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Pineapple juice is a drink that many people enjoy in the United States, with revenue estimates for 2023 coming in around $6.65bn for the industry.¹ Americans love drinking pineapple juice on hot summer days or in recipes for smoothies, sauces, and drinks.

Here are 4 benefits of pineapple juice that you can get from drinking a glass today.

Benefits of Drinking Pineapple Juice

Boosts immunity

Pineapple juice contains bromelain, a group of enzymes that can be found in the juice and stem of a pineapple. Bromelain is known to protect the body from cancerous cells by preventing them from invading the body. It has also been linked to changing cell structure so that way they are less likely to become cancerous.²

Furthermore, 1 cup of pineapple juice contains 109.5mg of vitamin C.³ Vitamin C is known to support the immune system, with studies showing that it can protect against free radicals, which are unstable atoms that can cause disease and health conditions such as cardiovascular problems, cataracts, and cancer. Vitamin C has also been proven in some studies to reduce the length of cold symptoms by one-and-a-half days.⁴

Aid in Digestion

The bromelain in pineapple juice has been found to aid in digestion by helping the body break down food and protecting it from inflammation. One way bromelain can help the body digest food is it can break down complex proteins.²

Furthermore, the bromelain in pineapple juice has been proven to fight harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and V. cholera. It has also been linked to reducing gut inflammation in people who have bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.⁵

Support Heart Health

Another benefit of drinking pineapple juice is that it can support a healthy heart. Pineapple juice contains .8mg of iron or roughly 10% of the daily recommended amount.³ Iron is known to support heart health because it aids in the creation of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to different parts of the body.⁶

Pineapple juice also contains 30mg of magnesium or 9% of the daily recommended amount.³ Magnesium plays a role in how the body’s electrolytes send signals to control the body’s heartbeat. Magnesium also plays a role in helping the heart pump blood as well as aids in its muscle contractions.⁷

Promotes Healthy Skin

A great benefit of pineapple juice is it can promote healthy skin. Vitamin C has been proven to play a role in the body’s production of collagen, which helps keep your skin elastic and youthful looking. This will prevent wrinkles and stretching of your skin in the long run, as well as help aid in the reparation of wounds.⁸

Your body will naturally lose collagen as it ages, which is why it’s important to eat foods that replenish it.

Ways to Enjoy Pineapple Juice

Now that you know some of the benefits of pineapple juice, you may be interested in easy ways to add it to your diet. Some ways you can enjoy pineapple juice include:

• Drink a glass of pineapple juice with your lunch or dinner
• Top your meat with pineapple juice
• Make popsicles by freezing pineapple juice
• Add pineapple juice to your smoothie
• Add pineapple juice to dessert recipes such as cakes, cobbler, and cupcakes
• Mix pineapple juice into your yogurt
• Add pineapple juice to your pasta sauce
• Enjoy a piña colada with pineapple juice
• Use pineapple juice as a topping for your fruit salad
• Create a pineapple whip with pineapple juice to top desserts
• Add pineapple juice to your fruit dip
• Cook oatmeal with pineapple juice
• Mix pineapple juice with your sparkling soda for flavor

You can find many fun recipes that incorporate pineapple juice in them to help add flavor to the dish.

Add Pineapple Juice To Your Diet Today!

Now that you know some pineapple juice benefits, you can start adding some to your diet today. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is one step to living a healthier lifestyle.

Here at Saber Healthcare, we believe in taking steps to make sure our residents meet their nutritional goals. Our dietary team consistently works to develop and create menus that contain delicious food that meet our residents’ daily vitamin and mineral needs.

To learn more about Saber Healthcare and the services we offer, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

Sources

1. “Pineapple Juice – Worldwide.” Statista. 8 August 2023. Link: https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/non-alcoholic-drinks/juices/pineapple-juice/worldwide
2. Rathnavelu, Vidhya et al. “Potential role of bromelain in clinical and therapeutic applications.” Biomedical reports vol. 5,3 (2016): 283-288. doi:10.3892/br.2016.720. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4998156/
3. “Pineapple Juice.” Eat This Much Inc. Accessed 9 August 2023. Link: https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/nutrition/pineapple-juice,1587/
4. Moore, Marisa. “How Vitamin C Supports a Healthy Immune System.” Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, EatRight. Accessed 9 August 2023. Link: https://www.eatright.org/health/essential-nutrients/vitamins/how-vitamin-c-supports-a-healthy-immune-system
5. Petre, Alina. Meeks, Sade, ed. “8 Emerging Benefits of Pineapple Juice.” Red Ventures, Healthline Media. Accessed 9 August 2023. Link: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pineapple-juice-benefits#1
6. Gray, Dan. “Higher Iron Levels May Boost Heart Health But Also Stroke Risk.” Red Ventures, Healthline Media. 22 July 2019. Accessed 9 August 2023. Link: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/higher-iron-levels-may-boost-heart-health-as-well-as-stroke-risk#:~:text=Higher%20Iron%20Levels%20May%20Boost%20Heart%20Health%20But%20Also%20Stroke%20Risk&text=Healthy%20iron%20levels%20are%20important,increase%20the%20risk%20of%20stroke.
7. Dallas, Mary Elizabeth. Yoon, Chung, ed. “Magnesium Helps Your Heart Keep the Beat.” Ziff Davis, Everyday Health. 13 June 2023. Accessed 9 August 2023. Link: https://www.everydayhealth.com/atrial-fibrillation/diet/where-to-get-your-magnesium-for-healthy-heart/#:~:text=Magnesium%20is%20central%20to%20a,contractions%20of%20a%20normal%20heartbeat.
8. “5 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Vitamin C.” Saber Healthcare Group. 4 September 2020. Accessed 9 August 2023. Link: https://www.saberhealth.com/news/blog/5-vitamin-c-benefits