By Funke Oshifuye
Pineapples can add colour to your delicious fresh fruit salad when used as a dessert, making your dessert hard to resist. It could also make a nice smoothie along with other tropical fruits. Their exceptional juiciness gives the right balance to your glass of smoothie or bowl of fresh fruit salad.

Pineapple is an excellent source of Vitamin C, which is the body’s primary water-soluble antioxidant, defending the body against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells. Free radicals cause damage to the cells of the colon making them cancerous and also increase the risk of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.

In addition, this vitamin that pineapple contains is vital for the proper function of the immune system, making it a nutrient to turn to for the prevention of recurrent ear infections, colds, and flu. This richness in vitamin C, also makes pineapple good for oral health, reducing the risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Eat your pineapple fresh, if you want to derive maximum benefit, as canning or bottling divides the vitamin C content by three.

One cup of fresh pineapple supplies 128.0 percent of the recommended daily allowance for manganese, an important trace mineral which is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important for our antioxidant defenses.  Manganese is also crucial to the building of our bones and connective tissues.

In effect, pineapples can strengthen our bones throughout our life cycle. In addition, pineapple is also a good source of thiamin(vitamin B1) which acts as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions central to energy production.

Most importantly, pineapple houses the protein digesting enzyme mixture called bromelain. This enzyme is a natural anti-inflammatory that encourages healing. It is very effective in treating bruises, sprains and strains by reducing swelling, tenderness and pain.

Excessive inflammation, excessive coagulation of the blood, and certain types of tumor growth may all be reduced by therapeutic doses of bromelain. This enzyme helps break down the amino acid bonds in proteins, which promotes good digestion. So add pineapples to your fruit list and you never have to worry about that constipation or bloating.

High in dietary fiber, pineapple can increase your bowel movement, while at the same time destroying harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines. It is also a good source of vitamin B6 and copper.