Hair And Nail Health With Pineapple Nutrients

How can pineapple help my hair and nail health?

Pineapples are a tropical fruit which originated in South America, and is widely cultivated throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and tropical Asia. Central American Costa Rica is the main global exporter of pineapple, followed by Indonesia and the Philippines.¹

Pineapples contain many healthy vitamins, antioxidants, and trace elements. They also have a very high water content, which contributes to hydration, preventing dryness or brittleness, and supporting hair and nails.

What’s in a pineapple?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, pineapples contain:²

• 86% water content contributing to your body’s hydration, aiding your nail and hair health
• 1.4% total dietary fibre content to support digestive health
• 0.5% protein content
• 9.85% total sugar content to help energise you
• 47.8 mg of vitamin C, promoting a healthy immune system and good production of collagen
• 0.5 mg of niacin or vitamin B3, which helps keep our nervous system and skin healthy
• 0.03 mg of riboflavin (vitamin B2) supports our metabolism and energy release
• 18 µg of folate (vitamin B9), an essential vitamin to support a healthy pregnancy
• 13 mg of calcium per 100g leading to healthy hair, nail and bone growth
• 12 mg of magnesium per 100g which helps reduce inflammation and boost our circulation
• 109 mg of potassium per 100g makes pineapple an excellent source of the important K element to aid our water regulation and prevent hair loss
• 0.12 mg of zinc, 0.11 mg of copper and 0.93 mg of manganese, all important trace elements for functions such as the immune system, healthy blood cells and collagen production respectively
  • Manganese also helps our bodies to absorb other vitamins and minerals required for health

Components of healthy hair

Our hair consists of the hair root within the skin, the hair follicle (skin and connective tissue) and the shaft (the actual hair sticking out of the skin). The cuticle is a layer of dead skin cells forming a protective barrier around the hair shaft. The hair shaft itself is made up of proteins such as keratin, which is formed deep within the skin (in the epidermis). Sebaceous glands within the skin secrete natural oils that keep hair moisturised rather than dry.³

We consider our hair to be healthy when it is shiny and smooth, without dryness or split ends. Healthy hair can be straight, curly, or wavy, with these variations determined by genetics and some environmental influences.^4,5

What can go wrong with your hair?

Sometimes hair becomes dry and brittle, with splits and visible damage. Heat treatment and strong hair dye can result in some of these issues, particularly dryness, frizziness, or dullness. Alternatively, the cause may be hormonal or linked to nutrition.

Hair loss (alopecia) and slow hair growth are common problems. Even when healthy, we lose 50-100 hairs per day. However, stress, dietary deficiencies, medication, or illness increase hair loss. Due to the rapid hair loss and cell growth required for healthy hair, many micronutrient deficiencies can result in issues linked to hair loss. Skin conditions affecting the scalp also impact hair health: for example, scalp eczema and seborrheic dermatitis lead to uncomfortable, flaky skin and increased hair loss.

Components of healthy nails

The major components of nails are the proteins keratin (found in hair and skin) and collagen (found in bones). The cuticle is a thin layer of skin at the base of the nail, providing protection to prevent infection or damage to the nail as it grows. The nail bed is the skin under the nail itself, containing blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue to support healthy nail growth.

As fingernails are continuous with the bones of the fingers, bone and blood health can impact nail health.

What can go wrong with your nails?

Brittle nail syndrome affects 20% of the population and involves fragile nails that can snap and break more easily than they should.⁶

Nail psoriasis is a skin condition involving abnormal skin cell growth, which causes red, itchy patches. The condition can affect the nail bed (the skin under the nail) or the growth of the nail itself, causing abnormal patches.

Onychomycosis is caused by a fungus. It causes the nail to separate from the skin underneath, along with thickening and discolouration of the nail.

The role of collagen

Collagen is a key connective protein in our bodies, accounting for 30% of our total protein. Nails particularly have a high content of collagen keeping them strong and preventing breakage. Pineapples are exceptionally high in vitamin C, which is required in the synthesis of collagen. Therefore, high vitamin C intake may help boost our collagen production.

