Eat 3 Slices Of Pineapples Daily To Combat Cancer Causing Free Radicals – Medical Expert

January 18, 2018 – Eat 3 Slices Of Pineapples Daily To Combat Cancer Causing Free Radicals – Medical Expert

By Anselm Adodo

Pineapple, ‘Ananas comosus’ is a tropical, perennial, drought-tolerant plant. It grows up to five to eight feet in height and spreads around about three to four feet radius. It is essentially a short, stout stem with a rosette of long, needle-tipped leaves.

The plant fruits from March until June each year. Its pulp is juicy and fleshy with the stem serving as a supporting fibrous core. The outer skin features rough, tough, and scaly rind. The colour in the ripe fruits may be yellow, orange-yellow or reddish.

Internally, its juicy flesh may range from creamy white to yellow and has a mix of sweet and sharp taste with rich flavour. Each fruit measures up to 12 inches in length and weighs one to eight pounds or more.

Pineapples may be cultivated from a crown cutting of the fruit, possibly flowering in 20 to 24 months and fruiting in the following six months. So it takes a minimum of two and a half years for your pineapple plant to reach full maturity. It is always better to allow the fruit to ripe before harvesting as pineapples do not ripen well after harvest.

Pineapples can be consumed fresh, cooked, juiced, or preserved. They are found in a wide array of cuisines. In addition to consumption, the pineapple leaves are used to produce textile fiber in Philippines and other countries, except Nigeria, since Nigeria is a consuming nation. We do not manufacture or produce anything in Nigeria.

We simply import and consume and consume. What a pity. Pineapple fiber is also used as a component for wallpaper and other furniture. Originally indigenous to local Paraguayans in South America, Pineapple spread from its native land by the local Indians up through the South and Central Americas and to the West Indies.

Later, it was brought to Spain when Columbus discovered the Americas’ in 1493. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it spread to the rest of the world by the European sailors who carried it along with them to protect themselves from scurvy, a disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. Pineapple is very rich in bromelin and alkaloids, which make it a good immune booster.

Those who drink a raw extract of pineapple juice often experience a new surge of energy and vitality.

This is as a result of the high vitamin C content in Pineapple. Pineapple slices are a great addition to fruit salads and in toppings. 100 gram of pineapple contains 80 per cent of vitamin C.

This Vitamin is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones.

Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body to protect itself from scurvy and also develop resistance against infectious agents. 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.

100 gram of pineapple fruit provides just about 50 calories equivalent to that of apples. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, and is a rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers like pectin.

Pineapple fruit contains a proteolysis enzyme bromelain that 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. Pineapple contains small amount of Vitamin A and beta-carotene.

These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties.

Vitamin A is also required in maintaining healthy skin and is essential for good vision. Studies suggest that consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps the human body to protect itself from lung and oral cavity cancers.

In addition, Pineapple is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like floats, thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like copper, manganese and potassium.

Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, and helps in controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is a helpful co-factor for red blood cell synthesis.

High potassium intakes are also associated with a reduced risk of stroke, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones.

A higher intake of pineapple fruits (three or more slices per day) has also been shown to decrease risk and progression of age-related macular degeneration.

The risks for developing asthma are lower in people who consume a high amount of pineapple daily. As indicated above, a high amount means three or more slices.

Try to eat your pineapple when it is very ripe so that you can enjoy it better. When pineapple is harvested before it is fully ripe, the taste is never the same as the ones harvested when fully ripe.

Many people find it difficult to eat more than a slice of pineapple in a day because of its strong pungent taste. If you find the taste too strong or acidic, you can extract the juice and dilute it in water.

It is worth all the trouble.

The high level of potassium in pineapple makes it very useful in controlling high blood pressure. Increasing potassium intake by consuming high- potassium fruits and vegetables can help with lowering blood pressure.

The recommended daily intake of potassium is 4700 mg, and less than 10 per cent of Nigerians meet this target.

A high potassium intake is said by experts to be associated with a 20 per cent decreased risk of dying from all cancers.

As an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C, pineapples can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer.

Diets rich in beta-carotene may also play a protective role against prostate cancer, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition and has been shown to have an inverse association with the development of colon cancer in the Japanese population.

There are studies suggesting that bromelain (found in pineapple) and other such enzymes may be used with standard cancer treatment to help reduce some side effects (such as mouth and throat inflammation due to radiation treatments). The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 21 to 25 g/day for women and 30-38 g/day for men.