Pineapple is rich in vitamin C and an excellent source of manganese, but most importantly, it's the richest source of bromelain, a mixture of enzymes that are anti-inflammatory and which animal studies suggest protects against tumour growth and cancer. Its ability to reduce swelling makes it an excellent choice for sufferers of arthritis, plus it can cure certain muscle injuries and soreness. Bromelain is also heralded as a natural anticoagulant, therefore can play a role in the prevention of strokes and heart attacks. The only slight negative is that the pineapple is fairly heavily loaded with sugar, but that said, one portion still contains fewer calories than an apple and way less than a banana. If you are trying to lose a lot of weight quickly, or abstaining from sugar completely, or maybe you're just not a fan of the tropical taste, today there are dozens of brands of bromelain supplements on the market.
A rich source of: vitamin C, mangoes, bromelain.
Pineapple, flesh only, raw
| Serving Size grams | 120 |
| Teaspoons of table sugar equivalent | 2.8 |
| Glycemic Index | 59 |
| Glycemic Load | 7.7 |
| Potential GI Range | 59±8 |
| Energy (kcal) | 45 |
| Energy (kJ) | 194 |
| Water (g) | 86.4 |
| Starch (g) | 0 |
| Total sugars (g) | 11.4 |
| Glucose (g) | 2.7 |
| Galactose (g) | 0 |
| Fructose (g) | 3.4 |
| Sucrose (g) | 5.3 |
| Maltose (g) | 0 |
| Lactose (g) | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 0.5 |
| Protein (g)/100kcal | 1.1 |
| Protein % of calories | 4.4 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 11.4 |
| Carbohydrate (g)/100kcal | 25.3 |
| Carb % of calories | 101.3 |
| Fat (g) | 0.1 |
| Fat (g)/100kcal | 0.2 |
| Fat % of calories | 2 |
| Satd FA /100g fd (g) | 0 |
| Mono FA /100g food (g) | 0.1 |
| Poly FA /100g food (g) | 0.1 |
| Trans FAs /100g food (g) | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 1 |
| Potassium (mg) | 230 |
| Calcium (mg) | 17 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 10 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 21 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.7 |
| Copper (mg) | 0.1 |
| Zinc (mg) | 0.2 |
| Chloride (mg) | 8 |
| Manganese (mg) | 0.2 |
| Selenium (µg) | N |
| Iodine (µg) | N |
| Vitamin D (µg) | 0 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 0.1 |
| Thiamin (mg) | 0 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 0 |
| Niacin (mg) | 0.1 |
| Tryptophan/60 (mg) | 0.2 |
| Niacin equivalent (mg) | 0.3 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0 |
| Folate (µg) | N |
| Pantothenate (mg) | 0 |
| Biotin (µg) | 1.5 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 23 |
| Alcohol (g) | 0 |
| NSP (g) Non-starch polysaccharide | 1.2 |
| AOAC fibre (g) | 1.2 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 |
| Retinol (µg) | 0 |
| Carotene (µg) | 0 |
| Retinol Equivalent (µg) | 0 |
Pineapple juice, unsweetened
| Serving Size grams | 250 |
| Teaspoons of table sugar equivalent | 5.7 |
| Glycemic Index | 46 |
| Glycemic Load | 15.6 |
| Potential GI Range | 46 |