China’s ban on the importation of Taiwanese pineapples has recently stirred up a “support the pineapples” movement in Taiwan. The pineapple has an auspicious meaning, symbolizing prosperity, but its nutritional value should not be overlooked, either, with pineapples being rich in fructose, enzymes and vitamins. As well as assisting digestion, they can also reduce blood pressure and relieve fatigue, but diabetics and people with gastrointestinal diseases should be careful about eating too many.
As well as being rich in fructose, pineapples also contain a protein-digesting enzyme called bromelain that can promote the digestion of protein in food and drinks. According to nutritionist Tsai Ya-chen of the Losheng Sanatorium, enzymes can assist digestion, while dietary fiber promotes intestinal peristalsis and can therefore prevent constipation. However, enzymes are easily affected by high temperatures, so if you want to preserve their enzymatic action, you can use the pineapple as a marinade or add them to a dish just before removing from the heat. Processed products made at high temperatures, such as pineapple jam and canned pineapples, have no enzymatic function. Pineapple cores are the part that contains the most dietary fiber and enzymes, so remember not to cut them out and throw them away.
Pineapples are relatively vitamin-rich. Vitamin B1 helps to metabolize carbohydrates and maintain good nerve conductivity and repair, and also helps to relieve fatigue and stimulates the appetite. Vitamin C protects blood vessels by reducing oxidative damage to their inner lining, the endothelium. Potassium helps to eliminate excess sodium ions from the body, thus acting as a natural antihypertensive agent. Additionally, due to their characteristic flavor, pineapples can reduce the need for flavorings in cooking, leading to reduced consumption of salt. They also remove carcinogenic nitrites from processed meat products such as sausages and ham.
Photo: Lin Tsuei-yi, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報林翠儀
Su Chia-hua, director of the Losheng Sanatorium’s nutrition department, says that people with diabetes or gastrointestinal diseases should be careful when consuming pineapples. Pineapples contain large amounts of carbohydrates and have a medium glycemic index, so they can easily cause pronounced blood sugar fluctuations. Diabetics should therefore restrict their daily consumption to two servings of 110 grams each, and they should not eat it too frequently. Furthermore, they must also avoid eating processed pineapple products such as dried and canned pineapple, pineapple jam and pineapple juice. Those who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases should bear in mind that pineapple is rich in enzymes, so as well as avoiding eating it on an empty stomach, if they have peptic ulcers their stomach wall is damaged, so they should do their best to avoid eating pineapple, or at least reduce the amount they consume.
(Translated by Julian Clegg, Taipei Times)
近期因為中國禁止進口台灣鳳梨，國內掀起一波「挺鳳梨」風潮！而鳳梨除了代表「旺旺來」的吉祥含意以外，營養價值也不容小覷。鳳梨含有豐富的果糖、酵素、維生素，除了能助消化，還能夠降低血壓、消除疲勞，但若為糖尿病患者或是腸胃疾病患者就要小心食用了。
鳳梨除了豐富果糖外，還含有一種叫作鳳梨酵素的蛋白質消化酵素，可以促進飲食中蛋白質的消化。樂生療養院營養師蔡雅禎表示，酵素能幫助消化，而膳食纖維有助腸蠕動，能預防便祕，但因為酵素易受到高溫影響，想要保有酵素活性，可利用醃料方式或於熄火前再入菜為佳，高溫製成的加工品如鳳梨醬、鳳梨罐頭則無酵素活性。而鳳梨心是膳食纖維和酵素含量最多的地方，切記勿切除丟棄。
在水果種類中，鳳梨含有較多的維生素，而維生素B1有助於醣類代謝，維持神經良好的傳導及修復，有助於消除疲勞還可以促進食慾，維生素C則具有保護血管的功效，降低血管內皮的氧化損傷。鉀有助於排除身體過多鈉離子，是天然降壓藥。加上鳳梨的獨特風味，降低烹調中調味料的使用，減少鹽分的攝取。對於肉類加工品，如香腸、火腿中的亞硝酸鹽致癌物也有清除的功能。
樂生療養院營養室主任蘇嘉華提醒，若糖尿病患者或是腸胃疾病患者，在攝取鳳梨須更加注意，鳳梨含有大量醣類，且屬中昇糖指數（GI值65）的水果，容易讓血糖波動明顯，每天需控制攝取量為兩個一百一十克的份量，減少攝取頻率。不但如此，還需避免鳳梨加工品如鳳梨果乾、鳳梨罐頭、鳳梨醬、鳳梨汁等產品的食用。而腸胃疾病患者，因鳳梨富含酵素，除了須避免空腹食用外，如本身有消化性潰瘍疾病時，因胃壁已有受損情形，應盡量避免食用或減少攝食量。
（自由時報）
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