This fruit which grows on the ground (not on trees as some believe) is one of the most popular tropical varieties. During the hay day of James Dole (of the company bearing his namesake) Hawaii accounted for nearly 75% of the world's production. That was almost a century ago and today, only a sliver of marketshare comes from the Hawaiian islands.Perhaps the biggest nutritional benefit associated with pineapple is bromelain, which is an enzyme found in the fruit, with its greatest concentration being in the stem. There is a wide amount of research which has suggested that bromelain has potent anti-inflammatory properties (1). When one has surgery - whether planned or cosmetic in nature - it's not uncommon for their doctor to recommend 500 mg bromelain supplements during recovery. It has also been suggested as a possible nutritional supplement for chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.That aside, do pineapples have vitamin C and other antioxidants? Just one cup of the chopped fruit (165 grams worth) provides you with 131% of your daily value of vitamin C and 10% for vitamin B-6. Beyond those two, pineapples are not a particularly potent source of vitamins or antioxidant content.
ORAC Source
USDA Database for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2 - Prepared by Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - May 2010