It’s Pineapple Season

Pineapple is associated with some health benefits which can’t be overstated ranging from helping with immune support to helping to prevent certain cancers. This mouthwatering tasty tidbit is easy to add to your daily routine from raw, to smoothies, and infused water or ice cubes. Pineapples contain a variety of health boosting minerals and vitamins along with the amino acid tryptophan and the enzyme bromelain, altogether these nutrients help to improve the immune system and help to fight off a number of conditions.

Just a single serving of pineapple contains over 130% of the daily recommendations for vitamin C which will help keep the immune system healthy. It is also an antioxidant which will help protect against free radicals that can lead to degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.

Bromelain found in pineapple is a relatively rare proteolytic enzyme which helps to break down proteins that can harm joints, and helps to reduce inflammation as well as alleviate arthritis and muscle pains.

Tryptophan can be found in high levels within pineapple, it aids the body in producing serotonin which is one of the main happy hormones within the body that may help fight off anxiety or depression. Tryptophan is the amino acid within turkey that triggers sleepiness after a consuming it.

Close to 75% of the daily recommendations for the mineral manganese is contained within pineapple which can help build and improve bone strength. Studies have shown that manganese and other trace minerals may help to prevent osteoporosis.

Research shows that pineapple can directly prevent certain cancers of the mouth, throat, and breast, the combination of beta-carotene, vitamin A, manganese, and bromelain with a variety of flavonoid compounds within it can help prevent cancer.

The Mayo Clinic says that bromelain found in pineapple can help to improve digestion, high dietary fiber content improves intestine health and aids in regularity, and may even help weight loss by reducing inflammation in the gut.

High content of vitamin C and bromelain within pineapple helps to prevent respiratory illness, if you already have a cold or cough it can help clear the sinuses and reduce drainage.

One of the easiest and favorite ways to eat pineapple besides raw is pineapple water or ice cubes. In the evening simply cut some up and add it to an empty pitcher then fill with filtered water and put in the fridge, come morning time there will be a nice refreshing cold pitcher of pineapple infused water to help kick start a fresh day. At that point you can then either drink it and/or put some in an ice cube tray to freeze, those can be added to water for a more subtle taste or used as a nice extra light snack if you choose to make popsicles from it. The fruit at the bottom when the water is gone can either be eaten as is or added to a morning smoothie or other recipes.

Pineapple is a diverse culinary item that can be used many ways such as raw, water, smoothies, and even outside of the box ways such as replacing hamburger buns with big slices, adding to diced guacamole, toppings on hot dogs, snacks with tomatoes and cilantro, pineapple based salsa, pineapple syrup, added to yogurt…. and for the record it’s delicious on pizza too.