15 Impressive Health Benefits of Pineapple Juice
Not many people know that pineapple is one of the most favorite tropical fruits around the world. It is loaded with an array of vitamins, enzymes, and minerals that help revitalize and rejuvenate each and every cell in the body.
Drinking pineapple in the form of juice helps deliver these nutrients straight to our cells in a matter of minutes, without having to go through the process of digestion. Think of it as a blood transfusion.
20 Health Benefits of Pineapple Juice
Here are 20 good reasons why drinking pineapple juice is certainly worth trying!
1.Improve Digestion
Pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes called bromelain, which can solve many problems in regards to digestive complaints. Bromelain enzymes are proteases, which break down protein into building blocks, including amino acids. This allows proteins to be properly digested and absorbed (1✓).
2. Strengthens Our Bones
Our bones and joints really like the mineral manganese, and pineapples happen to be an excellent source of manganese. This mineral has been found to reduce bone loss in people with osteoporosis and reduce pain from osteoarthritis (2✓). And with just one glass of pineapple juice containing over 73% of our daily manganese requirements, it makes a great potential option for helping improve bone health.
3. Prevent Heart Disease
Pineapples are a great source of antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Antioxidants combat oxidative stress in the body by scavenging and neutralizing free radicals. Without antioxidants, these free radicals cause damage to our cells and organs, which later manifest as chronic inflammation and a weakened immune system (3✓).
Pineapples are particularly rich in vitamin C, as well as flavonoids and phenolic acids. These antioxidants also happen to be found to insoluble food matrices, meaning they are able to better survive harsher conditions in the body and produce lasting effects (4✓).
Studies have also found bromelain as an effective treatment of cardiovascular diseases as it inhibits blood platelet aggregation, therefore minimizing the risk of arterial thrombosis and embolism (5✓).
4. May Enhance Weight Loss
Aside from reducing your cravings for unnatural sugary treats, pineapple juice may help encourage fat loss. One animal study from 2018 found that pineapple juice may decrease fat formation and increase fat breakdown. However, more studies in humans are needed to confirm these results (6✓).
5. Minimize the Risk of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Pineapple juice is high in potassium and low in sodium, which makes it beneficial for those dealing with high blood pressure. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose through urine. Potassium also eases tension in the lining of your blood vessel walls, which helps further lower blood pressure levels (7✓).
6. Reduces Inflammation
Bromelain found in pineapple is one of the best anti-inflammatories in the plant-food world. Studies have investigated its ability to reduce CD4+T lymphocytes (8), which are primarily involved in triggering inflammatory responses in the body. Bromelain is actually used as a treatment for inflammation and sports injuries and may be effective in reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis (9✓).
7. May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer
A handful of studies have shown that pineapple may reduce the risk of certain cancers as a result of helping minimize oxidative stress and inflammation. A few test-tube studies have pointed to bromelain as an effective cancer-fighting agent (10✓), (11✓). Combined test-tube and animal studies have shown how bromelain stimulates the immune system to produce molecules that make white blood cells more effective at inhibiting cancer cell growth and eliminating cancer cells altogether (12✓).
8. May Ease Symptoms of Arthritis
Pineapples contain bromelain, which possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties. These properties may provide relief for those with inflammatory arthritis, as one study points out its effectiveness for rheumatoid arthritis (13✓). One review analyzed bromelain’s effectiveness in treating osteoarthritis. They concluded that bromelain can help relieve symptoms associated with arthritis, especially in the short-term (14✓). More studies are needed to determine its long-term effectiveness.
9. It Can Boost Serotonin Levels
What if I told you drinking pineapple juice could improve your mental health? Pineapples are a great source of tryptophan, which gets converted into serotonin in the gut and brain. Serotonin plays a significant role in the regulation of mood and cognition (15✓). It is often called the “happiness hormone,” with low serotonin levels being linked to memory problems and even depression.
Bromelain has also been shown to improve mental health. One clinical study found that anxiety ratings decreased and depression scores improved for those who were on higher doses of bromelain (16✓).
10. Faster Wound Recovery
Research in both humans and animals has found that the topical application of bromelain can be useful in helping heal burns to the skin (17). Other studies suggest that bromelain may be therapeutic for soft-tissue injuries, especially dealing with muscle soreness after exercise and bruising (18✓).
11. Strengthens the Immune System
Pineapples are an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, so it’s no wonder they help strengthen immunity. Pineapples are especially rich in vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy immune system. The antioxidants present in pineapple help neutralize free radicals that would otherwise cause systemic damage to our cells and organs, weakening our immune system (19✓).
Chronic inflammation is another factor that weakens our immunity (20✓), so including antioxidant-rich fruits like pineapple in your diet can help off-set these effects.
12. May Reduce the Risk of Macular Degeneration
Vitamin C has a high and effective antioxidant capacity that protects our cells and organs from free radical and reactive oxygen species. It is found in high quantities in pineapple (as well as other fruits like oranges, lemons and limes). Vitamin C can help prevent age-related eye diseases like macular degeneration due to its strong antioxidant activities (21✓).
One study found that eating 135 mg/day of vitamin C decreased the risk of nuclear cataracts by 40% (22✓). Two cups of pineapple can provide you with over 160 mg of vitamin C, making this fruit an excellent choice in supporting the health of your eyes.
13. Natural Antihistamine
Pineapple acts as a natural antihistamine thanks to bromelain, the anti-inflammatory enzyme that is said to be effective at treating respiratory distress and inflammation associated with allergies.
It also helps break down mucus that can irritate the respiratory tract. One study found that pineapple juice was effective in treating tuberculosis, as it helped soothe the throat and dissolve mucus (23).
14. Enhances Skin Health
When used externally, pineapple juice can actually make your skin brighter and more toned. The enzyme bromelain helps break down and sweep away dead skin cells, making it an ideal ingredient for face masks.
In addition, the nutrients in pineapple, like vitamin C and beta carotene, help reduce wrinkles, improve the overall appearance of your skin, and can lessen the damage from exposure to the sun.
Vitamin C is also essential for the synthesis of collagen (24✓), which is the primary protein involved in giving skin its strength and structure.
15. May Help with Asthmatic Symptoms
As a natural antihistamine, pineapple juice can help reduce some of the symptoms associated with asthma. Research has even suggested that the pineapple enzyme bromelain appeared to reduce inflammation associated with asthma (25).
As we’ve discussed, pineapple is a wonderful source of vitamin C, which may also help those suffering from asthma. Researchers found that asthma sufferers often have lower serum levels of vitamin C and beta-cryptoxanthin (26✓).
While bromelain is sold in much higher concentrations in supplement form, the enzymatic activity from fresh pineapple supersedes the isolated version of bromelain found in pills.
The Bottom Line
Pineapple juice is loaded with vitamins, enzymes, and minerals that help revitalize and rejuvenate our cells. It stimulates our digestion, can help prevent heart disease, reduces inflammation and so much more.
When making pineapple juice, make sure to include the core of the pineapple, as it contains the highest concentration of the beneficial enzyme, bromelain.
