Fresh pineapple makes my world go round. I wish could eat it all the time, every day. Unfortunately, I can never eat as much pineapple as I’d like. Why is this? One reason: it destroys my mouth.
Sometimes, after a few minutes of eating fresh pineapple, my tongue, lips, and the roof of my mouth become raw and feel like they’re burning. In fact, once the roof of my mouth bled. No joke, I go hard on the good stuff.
Some people think they’re allergic to pineapple. Others notice how sour a pineapple sometimes tastes, and think it’s the acid that’s tearing up their mouth. Although pineapples do contain citric acid, which may contribute to discomfort, the acid is not the main culprit.
With a little bit of research, I found the answer. Pineapple is the only food known to contain bromelain, an enzyme that digests protein. The truth is, pineapple hurts to eat because bromelain is digesting the tender skin inside of your mouth.
Bromelain is most concentrated in the core (or stem) of the pineapple. When isolated, it is commonly used as a meat tenderizer (your tongue = meat). In supplement form, it is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Don’t let this stop your love affair with pineapple. Our magnificent bodies quickly regenerate new skin and heal our ravaged mouths. I’ve often gone to bed with a sore mouth, only to wake up the next morning feeling fine and ready for more pineapple.
There are also some ways to avoid the burning sensation. Heat denatures enzymes in any food, so pineapple that has been cooked will not hurt you (come at me, grilled pineapple). Some people say that cutting up the pineapple and letting that sit at room temperature will lessen the effects of bromelain, but that is a major underestimate of the powers of the enzyme. At room temperature, it can survive at least a week.
Your best bet (and mine) for eating as much fresh, raw pineapple as we care for without slaughtering our gums is to carefully cut out ALL of the stem/core. Learn how to cut a pineapple the right way here.
Lamnent on October 14th, 2017 at 09:42 UTC »
I worked at a grocery store for a while and when the pineapples would grow ANY mold on the bottom they'd put them in a box for a quarter that employees could buy since customers would complain. They were 100% good to eat and like at least 2 times a week I'd get one and just eat it throughout a day or two as a snack.
Well one week they went on sale and we had SO many left over so I had been eating at least 1 a day for about 10-12 days, the last day I ate one I was noticing my tongue was hurting, I looked in the mirror and it looked like I had rubbed it raw with sand paper, so you know, lesson learned.
Stephyyee on October 14th, 2017 at 07:32 UTC »
That's also why you can't put fresh pineapple in jello-- the enzyme breaks down the the gelatin and stops it from setting. Canned pineapples have to be used instead because the canning process heats the fruit enough for the enzyme to be denatured.
funkboxing on October 14th, 2017 at 04:19 UTC »
The challenge is to digest them before they digest you