NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium

🍍

Pineapple

Ananas comosus

Tropical source of vitamin C and bromelain

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits
Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Fruits
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup chunks (165 g)

165gSERVING
  • Water 142 g86%
  • Sugars 16.2 g10%
  • Fibre 2.3 g1%
  • Other carbs 3.1 g2%
  • Protein 0.8 g0%
  • Fat 0.2 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C88%Manganese67%Copper20%Vitamin B611%Thiamin11%Folate7%Potassium4%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
83 kcal0.8 g protein2.3 g fiber0.2 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C79 mg88%
Manganese1.5 mg67%
Copper0.18 mg20%
Vitamin B60.18 mg11%
Thiamin0.13 mg11%
Folate30 µg DFE7%
Potassium180 mg4%
Magnesium20 mg5%
Fibre2.3 g8%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Pineapple?

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a fruit used for high vitamin c supports immune function and antioxidant defence. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Pineapple is a nutrient-dense tropical fruit notable for vitamin C and manganese, and is the dietary source of the proteolytic enzyme complex bromelain. Most human health evidence concerns concentrated bromelain supplements rather than the whole fruit: a 40-patient pilot RCT found 500 mg/day bromelain improved WOMAC osteoarthritis scores over 16 weeks, and a meta-analysis of 6 RCTs showed moderate reductions in pain (but not swelling or trismus) after third-molar surgery. A systematic review of bromelain and inflammation found effects to be inconsistent and isolated rather than consistently positive, and trials are small, heterogeneous, and often combine bromelain with other enzymes. A controlled trial of canned-pineapple intake in schoolchildren suggested fewer infections, but whole-fruit clinical data are sparse. Overall, the weight of human evidence for health benefits from eating pineapple itself is preliminary; the stronger (still moderate-quality) signals come from supplemental bromelain.

Purported Benefits

High vitamin C supports immune function and antioxidant defence
Manganese contributes to bone and connective-tissue metabolism
Bromelain may reduce post-surgical pain and improve recovery quality of life
Possible adjunctive relief of osteoarthritis pain (supplemental bromelain)
Provides hydration and modest dietary fibre
Bromelain may affect some inflammatory markers, though trial evidence is inconsistent

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
A typical serving is 1 cup of fresh chunks (~165 g), delivering most of a day's vitamin C and roughly two-thirds the Daily Value for manganese. Bromelain-specific benefits in trials use concentrated supplements (roughly 200-1200 mg/day), not the amounts realistically obtained from eating the fruit.
Active Compounds
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)Bromelain (cysteine protease complex)ManganeseVitamin B6 (pyridoxine)CopperPotassiumPhenolic acids (ferulic, gallic)Soluble & insoluble fibre

Safety & Cautions

Bromelain can cause oral tingling/irritation and mild GI upset (nausea, diarrhoea); IgE-mediated allergy and cross-reactivity (latex-fruit syndrome) occur. Bromelain has antiplatelet/fibrinolytic activity and may potentiate anticoagulants (warfarin), antiplatelet drugs, and increase absorption of some antibiotics (amoxicillin, tetracycline); caution before surgery. The fruit's natural sugars (~16 g per cup) warrant portion awareness in diabetes. Unlike grapefruit, pineapple is not a clinically significant CYP3A4 inhibitor. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Pineapple with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

