Eat This Guilt-Free Bone-Healthy Sweet

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Nutrition

Evidence-Based
3 min Read
pineapple osteoporosis

Its name is an uncharacteristic blend of two languages – Spanish and English. In fact, it was Spain’s Queen Isabella who named it in 1493, after Christopher Columbus brought it from the island of Guadeloupe.

But the crowning glory of the delicious pineapple, a Foundation Food, is its rich content of bone-healthy nutrients, most of which are Foundation Supplements. In fact, I grow my own in a pot in my backyard.

Vitamin C Galore!

One cup of fresh pineapple chunks contains more than 100% of the RDA for Vitamin C or ascorbic acid. Among many of its roles, this crucial vitamin and antioxidant is involved in collagen formation that binds the bone matrix cells together by forming hydroxyapatite in bones.

If you have the Osteoporosis Reversal Program you know that the RDA is nowhere near the amount to support your bones. I encourage you to get this crucial vitamin from foods and not only from supplements. So pineapple is a great way to enhance your Vitamin C consumption.

Other Foundation Supplements in Pineapple

  • Manganese, a trace mineral necessary for the synthesis of connective tissue in cartilage and bone.
  • Copper, another trace mineral which is active in an enzyme necessary for the production of collagen and elastin, both connective tissue proteins.
  • Vitamins B6, B1 and folate, all part of the B-complex nutrients that act synergistically with each other, and more importantly, with bone-supporting vitamin B12.

Amazing Anti-Inflammatory and Digestive Properties

Pineapple contains bromelain, a complex enzyme system that breaks down protein, helping with digestion. In therapeutic doses, bromelain helps reduce inflammation, control allergies, speed wound healing of burns, and reduce pain and postoperative swelling. Additionally…

Pineapple Slows Down the Release of Glucose

If you’re worried that the temptingly sweet flavor of pineapple could greatly increase your daily sugar consumption, I have good news for you. Pineapple contains chlorogenic acid (CGA), an antioxidant that slows down the release of glucose into the bloodstream. However, one cup of fresh pineapple has 20g of carbohydrates, of which 14 are sugar, so have it in moderation and select fresh over canned.

How to Pick a Pineapple

When selecting a pineapple, make sure the leaves on top are not browning. Let a green pineapple ripen outside the refrigerator. If you get a yellow pineapple, you can judge it also by its sweet aroma, especially at the stem end. Once you cut it up, store it in the fridge, preferably in an airtight container.