidants are molecules that help your body combat oxidative stress, a state in which there are too many harmful free radicals in the body.⁴ Pineapples contain super-healthy antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids.⁵

They can help ease digestion

Pineapples are rich in a group of digestive enzymes known as bromelain.⁶ These enzymes break down protein molecules⁷, so they can be easily absorbed into the small intestine. This can be especially helpful for people with a condition called pancreatic insuffiency, where the pancreas is unable to make enough digestive enzymes for the digestive system to function properly.^8,9

They may support immunity

A nine-week study found that children who regularly ate pineapples had almost four times more white blood cells than those who did not eat pineapple.¹⁰

Pineapple is also rich in the enzyme bromelain, which can help support the body’s immune response.^11,12,13

Three ways to eat pineapple

Here are some of our favourite, simple ways to eat pineapple:¹⁴

Grilled: yes, pineapples can be grilled. Simply cut them into small cubes and place them until the grill until warm and tender
Honey roasted: this mouth-watering way to cook pineapples is sure to please guests. Slice your pineapple into small cubes, coat with honey, and roast until tender
Tropical fruit salad: pineapples paired with other tropical fruits is the recipe for a mouth-watering salad. Sprinkle over some pomegranate seeds for extra zing!

Last updated: 10 June 2020