Do you recall the last time you ate pineapple? How did your tongue feel before swallowing it?
Pineapple contains ‘bromelain’, an enzyme that breaks down protein. Since our body is made out of proteins, the pineapple you consume is trying to eat you, which is the reason why your tongue feels sore upon making contact with it. Scary or odd as it may sound, you don’t need to worry. In fact, upon swallowing a pineapple the acids in your stomach destroy this enzyme.
Bromelain possesses a number of great health benefits amongst which are the following:
1) Firstly, it acts as a digestive enzyme facilitating the breaking down of proteins. When protein molecules (in protein-rich foods) are broken down, they are more easily absorbed by the small intestine. This can be particularly helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition where the pancreas cannot produce enough digestive enzymes. In backing this benefit, one study showed how participants with pancreatic insufficiency experienced improved digestion after being administered with a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain.
2) Secondly, people whose body does not produce sufficient gastric acid can supplement with bromelain or consume a piece of pineapple before or with a protein rich-meal such as steak to facilitate digestion.
The bottomline is that one can actually facilitate the breaking down and subsequent absorption of proteins when coupled with (measured) consumption of pineapple.
To fitness with love,
Martina
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