Ingredients:
Sweet, fresh, ripe pineapples
Refined sugar
Sodium metabisulfate (food grade, available at a chemical store).
Materials:
Drier or dehydrator
Trays
Weighing scale
Cooking stove
Bowl
Basin
Plastic containers
Procedure:
1. Peel and remove pineapple cores.
2. Cut pineapples into 1-inch-thick pieces.
3. Steam pineapple pieces for 20 minutes.
4. Transfer steamed pineapples in a mixing bowl. Add sugar equivalent to 1/3 of pineapples’ weight. Toss into mixture a pinch of sodium metabisulfate and mix.
5. Let bowl stand in a basin of warm water for 3 hours.
6. Separate pieces from syrup and dry them in a drier until moisture is about 25 percent.
7. Store the pieces in thick, airtight plastic containers.
***
Health Benefits of Pineapples:
Pineapples are not only a very tasty fruit, but they also contain several peculiar compounds that have been either proven or theorized to be extremely beneficial.
One of the most important is bromelain, which is also sold as a supplement and extracted from pineapples' stems; other include the great amounts of antioxidants and phytochemicals with their anti-mutagenic function.
It was subsequently discovered that bromelain, the supplement containing these pineapple extracts, also had several other beneficial effects, such as a reduction in inflammation, lower risk of thrombosis and cancer-fighting properties, when given at therapeutic doses as a supplement.
These benefits have not yet been proven at lower doses (such as those obtained by eating a pineapple), but it is reasonable to expect them to still be present, albeit with a lower potency.
In addition to this, most of the studies have been carried out only on the stem extract, but there are several sources stating that the fruit's core extract has slightly different properties, although they haven't been fully understood yet.
Several patients have reported a better digestion after eating pineapples for several days, and even though scientific studies on that effect have not been carried out, it is theorized that especially the fruit's core has a digestion-promoting function, probably because of the presence of cystein proteases.
High levels of free radicals have been linked to diabetes, asthma attacks, increased rates of colon cancer (especially in patients with polyps) and more severe joint pain in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Antioxidants such as vitamin C are extremely effective at reducing circulating free radicals, and vitamin C in particular also ensures proper functioning of the immune system, especially when recovering from infections.
Being deficient in manganese has been linked to extremely low levels of superoxide dismutase, and increased levels of free radicals and cellular damage: by eating a cup of freshly sliced pineapples you will ensure 128% of the recommended daily value for manganese.
Vitamin B1, which is also contained in relatively high quantities in pineapples, is an essential enzyme for the proper functioning of energy-producing systems in our bodies.
Macular Degeneration is the primary cause of sight loss in adults, and the study found that by eating at least 1.5 servings of fruits daily, one can reduce the risk of developing the disease by 36%.
Risk reduction was not directly linked to consumption of vegetables, antioxidants and vitamins, but to the consumption of whole fruits: the optimal level, according to the study, is three servings a day, which can be easily reached by adding sliced pineapples on your morning cereal/yogurt or dressing up salads with pineapple cubes.
One of the most important is bromelain, which is also sold as a supplement and extracted from pineapples' stems; other include the great amounts of antioxidants and phytochemicals with their anti-mutagenic function.
Bromelain protects from Inflammation
Extensive laboratory research has been carried out on pineapple extracts obtained from the stem: it was initially believed that some protein-cleaving enzymes (cysteine protease) provided most of the beneficial health effects observed by researchers and that these effects were limited to the digestive tract.It was subsequently discovered that bromelain, the supplement containing these pineapple extracts, also had several other beneficial effects, such as a reduction in inflammation, lower risk of thrombosis and cancer-fighting properties, when given at therapeutic doses as a supplement.
These benefits have not yet been proven at lower doses (such as those obtained by eating a pineapple), but it is reasonable to expect them to still be present, albeit with a lower potency.
In addition to this, most of the studies have been carried out only on the stem extract, but there are several sources stating that the fruit's core extract has slightly different properties, although they haven't been fully understood yet.
Several patients have reported a better digestion after eating pineapples for several days, and even though scientific studies on that effect have not been carried out, it is theorized that especially the fruit's core has a digestion-promoting function, probably because of the presence of cystein proteases.
Pineapples' antioxidants protect from several diseases
Pineapples contain relatively high quantities of water-soluble antioxidants, namely Vitamin C, which have been proven in several studies to quench the oxidative power of free radicals, which are, in turn, responsible for increased mutation rates, DNA damage and atherosclerosis.High levels of free radicals have been linked to diabetes, asthma attacks, increased rates of colon cancer (especially in patients with polyps) and more severe joint pain in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Antioxidants such as vitamin C are extremely effective at reducing circulating free radicals, and vitamin C in particular also ensures proper functioning of the immune system, especially when recovering from infections.
Manganese and B1 Vitamin
Pineapples are an excellent source of manganese, a trace mineral necessary for the synthesis of several important enzymes such as superoxide dismutase: this enzyme has a function similar to vitamin C, in reducing free radicals produced in mitochondria (organelles used in cellular respiration), and as such is linked with decreased risk in the several aforementioned diseases.Being deficient in manganese has been linked to extremely low levels of superoxide dismutase, and increased levels of free radicals and cellular damage: by eating a cup of freshly sliced pineapples you will ensure 128% of the recommended daily value for manganese.
Vitamin B1, which is also contained in relatively high quantities in pineapples, is an essential enzyme for the proper functioning of energy-producing systems in our bodies.
Protection from Macular Degeneration
A study published in the Archives of Ophtalmology involving 110,000 subjects of both sexes evaluated the effects of consuming fruits, vegetables, antioxidant vitamins such as A,C and E and carotenoids on the risk of developing Age-Related Macular Degeneration.Macular Degeneration is the primary cause of sight loss in adults, and the study found that by eating at least 1.5 servings of fruits daily, one can reduce the risk of developing the disease by 36%.
Risk reduction was not directly linked to consumption of vegetables, antioxidants and vitamins, but to the consumption of whole fruits: the optimal level, according to the study, is three servings a day, which can be easily reached by adding sliced pineapples on your morning cereal/yogurt or dressing up salads with pineapple cubes.
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