Pineapple, a Super food

Did you know that there are certain kinds of foods that actually help reduce or even stop arthritis pain?

These “superfoods” are usually easy to find and inexpensive.

Of all the foods that help fight against arthritis — delicious, sweet pineapple comes up close to the top of the list.

The Sweet Pain Reliever

For generations, people around the world have used fresh pineapple to ease their arthritis inflammation.

Loaded with joint-protecting vitamin C, pineapple is undoubtedly a superior arthritis-healing food.

Its anti-inflammatory ingredient — bromelain — is so potent that many boxers drink the juice after fights to heal their bruises. A 1960 study compared boxers who took bromelain with those receiving a placebo.

In just four days, an amazing 78% of those taking bromelain were inflammation-free, while only 14% of the control group had recovered.

Other than bromelain, pineapple also contains manganese, which strengthens bones and protects joints.

Here are 5 reasons you should be indulging in this delicious fruit if you struggle with joint pain and arthritis:

Reason #1: Joint Protection

Higher intake levels of the antioxidant vitamin C is essential for people with arthritis…

And just one cup of pineapple has a whopping 94% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA)!

Research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that vitamin C-rich foods protect against inflammatory polyarthritis, a type of rheumatoid arthritis in which two or more joints are affected.

If you have osteoarthritis, you may be concerned by warnings that you should not increase your vitamin C intake. But know that those warnings are based on a 2004 study on guinea pigs!

Studies on humans show vitamin C actually reduces pain, cartilage loss and disease progression.

Reason #2: Healthier Joint Tissue

Pineapple is a great source of the trace mineral manganese.

Manganese is absolutely essential for building healthy joint tissue and dense bones. One cup of pineapple provides 128% of the RDA for manganese.

Research shows that manganese tackles free radicals that can damage joint cartilage.

Tip: It’s best to eat your pineapple raw. Fruit skewers alternating fresh pineapple chunks with strawberries is a great way to do that. Grilled and cooked pineapple is extraordinarily tasty too.

Reason #3: Smoother Joint Movement

Pineapple’s enzymes literally clean up “rusty” joints. When you eat pineapple on an empty stomach, the enzymes go right to work on your joints.

Tip: If you eat pineapple with other foods, the enzymes divert their activity to digesting the rest of your meal instead of the gunk in your joints.

So keep pineapple around for between-meal snacks. Juice the hard inner core as well to take advantage of the concentrated bromelain located there.

Reason #4: Pain Relief

For optimal arthritis pain-relief, eat fresh pineapple.

The bromelain in pineapple is destroyed by heat, so fresh pineapple will give you the most benefit.

Frozen pineapple retains active enzymes, but canned fruit and commercially processed juice don’t provide the anti-inflammatory benefit of fresh fruit.

It’s important to note bromelain causes anti-clotting activity…

So you should consult with your physician before combining pineapple with blood-thinning medications such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, or aspirin.

Tip: If the fruit needs to ripen, keep it on your kitchen counter for a couple days. You’ll know it’s sweet and ready to eat when the bottom softens a bit.

Reason #5: Protection from Inflammation

Pineapple’s bromelain halts inflammation.

The sulfur-based enzyme bromelain in fresh pineapple is one of the best-researched natural anti-inflammatory agents around. Bromelain clobbers inflammatory agents that trigger joint pain and cartilage degeneration.

A 2006 study cited in Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology found that supplemental bromelain is effective in easing discomfort from hip arthritis.

The Arthritis Foundation stated that pineapple’s bromelain produces effects comparable to NSAIDs for relieving pain and inflammation.

UK researchers reviewed ten studies on osteoarthritis and bromelain. They found that every single one confirmed bromelain’s benefits.

Tip: Most of the bromelain in pineapples is found in the core and the stem. So don’t throw away that tough, fibrous core!

Just chop it up, throw it in a blender with some water and pulse to convert it to juice.

I received the above from Dr. R S Mazumdar, my family physician, probably because he knows that my wife suffers from knee pain problem.

With the pineapple season on us, we should try it.

Unfortunately, I can't try it because of my diabetes and my teeth.

As soon as I eat pineapple, my teeth become sour.