One of the most prized and popular fruits, pineapple or "ananas" is a tropical, perennial, drought-tolerant plant. The flesh and core range from nearly white to yellow, and the flavour is a combination of apples, strawberries, and peaches. Fresh pineapple is low in calories, nonetheless, it is a storehouse for several unique health-promoting compounds, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
Pineapple fruit e is high in vitamin C and contains the proteolytic enzyme bromelain which digests food by breaking down protein. Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting, and anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that consumption of pineapple regularly helps fight against arthritis, indigestion, and worm infestation.
Did you know?
Pineapples do not grow on trees. They grow on a plant that is technically a herb, with large, waxy, pointed leaves. Each plant bears one fruit in the centre, and each pineapple is actually the result of the fusion of many individual fruits. Unlike most other fruits (with the exception of some melons), pineapples do not have a reserve of starch that converts to sugar after harvest. Instead, the starch is stored in the stem of the plant and enters the fruit as sugar just before it ripens completely. As a result, the fruit will not become any sweeter after harvest, so growers must allow the pineapple to ripen on the plant to maximize the sugar and juice content of the fruit
Storing Pineapple
When selecting a pineapple, choose one with fresh, green leaves and no obvious soft or brown spots, especially at the base. When ripe, the rind can be dark green, yellow, or reddish yellow; however, most pineapples on the market are already ripe, regardless of their colour, and should be refrigerated after purchase. Freshly cut pineapple may be kept, sealed airtight, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
2002. Encyclopedia of foods. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press
Nutrition And You.com. 2022. Top 8 Pineapple Fruit Nutrition facts and Health benefits. [online] Available at: <https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pineapple.html> [Accessed June 2022].