Although a natural phenomenon that
comes along with age, sagging breasts don’t have to be one of your concerns.
All you need to do is eat more pineapples. According to doctors, pineapples are
abundant in antioxidants and they also show anti-cancerous properties.
Pineapples are especially beneficial for women as they contain substances that
restore skin fiber elasticity. This is mostly visible on female breasts because
they lose their shape over the years. Smoking, excess alcohol and coffee can
aggravate the problem, but pineapples can do wonders about it and the results
will be noticeable immediately.
How to prepare an amazing pineapple
smoothie
- 1 cup finely chopped pineapple
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup water
- 3-4 ice cubes
Blend the ingredients together and
drink the smoothie in the morning or before a meal.
The Benefits of Pineapple
Arthritis Management: When it comes
to health benefits, pineapple is best known for its ability to reduce the
inflammation of joints and muscles, especially those linked to arthritis, a
debilitating disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It contains a
fairly rare proteolytic enzyme called bromelain, which is known to break down
complex proteins, and has serious anti-inflammatory effects. This enzyme has
further demonstrated the ability to reduce the signs and symptoms of arthritis
in many test subjects.
Pineapple for the Immune System: A
single pineapple serving has over 130% of the daily requirement of vitamin-C,
which makes it one of the richest and tastiest sources of ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C benefits are versatile, ranging from reducing illness and enhancing
the immune system by stimulating the activity of white blood cells to acting as
an antioxidant against the harmful effects of free radicals. Dangerous
byproducts of cellular metabolism, free radicals can harm various systems in
the body disrupting their function, as well as cause healthy cells to change
into cancerous ones. The high content of vitamin C in pineapples is an
excellent protection against this.
Tissue and Cellular Health: Although
this benefit of vitamin C is often disregarded, it plays an important role in
collagen production, collagen being the essential protein base of blood vessel
walls, skin, organs, and bones. Thus, the abundance of vitamin C in pineapples
stimulates wound healing along with defending against infections and illness.
Cancer Prevention: Pineapple has
directly been linked to preventing cancers of the mouth, throat, and breasts.
Apart from the abundance of vitamin C, pineapples are also packed with various
other antioxidants, including vitamin A, beta carotene, bromelain, various
flavonoid compounds, and high levels of manganese, an important co-factor of
superoxide dismutase, which is an extremely powerful tool that fights free
radicals linked to a number of different cancers.
Digestion: A rich source of fiber,
pineapples are different than other fruits in that they contain both soluble
and insoluble fiber. Daily consumption of pineapples can guard you against numerous
health conditions, including constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome,
atherosclerosis and blood clotting, as well as blood pressure. Fiber eases the
passage of food through the digestive tract, and also stimulates the release of
gastric and digestive juices to help food dissolve. Furthermore, it helps with
diarrhea and IBS. Fiber also improves cardiovascular health by cleaning the
blood vessels of excess cholesterol and eliminating it from the body.
Coughs and Colds: Apart from the
boosting power of vitamin C over the immune system, the enzyme bromelain is
also beneficial for the reduction of phlegm and mucus that accumulate in the
respiratory tracts and sinus cavities as a result of infection or illness.
Bone Health: Despite the fact that
pineapples are not abundant in calcium, which is often associated with strong
bones, they do abound in manganese, which is another trace mineral essential
for bone health, growth and repair. Manganese has the highest content in
pineapple, with a single serving delivering over 70% of your daily manganese
requirement.
Oral Health: Together with the
antioxidant compounds that protect against oral cancer, pineapples also have
astringent properties, which strengthen your gums hence ensuring the health of
your teeth as well. Astringent agents help to tighten up tissues in the body
thus preventing things like tooth loss, hair loss, and muscle weakness or skin
loosening. Pineapples are very strong astringents, often prescribed as a
natural treatment against tooth loosening or gum retraction.
Eye Health: Pineapples are also
beneficial for vision, one of the vital senses for human beings. In fact,
pineapples have been directly linked to improving eye health and preventing the
common age-related conditions. For one thing, macular degeneration affects many
elderly people, and beta carotene, which is also found in pineapples, can help
prevent this issue.
Blood Pressure: A valuable source of
many minerals, pineapples are also rich in potassium. It’s one of the essential
minerals in the body, and potassium insufficiency can lead to many health
issues. Potassium is best known as a vasodilator, which means it reduces the
tension and stress of the blood vessels stimulating blood circulation to
different parts of the body. Plus, when the blood vessels relax, the blood
pressure is reduced and the flow of blood is less constrained. As a result,
this prevents clots from blocking the flow of blood and decreases plaque
buildup in the arteries and vessels. This eventually prevents conditions like
atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes.
Blood Circulation: In addition to the
vasodilation property of potassium, pineapples also supply the body with
copper, another essential mineral that takes part in a number of enzymatic
processes and compounds in the body, most of all in the formation of healthy
red blood cells. High red blood cell count increases oxygen supply to the
various organs thus enabling their optimal function. It further increases cognitive
abilities by maintaining neural pathways; therefore it prevents neural
disorders including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
A Few Words of Warning: Aside all the
health benefits pineapple provides, there are things you still need to be
cautious about. The bromelain in pineapples is known as a meat-tenderizing
enzyme, which implies it stimulates the digestion of tough foods. But, this can
also result in some tenderness or sensitivity of your lips, gums, and tongue if
you eat too much pineapple. Bromelain is a powerful chemical if consumed
excessively, just like vitamin C, and pineapple is abundant in both of these,
so an “overdose” can incur some conditions such as vomiting, diarrhea,
headaches, and nausea. Moreover, bromelain has shown to stimulate menstruation,
so pregnant women should particularly be on the guard limiting their pineapple
intake as high levels of bromelain can, in rare cases, even lead to a
miscarriage..
