Pineapple Diet: What Does It Really Bring Us?
The pineapple diet is a real classic. But can you really lose weight with it? We’ll tell you the pros and cons of this diet.
What is the Pineapple Diet?
The pineapple diet is a classic crash diet, where (almost) only pineapple may be consumed. Instead, large quantities of pineapple are consumed throughout the day. It doesn’t matter whether in the form of pineapple juice or in pieces, but fresh fruit should be used (canned pineapple is often added sugar). It is important that no more than about 1,000 calories are consumed daily – this corresponds to about two large fruits. The pineapple diet is intended to stimulate fat burning through the enzyme bromelain, which can break down proteins, so that you can lose a lot of weight.
Overall, the pineapple diet should be carried out over a period of about three to seven days. Apart from the pineapple itself, the only other liquid on the menu is water or unsweetened tea – at least three litres a day. In the pineapple diet, we consume about 90 percent short-chain carbohydrates, while protein and healthy fat are missing in the crash diet. As with all mono diets, where only one specific food may be consumed, the radical and one-sided change of diet to pineapple should result in many kilos being lost in a short time.
Bromelain in the pineapple – What effect does it have?
The enzyme bromelain is considered a small miracle of health: it is contained in both the stem and the juice of the pineapple and is responsible for the fruit being considered a real fat killer. This is because the enzyme is said to improve not only fat burning but also digestion. This has not actually been proven by studies. However, studies do indicate that it can have an anti-inflammatory effect, which could help with flu-like infections or rheumatism, for example.
What does the pineapple diet bring?
Apart from bromelain, the pineapple is also said to help with weight loss because studies suggest that people with high vitamin C levels tend to have a smaller waist circumference. And the pineapple has a high vitamin C content: 100 grams of the fruit contain about 20 milligrams of vitamin C, which corresponds to one-fifth of the daily requirement). Although there is no study that proves that you can really lose weight as a result. But it is clear that the pineapple diet can cause you to lose a few kilos in the short term, if only because of the reduced amount of calories – whereby it is water and not fat.
Advantages of the Pineapple Diet
The following are the advantages of a diet with pineapple:
- Rapid weight loss
- High fluid intake is generally healthy
- Pineapple is a healthy and delicious fruit, which makes it easier to keep going (for a crash diet)
Disadvantages of the pineapple diet
Unfortunately, the disadvantages of the pineapple diet outweigh its advantages:
- Severe nutrient and vitamin deficiency due to unbalanced diet with pineapple
- Fat and protein are also missing – especially the lack of protein can lead to muscle loss
- High fruit acid content, which can lead to heartburn and sore mouth
- Flatulence and diarrhoea are possible because the liver can only process a certain amount of fructose from the pineapple – the remaining fructose reaches the small intestine undigested and thus causes discomfort
- That bromelain actually improves fat burning is not proven
- High risk of yo-yo effect as soon as the diet is finished – weight loss is not long-term
Our conclusion on the pineapple diet
Like all crash diets, the pineapple diet is unbalanced and can quickly lead to deficiency symptoms in the body. It is also difficult to maintain due to its one-sidedness. Although the pineapple diet can help you lose a few kilos in the short term, they will quickly return after the diet. If at all, this diet is only suitable for a few days at most if you want to lose weight as quickly as possible, for example before a holiday.