Kelly Turner
The pineapple diet is based solely on the popular tropical fruit and is said to lead to rapid weight loss. But is it effective – and healthy?
The pineapple diet is one of the so-called mono diets. This means that only one food is consumed throughout the diet period. In the case of this fruit diet, the tropical fruit is actually consumed without exception over a period of several days – this should make it possible to lose weight in a short time.
Pineapple Benefits
The pineapple is not considered an extremely popular fruit for nothing. The enzyme bromelain it contains has a stimulating effect on fat burning. At the same time, it helps the body with digestion. In addition, the pineapple is still low in calories (a whole kilogram has only 590 calories) and has many vitamins, trace elements, and minerals that support our immune system. It also contains very little fat. Pineapple is also said to have other positive properties: it is said to have a detoxifying effect, protect the body from free radicals and prevent premature aging and even cancer. Due to the high content of tryptophan, a precursor of the happiness hormone serotonin, pineapple can also brighten the mood. It is also a good source of iodine, which in turn benefits the thyroid.
How does the pineapple diet work?
In principle, there are only two rules for the pineapple diet that must be observed: Only pineapple may be eaten – and the daily calorie count should be limited to around 1,000 calories. So you can eat about two whole fruits a day. You should definitely drink enough – preferably three liters of water or unsweetened tea per day. It is important that you do not consume already-cut pineapple from the can. Sugar is usually added to this, which would of course be absolutely counterproductive for the planned weight loss. So you should buy the pineapple as a whole fruit and prepare it yourself. So you can safely avoid an additional amount of industrial sugar and assume a healthy weight loss success. If you stick to the pineapple diet for two to three days, you will probably notice an initial weight loss. Exercising in addition can intensify the effect.
Disadvantages of the pineapple diet
Even if you lose a kilo or two: The negative side is that it is usually not fat, but water. And even worse: Muscle mass was probably also broken down – because there are no proteins in pineapples that could counteract muscle breakdown. Thus, although the pineapple diet is a short-term option for losing weight, it cannot achieve lasting weight loss. Since such a one-sided and low-calorie diet causes the insulin level to drop, food cravings are inevitable. In addition, the consumer during the pineapple diet takes in too little fiber, protein, and minerals important for the body. In addition, radical crash diets are often accompanied by a yo-yo effect, since the body adjusts to the so-called starvation mode during the diet. If you eat normally again after the diet, the lost pounds usually return all the faster.
Criticism of mono diets
Mono diets like the pineapple diet are indeed controversial: while some rely on the detoxifying and fat-burning effect of a mono diet – specifically, for example, mono-fruit diets – others believe that limiting yourself to a single food is counterproductive. According to the naturopath and nutritional expert specializing in metabolic health, Marlen Krausmann, there is basically no reason to limit yourself to a single food. It is more advisable “to use the whole range of food available to us”, provided that it is fresh, unprocessed food as possible. In the case of mono diets, it can be stated in principle that a crash diet – i.e. a diet designed for a few days – can be quite effective and harmless for healthy people. Mono diets are definitely unsuitable for a long-term diet since the extreme one-sidedness of the menu leads to serious nutrient deficiencies – no matter how healthy the food is that is at the center of the mono diet. A balanced diet rich in vitamins, nutrients and fiber is essential for the health of the body.
Conclusion
Simply because of the calorie reduction, it is possible that losing weight with the pineapple diet works relatively quickly – at least a few kilos. However, you should be aware that this is not a sustainable weight loss and that you primarily lose water (and muscle mass). So you should only consider the diet if you are healthy. It is also recommended to speak to a doctor before starting the diet.
Important: The diet should never be carried out for more than a few days. If you want to lose weight sustainably, you should definitely stay away from mono-diets such as the pineapple diet and consider a healthy, varied diet with sufficient exercise as a long-term change in diet.
