Pineapple - Natures Carnivore

FUN FACT: I USED TO BE ALLERGIC TO PINEAPPLE.

Have you ever noticed that eating fresh pineapple might make your mouth feel a bit funny? A bit tingly perhaps… Don’t worry - if it’s only a little tingle, you probably aren’t allergic. It’s just the enzymes contained within the pineapple starting to breakdown the protein coating in your mouth…. UHM WHAT?

Sounds gross doesn’t it?

The main enzyme in Pineapple, Bromelain, is one of the best enzymes used for breaking down the proteins that we eat. But do you know what it also helps with?

REDUCING INFLAMMATION!!

What is this enzyme and what exactly is it doing?

Bromelain is a complex mixture of protealytic enzymes (enzymes used to break down proteins). Bromelain is widely used in supplement form to help combat excess inflammation, speed up wound-healing time, to help reduce symptoms of hayfever and sinusitis and even help with digestion.

Did you know in some countries, like those in South America they actually eat fresh pineapple or paw paw after their meals (especially protein dense meals) to help aid digestion and increase nutrient absorption from the food that they eat. Goes to show that traditional medicine learned from generations and generations of practice, can also be proven scientifically.

So: Inflammation… what is it?

We’ve all experienced some form of inflammation in our life, whether it’s a scratch, a pulled muscle or even a rash.

But what exactly is inflammation and why does it happen?

Inflammation is a natural process that occurs within the body in reaction to internal or external trauma. Our bodies recognise that we might be under attack and send our ‘soldiers’ and our ‘medial officers’ there to help fight whatever may be trying to invade our body. This often results in redness, heat or an itchy feeling wherever the trauma occurred. Sometimes it’s a mix of all three… so, this process is actually part of our bodies NATURAL defence and healing system and without it, more infections could potentially occur. So it isn’t necessarily a bad thing to have a little bit of inflammation. However, prolonged or reoccurring inflammation can be a symptom of something more serious and very detrimental to our body and our body systems.

TRY ADDING SOME FRESH PINEAPPLE INTO YOUR DAY AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE, LITERALLY.

As with any natural therapy or medication, you should discuss with your healthcare professional - such as a naturopath before taking.

*cover photo: Macduff Everton/Getty Images