Did you know that once upon a time pineapples cost about $8,000 each, and were primarily enjoyed by royalty? Thankfully, things have changed and ordinary folk like you and I can get our hands and mouths on the sweet, delicious yellow fruit.

Speaking of mouths, have you ever noticed how pineapple can make your tongue and cheeks feel all itchy and rough?

What’s up with that?

Were the elite of the world so upset about pineapple becoming an accessible commodity that they put a curse on the fruit?

No, the answer is a bit more scientific than that.

Enter Bromelain.

The coolest of all the enzymes.

The coolest of all the enzymes.

Bromelain is known as “the pineapple enzyme” because – yup, you guessed it – it is primarily found in the oddly-shaped fruit.

It’s an awesome enzyme that provides pineapple with many positive effects, including anti-inflammation, anti-aging and pain relief.

In fact, bromelain is even sold as a supplement that can help your body fight cancer, digestive disorders, injury, asthma, allergies, sinus infections and even joint pain.

Also Read: 8 Reasons Why You Should Start Eating Pineapple Today!

But you know that saying about how every rose has its thorn? Well, bromelain isn’t a rose, but it certainly does have a thorn.

When it comes into contact with sensitive skin, like the skin in your mouth, bromelain causes a breakdown in protein that leads to soreness.

In other words, when you eat a pineapple, it eats you back.

And not just in Soviet Russia.

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Can you eat pineapple without the soreness?

Yup! You can indeed fight back.

One method is to lightly grill the pineapple, which will kill the bromelain and stop it from trying to eat your mouth.

You can also attack the bromelain by adding some salt to the pineapple once you’ve cut it. This will also make it taste a whole lot sweeter.

If you like the taste of fresh pineapple and want to avoid cooking it or adding anything, another way to reduce that raw, tingling sensation in your mouth is to cut the pineapple properly, removing the core entirely.

The core and skin contain most of the fruit’s bromelain, so by removing those, you leave yourself with consequence-free awesomeness!

Pineapple is good for more than just a refreshing meal.

Check out this video from David’s Facebook page to learn how the fruit is being used to make sustainable leather!

https://www.facebook.com/DavidAvocadoWolfe/videos/10153600704741512/

Sources:
SpoonUniversity.com
Huffington Post
Mental Floss