The hot summer weather often leads to a poor appetite, but the sweet and sour pineapple is a popular appetizing and cooling fruit. TCM practitioners state that because pineapple is rich in vitamins, it has functions such as strengthening the stomach to aid digestion, tonifying the spleen to stop diarrhea, clearing the stomach to quench thirst, and especially, pineapple enzyme can effectively break down fat, inhibit obesity-related fat, and moderate consumption has a positive effect on healthy weight loss.
Experts say pineapple is a neutral-tonifying fruit that can be consumed by the general public. When cooked with meat, it can make the meat tender. It can also be used as a medicinal food, helping to relieve summer heat, irritability, promote saliva to quench thirst, strengthen the stomach and aid digestion. It can even help the human body digest and absorb protein and inhibit obesity.
Pineapple, with its neutral properties, improves constipation and inhibits obesity
From a TCM perspective, it is believed that sour fruits are suitable for consumption in the summer to reduce sweating and expel dampness, while also preventing the body from being depleted of yin fluids due to excessive sweating. Among cooling fruits, pineapple has a sweet, neutral nature with a slight sour and astringent taste. Its protease can effectively break down protein in food and increase intestinal peristalsis. For those often troubled by constipation, you can try a folk remedy: eat a fresh pineapple slice every morning to aid digestion and prevent constipation.
Essentially, the protein-digesting enzymes in pineapple can break down protein and aid digestion. Especially rich in bromelain, it is a very suitable natural fruit for weight loss for modern people who have long consumed excessive meat and greasy food. At the same time, pineapple's tempting aroma comes from its ester component, which has the effect of stimulating saliva secretion and promoting appetite.
Experts emphasize that in fact, pineapple is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins B1, B2, C, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. It not only aids digestion but can also be used in cooking to add a fresh, tender texture. Moderate consumption of pineapple has excellent medicinal food effects on symptoms such as nephritis with difficult urination, high blood pressure, bronchitis, cough, sore throat, indigestion, and drunkenness.
There are precautions for eating pineapple; soak in salt water first
However, there are some taboos when eating pineapple. People with digestive tract ulcers, severe liver or kidney disease, or incomplete blood clotting function should eat less or no pineapple to avoid worsening their condition. Even for normal consumers, it should be noted that it cannot be consumed in large quantities on an empty stomach. Because pineapple contains organic acid, it is recommended to soak it in salt water before eating to break it down.
4 steps to select pineapple
1. Pick the weight: When buying, choose a fruit that is firm and full, with a weight between 1.2 and 1.5 kg. The eyes should be open without cracks, and the skin should be clean, fresh, and undamaged.
2. Smell the aroma: The stem should be small with a fresh cut, and the fruit should have a rich aroma. When choosing pineapple in the spring, it's best to pick one that is more than half yellowed, as it will be less sour and astringent. In the summer, because pineapple has a high sugar content, it's best to choose one that is one-third yellowed.
3. Gently tap: When selecting, you can gently tap the fruit with your fingers. If the sound is clear and resonant like a drum, its flesh is delicate and stores well. Fully ripe fruits that are nearly completely yellowed have better sweetness and flavor and are the top choice for purchase.
4. Observe the color: Fruits that make a thick, muffled sound, like tapping an arm, have juicy and refreshing flesh but are not as suitable for long-term storage and should be eaten soon. If the peel is completely dark orange or has an overripe, fermented smell, it is not recommended to choose it.