10 Pineapple Benefits
With flu season here and COVID not going anywhere…let’s get into some holistic self healing and preventative care!
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Lots of people associate orange juice with the best juice to help you feel better. They think they’re really getting their “daily dose of vitamin C” from that bottle. What if I told you, that ‘orange juice’ isn’t really what you think it is? In 2011, Huffington Post did a piece titled, Why ‘100% Orange Juice’ is Still Artificial. This article highlights that despite many juices not being from concentrate, they are still far from the real thing. So what are you really drinking? A Director of the Florida Department of Citrus stated that “orange juice processing is similar to how you make orange juice at home” when in fact it is totally opposite. A 2011 Gizmodo article by Casey Chan reports that,
“Once the juice is squeezed and stored in gigantic vats, they start by removing oxygen. Why? Because removing oxygen from the juice allows the liquid to keep up to a year without spoiling. But! Removing that oxygen also removes natural flavors of oranges….So in order to have OJ actually taste like oranges, drink companies hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that make perfumes for Dior, to create these “flavor packs” to make juice taste like, well, juice again.”
Flavor packs? Yes. Each company (ie Minute Maid, Simply Orange, Tropicana, Florida’s Natural) all use flavor packs to ensure the consistency of their products. Have you ever wondered why every glass of orange juice from a specific brand, taste the same? Does every orange taste the same? No. These flavor packs don’t have to be listed in the ingredients! Companies get around this because technically these packs are made from “orange essence and oil” 🤔. Does this mean you should stop buying ‘orange juice’? Probably. I know I will ONLY be reaching for fresh squeezed or cold pressed juice made locally from now on. It’s more expensive but now I see why the alternatives are so cheap! Enough about OJ…let’s get back to pineapples!
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Pineapples are one of my favorite tropical citrus, sweet fruits! Truly I could eat this year round. Pineapples are a great source of key vitamins and by only eating them during the summer, you could be missing out on year long benefits. Pineapple contains a high amount of Vitamin C for the immune system as well as bromelain which is an anti-inflammatory, making it great for fighting infections and bacteria. A 2010 study by Kumar et al. on tuberculosis treatment identified and successfully tested 10 natural substances that help treat associated symptoms. The list included a spoonful of horsetail juice daily to reduce silica deficiency, 50 ml of concentrated garlic syrup 2x a day to work against microbes, bacteria, parasites and viruses, pineapple juice with a dash of pepper and a salt with honey once a day to help dissolve mucus as well as American ginseng taken 3x a day to help build immunity. This same study found that raw pineapple extracts could decrease mucus 5x faster than OTC (over the counter) cough syrups in participants with tuberculosis.
Other fruits with more Vitamin C than oranges
Maybe pineapples aren’t for you. No worries, there are still over fruits that have more vitamin C than oranges. To compare, oranges average 51.1 mg of vitamin c per small orange (96 g) and pineapples have 432.6 mg per fruit (905 g). Kiwis have 64 mg each (69g). Mangos average 122.3 mg per fruit (336 g). Strawberries have 7.1 mg each (12g) and 84.7 mg per cup. Papayas average 235 mg each or 88.3 mg per cup. Cantaloupe has 202.6 mg each (552g). Watermelon brings 22.7 mg per 280 g. Fruits aren’t the only foods that are high in Vitamin C. Bell peppers are a great option year around. A 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers has 190 mg of Vitamin C while 1 cup of chopped green bell peppers has 120 mg. 1 cup of kale has 80.4 mg. Broccoli is another great option with 132 mg per serving. A small head of cauliflower gives you 127.7 mg. Brussels sprouts yield 74.8 mg per serving.
Now, I have seen major media publications like USA Today publish articles trying to discredit or “fact check” this study’s findings as misleading but I strongly disagree and stand with the study. Personally, homeopathic medicine has always been the better answer for my body. Last January, I came down with the worst flu I have had since I caught the swine flu in high school! For context, I hadn’t had the flu since November 2012. I’m someone who does not get the flu shot and instead prefers preventative natural practices. It’s to the point when I’ve converted my parents and most of my friends to opting for herbal options to boost their immune system and combat virus or infection. But back to January. I ended up having to be taken to the hospital, I was given the flu test and it came back positive. Let’s be clear, I am not saying I think I had COVID back then. Just influenza. I had gone within the window to be prescribed Tamiflu or whatever. To be honest, I was very hesitant to take it but at that point I was in pretty bad shape. When I look back, I can see where I started to slack in my preventative care which evidently left me less prepared to fight off the virus I had encountered. I say all that to remind you that we are starting FLU SEASON in the middle of a VIRAL PANDEMIC! Please be proactive about your health rather than reactive. Now is the time to take your health goals and priorities more serious than ever! If the regular flu knocked me on my ass, I ain’t even got time to be anywhere near COVID!
Looking for an easy wellness recipe to make? Try this!
-Ginger root (about 2-3 inches) powder in this case is not as good, paste is a better alternative
-1 cup of pineapple (chunks or juiced)
-1 teaspoon honey
-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-pinch of salt
Blend all ingredients. Drink 1/4 of a cup 3x daily.
You can also use 1 garlic bulb or powder if you don’t want to go the ginger route. Use what you have on hand, there are plenty of recipes online.