Meta-analysis Leelakanok 2023 ✓ PubMed
Systematic review and meta-analysis (39 trials pooled): oral bromelain gave a small but significant improvement in pain control (MD -0.27) and topical bromelain accelerated burn debridement, with no proven cardiovascular benefit.
Systematic review de la Corte-Rodriguez 2023 ✓ PubMed
Systematic review of 7 RCTs (bromelain 99.9-1200 mg/day, 1-16 weeks, alone or combined): effects on inflammatory markers were inconsistent and isolated across studies, with few adverse events.
Meta-analysis JBCR 2025 (Burns meta-analysis) ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of deep burns found bromelain-based enzymatic debridement reduced time to eschar removal by 7.60 days versus standard care and lowered need for surgical excision and autografts, with no difference in time to wound closure.
Meta-analysis Burn debridement SR/MA 2024 ✓ Full text
Comprehensive systematic review/meta-analysis (literature to March 2024) of bromelain-based enzymatic debridement in deep burns reported faster complete debridement versus standard care.
Meta-analysis Mendes 2018 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 6 RCTs after third-molar surgery: bromelain produced moderate pain reduction at 24h and 7d and improved quality of life, but no effect on swelling or trismus.
RCT Sci Rep 2025 ✓ Source
Randomized controlled trial evaluated bromelain plus alpha-lipoic acid for recovery outcomes after breast-conserving surgery.
Agency / regulator NCCIH (Bromelain) ✓ Source
NIH NCCIH summary notes limited high-quality human evidence for bromelain and cautions about allergy/bleeding interactions and GI side effects.
RCT Kasemsuk 2016 ✓ PubMed
Single-blind pilot RCT in 40 knee-osteoarthritis patients: 500 mg/day oral bromelain for 16 weeks improved total WOMAC score (12.2 vs 25.5 at baseline) and pain, stiffness and function subscales.
RCT Cervo 2014 ✓ PubMed
RCT in 98 schoolchildren: daily canned pineapple (140-280 g) was associated with shorter/fewer infections and higher granulocyte and CD16+56 immune-cell counts at the higher dose.
Review Brien 2004 ✓ PubMed
Review of clinical studies concluded bromelain shows promise for osteoarthritis symptom relief but that no large single-agent RCTs yet establish efficacy.

Common questions about Pineapple

What is Pineapple used for?

Pineapple is most often taken for High vitamin C supports immune function and antioxidant defence, Manganese contributes to bone and connective-tissue metabolism, Bromelain may reduce post-surgical pain and improve recovery quality of life, Possible adjunctive relief of osteoarthritis pain (supplemental bromelain). Tropical source of vitamin C and bromelain

Does Pineapple work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Pineapple is a nutrient-dense tropical fruit notable for vitamin C and manganese, and is the dietary source of the proteolytic enzyme complex bromelain. Most human health evidence concerns concentrated bromelain supplements rather than the whole fruit: a 40-patient pilot RCT found 500 mg/day bromelain improved WOMAC osteoarthritis scores over 16 weeks, and a meta-analysis of 6 RCTs showed moderate reductions in pain (but not swelling or trismus) after third-molar surgery. A systematic review of bromelain and inflammation found effects to be inconsistent and isolated rather than consistently positive, and trials are small, heterogeneous, and often combine bromelain with other enzymes. A controlled trial of canned-pineapple intake in schoolchildren suggested fewer infections, but whole-fruit clinical data are sparse. Overall, the weight of human evidence for health benefits from eating pineapple itself is preliminary; the stronger (still moderate-quality) signals come from supplemental bromelain.

What is the typical dose of Pineapple?

A typical serving is 1 cup of fresh chunks (~165 g), delivering most of a day's vitamin C and roughly two-thirds the Daily Value for manganese. Bromelain-specific benefits in trials use concentrated supplements (roughly 200-1200 mg/day), not the amounts realistically obtained from eating the fruit.

Is Pineapple safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Bromelain can cause oral tingling/irritation and mild GI upset (nausea, diarrhoea); IgE-mediated allergy and cross-reactivity (latex-fruit syndrome) occur. Bromelain has antiplatelet/fibrinolytic activity and may potentiate anticoagulants (warfarin), antiplatelet drugs, and increase absorption of some antibiotics (amoxicillin, tetracycline); caution before surgery. The fruit's natural sugars (~16 g per cup) warrant portion awareness in diabetes. Unlike grapefruit, pineapple is not a clinically significant CYP3A4 inhibitor.

How many studies support Pineapple?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for Pineapple, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Pineapple (Ananas comosus): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/pineapple

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_pineapple,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Pineapple (Ananas comosus): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/pineapple},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

← Back to the full dex · All substances