Nutrition facts & Health benefits of Pineapples

In this post & video I am going to speak about the nutrition facts of pineapple and also touch upon some of their health benefits.

In the year of 2020 Philippines was the largest producer of pineapples followed by Costa Rica and Brazil.

Contents

Nutritional profile | Water | Carbohydrates | Fat & Protein | Energy | Health benefits | Conclusion |

Nutritional profile of Pineapples

	Percentage	Per 1 Cup (165 g)
Water	86%	142
Carbohydrates	13.1%	21.6
Dietary fibre	1.4%	2.31
Sugars	9.85%	16.3
Fat	0.12%	0.19
Protein	0.54%	0.89
Energy	–	82.5 Cal/ 345 kJ

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Water

Like almost all the fruits pineapples are also rich sources of water. 86% of their total weight is water. A cup of pineapple slices weighing 165 g contain about 142 g of water.

Carbohydrates

Other than water the only nutrient that is present in pineapples in considerable amount is carbohydrate. About 13% of the total weight of these fruits is carbohydrate.

Pineapples contain about 1.4% dietary fibre. It’s not a high amount. We can say that these fruits are not a great source of dietary fibre.

9.85% of the total weight of pineapples is sugars. These are the main energy providing nutrients present in pineapples. A cup of slices provide about 16 g of sugars.

Fat & Protein

Pineapples are very poor sources of both fat and protein. A mere 0.12% of the total weight of these fruits is fat. It’s almost negligible.

Even the protein content of pineapples is not great. It constitutes just 0.5% of the total weight of these fruits.

Energy

A cup of pineapple slices weighing 165 g provide about 82.5 Cal or 345 kJ of energy. We can say that pineapples contain very less amount of energy and can be beneficial in weight management.

Health benefits

Pineapples are very rich sources of vitamin C. A cup of pineapple slices provide about 88% daily value of this essential vitamin. Vitamin C helps protect our cells by acting as an antioxidant and also helps in immune function.

Pineapples are also rich sources of manganese. A cup provides about 67% daily value of this mineral. Manganese plays a vital role as a cofactor for many enzymes. Together with vitamin K manganese also plays a role in blood clotting.

These fruits are also rich sources of copper and provide about 20% daily value of this essential mineral. Copper works with iron in helping our body form red blood cells. It also helps in iron absorption.

Apart from these nutrients pineapples also contain moderately good amounts of vitamin B6, thiamine, folate, potassium, magnesium, niacin, pantothenic acid and riboflavin.

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Conclusion

• Pineapples are fruits with abundant amount of water and provide very little amount of energy.
• The major energy providing nutrients present in these fruits are sugars. A cup of pineapple slices provides about 16 g of sugars.
• Pineapples also have their own drawbacks. They are not good sources of dietary fibre, fat and protein. These fruits are very poor sources of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K.
• On the other hand pineapples are excellent sources of vitamin C, manganese & are good sources of copper.
• Pineapple slices can be an excellent addition to a meal as a dessert or as a mid-meal snack. Compared to other fruits such as pears, bananas, oranges, and watermelons these fruits provide higher number of essential vitamins and minerals.
• I would suggest you to consume pineapples on a regular basis about a cup weighing 165 g to get the various nutrients offered by them. They can also help you manage your weight by helping you avoid high energy, salty and sugary snacks at meal breaks. They can also help your stomach feel full for longer time compared to manufactured snacks such as potato chips, cookies, cakes, etc.