Our Living Juice Ingredient Spotlight blogs continue this week with one of our tropical ingredients: pineapples! Pineapples are one of the most popular tropical fruits in the diet of Americans (behind bananas and avocados, naturally). They are known for being very juicy and for their great tasting sweet flavor. They are also the star ingredient in our Pineapple Punch! So what do pineapples have to offer in terms of health benefits?
Bring on the Bromelain
Firstly, pineapples are a rich source of bromelain. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme, meaning that these enzymes help the blood digest proteins more efficiently. Efficient digestion of proteins allows for the nutritional value of other foods to be maximized. Bromelain not only aids in digestion, but it also inhibits the activity of a variety of inflammation causing agents. This is shown to have positive results in tests involving conditions such as acute sinus infection, sore throat and arthritis. Pineapples are a popular remedy for the cold because not only are they high in Vitamin C, but bromelain can reduce mucus build up in the threat.
Serve it up!
Pineapple is great served on its own sliced or as a part of a fruit salad. It is of course best fresh and uncooked, as the heating process can destroy the digestive enzymes. Our Pineapple Punch is a great source of pineapples as well, and as we cold-press all of our juices, you don't have to worry about losing any of those healthy enzymes! If you have any kind of inflammatory condition such as sore throat, try eating fresh pineapple slices or drinking Pineapple Punch between meals, rather than during meals, so that the enzymes are used to fight inflammation as opposed to working on digestion.
Stay tuned next week for another installment of Living Juice Ingredient Spotlight and learn more about the health benefits of our fruits and veggies!