Friday, September 26, 2014

Gift of Nature - Pineapple "The World's Healthiest Foods"


Pineapple is a great natural gift & pineaples 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.

7 Health Benefits of Eating Pineapples:

1. Packed with Vitamins and Minerals
Pineapples are loaded with vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also rich in fiber and calories. On top of it all, this fruit is low in fat and cholesterol. All the nutrients it contains promote good health.

2. Prevents Cough and Colds
Since pineapples are rich in vitamin C, it can fight off viruses that cause cough and colds. Even when you are already infected with such ailment, pineapples can help you. These fruits have bromelain, which is effective in suppressing coughs and loosening mucus. Eating pineapples while taking the right medications prescribed by the doctor for your sickness can help you recover more quickly.

3. Strengthens Bones
Pineapples are also popular for their ability to build and maintain strong bones. This is because these fruits contain manganese, which is a trace mineral that your body needs to build bones and connective tissues. In fact, if you consume a cup of pineapple, you can already get 73 percent of your total body requirement for manganese.

4. Keeps Gums Healthy
People are always very concerned with their teeth that they sometimes fail to give importance to the gums, which are equally essential since they hold the teeth in place. If a person has unhealthy gums, his/her teeth would be in bad condition, and eventually will fall out. Eating pineapple will strengthen your gums that will help keep your teeth healthy and strong.

5. Lowers Risk of Macular Degeneration
Pineapples are known to prevent different kinds of ailments. One example is macular degeneration. This disease, which is the primary cause of vision loss in adults, is caused by damage to the retina. Reading, recognizing faces, and doing daily activities can become a lot more difficult because of this problem. Including pineapple in your diet can lower risk of this disease by as much as 36 percent. This is because this fruit contains beta carotene that is good for our sense of sight.

6. Alleviates Arthritis
Since these fruits have anti-inflammatory qualities, eating pineapples can greatly alleviate the pain of arthritis while at the same time improve the condition by strengthening the bones. Apart from arthritis, it can also improve other similar conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and gout.

7. Improves Digestion
Bromelain found in pineapples work to neutralize fluids to ensure that they are not too acidic. It also helps regulate the secretions in the pancreas to aid in digestion. Apart from that, since bromelain has protein-digesting properties, it can keep the digestive track healthy.


8 Fun Facts About Pineapple:

1. Pineapple Discovery
In 1493, explorer Christopher Columbus found pineapples on Guadeloupe Island in the Caribbean. The fruit is also native to southern Brazil and Paraguay.

2. Pineapples in Colonial America
American colonists regarded pineapples as a luxurious treat because of their rarity and cost.

3. Pineapple Anatomy
A pineapple is the result of many flowers whose fruitlets have joined around the core.

4. Pineapple Nutrition
Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that may help arthritis pain by easing inflammation. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps your immune system.

5. Pineapples in Hawaii
Historically, Hawaii was the world's largest pineapple producer and source for U.S. pineapples. Today the largest producers include the Philippines, Brazil, and Costa Rica.

6. Pineapple Selection
Pass over sour-smelling or bruised pineapples. Fruit from Hawaii or Central America tends to be freshest.

7. Pineapple Care
To make your pineapple softer and juicier, keep it at room temperature for 1 or 2 days before cutting.

8. Pineapple Calories

One cup of pineapple has 70 to 85 calories.



Photo Gallery of Pineapple:




 













 

Source:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/8-healthy-facts-about-pineapple
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=34
http://www.3fatchicks.com/7-health-benefits-of-eating-pineapples/

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