Collagen supplementation has been suggested to boost hair thickness and hair growth, as well as to strengthen nails, however, these benefits tend to be overstated in the media. A scientific review found that the media exaggerates the truth about taking collagen supplements and improving hair and nail health, and further research is needed. Furthermore, the lack of regulation of supplements (as they do not need to meet the same standards as drugs) can make supplement-taking risky, leading to toxicity or adverse reactions.^7,8 

Bromelain

Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes found in pineapple flesh and stem, which has been suggested to be highly beneficial to our health. Its enzymes break down proteins, aiding digestion and improving digestive health. Bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties, reducing the negative effects of inflammatory processes in our bodies, which can be worsened by high-fat diets, high sugar, and highly processed foods. Inflammatory diseases include autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and skin conditions such as eczema. Furthermore, bromelain is found to be anti-microbial, reducing the risk of infection.

Bromelain is promoted as a supplement to help deal with pain, to assist in healing injury, and to promote the health of bones, nails, hair and skin. Its enzymes can break down proteins to help remove damaged tissue. Due to the bromelain content, applying pineapple directly to the hair is suggested to improve hair thickness and shine, and reduce inflammation of the scalp.⁹

Antioxidant activity

One key benefit of pineapple nutrition is the high content of antioxidants. Oxidation is a chemical process that damages our cells and causes inflammation, and antioxidant chemicals neutralise oxidising species to prevent this. This has been suggested to boost health in many ways, such as helping our tissues fight cancer development, reducing ageing processes, and improving healing.

Vitamin C

One key example is vitamin C: as we cannot synthesise this for ourselves, we require a regular intake of vitamin C to maintain our health. Originally, vitamin C was identified as the cure for scurvy, a condition experienced by sailors with poor diets involving bleeding gums and fatigue. Vitamin C helps us maintain healthy energy levels and is a crucial component in the production of collagen in our bodies. As well as its role in collagen synthesis, Vitamin C helps us grow white blood cells to boost our immune system and promote faster healing, helping hair and nail health by overcoming injury, damage or infections. Vitamin C also protects our skin from UV damage - keeping the scalp healthy as well as the skin around the nails is essential for hair and nail health.¹⁰

Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals (chemicals found in plants, which are part of the plant immune system) are highly effective antioxidants in our bodies, as well as antibacterial and antiviral agents that help protect our cells. Pineapples are high in phytochemicals called flavonoids—antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer chemicals that help give pineapple its vivid yellow colour. The reduction in inflammation may help protect against the ageing process that affects skin, hair, and nails.

Biotin

Biotin is vitamin B7, found in foods such as eggs, milk, and fruits like bananas and pineapples. Biotin is essential for healthy skin, eyes, nails and hair. Biotin deficiencies can be responsible for issues such as brittle nails and excessive hair loss. Biotin supplementation (2.5 mg daily) has been found to be an effective treatment for brittle nail syndrome.¹¹  

Other factors in nail and hair health

• Sufficient calcium intake (700 mg daily) from dairy products, fish, leafy greens, nuts and seeds
• Omega-3 is found in seafood, nuts and seeds
• Vitamin A is sourced from eggs, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables e.g. carrots
• Good hygiene and self-care include moisturising to prevent dryness or damage to nails and hair
• Avoid bad habits such as nail-biting and pulling or sucking hair

Summary

Pineapples are a very healthy regular addition to your diet, which should be consumed as part of a balanced diet. They provide excellent hydration which is necessary for healthy nails and hair, avoiding dryness. Pineapples are high in vitamin C and a number of anti-inflammatory chemicals to aid many aspects of health, many minerals such as magnesium, potassium and manganese, and healthy enzymes called bromelain. Micronutrients found in pineapple such as vitamins, bromelain, and biotin, can be supplemented to boost health. However, this should be approached carefully as not all supplements are beneficial.