Pineapple Nutrition facts
Pineapple
One of the most prized and popular fruits, pineapple or 'ananas' has an interesting history to narrate. Originally indigenous to local Paraguayans in South America, it spread from its native land by the local Indians up through the South and Central Americas and to the West Indies. Later, it was brought to Spain when Columbus discovered the Americas’ in 1493. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it spread to the rest of the world by the European sailors (just like tomatoes) who carried it along with them to protect themselves from scurvy, a disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin-C.
Scientifically, it is known as Ananas comosus and belongs to the family of Bromeliaceae, in the genus; Ananas.
Pineapple is a tropical, perennial, drought-tolerant plant. It reaches up to 5-8 ft in height and spreads around about 3-4 feet radius cover. It is essentially a short, stout stem with a rosette of waxy, long, needle-tipped leaves.
The plant bears several long, oval to cylindrical fruits during each season lasting from March until June.
Botanically, the A. comosus can be described as a compound (multiple) fruits. The whole pineapple actually develops from the aggregation of many smaller fruits fused together around the central core.
| Nutrition Principle | Nutrition Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | ||
| Energy | 50 Kcal | 2.5% |
| Carbohydrates | 13.52 g | 10% |
| Protein | 0.54 g | 1% |
| Total Fat | 0.12 g | <1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.40 g | 4% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 18 μg | 4.5% |
| Niacin | 0.500 mg | 4% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.112 mg | 9% |
| Riboflavin | 0.018 mg | 1.5% |
| Thiamin | 0.079 mg | 6.5% |
| Vitamin A | 58 IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 47.8 mg | 80% |
| Vitamin E | 0.02 mg | <1% |
| Vitamin K | 0.07 μg | 0.5% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 109 mg | 2.5% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 13 mg | 1.3% |
| Copper | 0.110 mg | 12% |
| Iron | 0.29 mg | 3.5% |
| Magnesium | 12 mg | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.927 mg | 40% |
| Phosphorus | 8 mg | 1% |
| Selenium | 0.1 μg | <1% |
| Zinc | 0.12 mg | 1% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-β | 35 µg | -- |
| Crypto-xanthin-β | 0 mcg | -- |