Pineapples - A Fruit With Many Uses

The pineapple is grown widely throughout Viet-nam. From long ago, Vietnamese have used this cheap fruit to treat certain illnesses. The pineapple has an enzyme that is good for the digestion and that is used in pharmaceutical production in many Western countries

An overview of the medicinal uses of pineapples, in helping digestion and in beauty care.

The pineapple is grown widely throughout Viet-nam. From long ago, Vietnamese have used this cheap fruit to treat certain illnesses. The pineapple has an enzyme that is good for the digestion and that is used in pharmaceutical production in many Western countries.

There are 60-70 pineapple species that are classified into three main strains: Queen, Cayenne and Spanish, of which the first is the most delicious. Ripe pineapples are often served fresh or with sugar. The fruit is also cooked with beef or used to prepare sour soup. It is an important ingredient for the canned food, distilling and confectionery industries.

Nutritional value

One hundred grams of pineapple contains 0.5-0.8g of protein, 6.5-9g of glucoside, 0.7-1g of organic acids, vitamins B1, B2, C and PP, carotene, and minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphor. The pineapple also has bromelin, an enzyme that can hydrolyze protein into amino acids that are good for digestion. Therefore, after feasting with a big amount of meat, it is good to have some pineapple to boost digestion. To soften tough meat, Vietnamese often mix the meat with minced pineapple for 30-40 minutes before cooking.

Bromelin is also used to soften meat in the food industry, as its effect is even stronger than that of papain in the papaya, and to accelerate the protein hydrolysis process in sauce production. Bromelin is used to treat indigestion. It can intensify the effect of certain antibiotics and asthma-treatment drugs. In combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, bromelin can check the spread of cancers. As for external use, bromelin boosts the healing of burns and wounds.

In the pharmaceutical industry, bromelin is extracted from the rinds and cores obtained from pineapple processing plants. The ground flesh of the pineapple is also used as facial masks to get rid of dead cells and thus beautify the facial skin.

Cautions

Do not have fresh pineapples on an empty stomach, as organic acids and bromelin of the fruit can have a strong impact on your stomach. Select pineapples that are fresh and undamaged; peel the rind and all the spots completely, and wash the fruit with salt and clean water before eating to avoid being affected by a fungus that causes irritation, fatigue, itches, hives, severe stomachache, vomit, diarrhea, fast pulse, hard breathing and lower blood pressure. The effects of this fungus can be fatal.

(Source: SaigonTimes)