Is pineapple juice good for a cough? Pineapple juice may treat a persistent cough when the cause isn’t a more serious condition like pneumonia. For a mild cough, it might be a good idea to try the fruit drink.
There are key nutrients in pineapple juice that may help soothe the symptoms of a cold and cough. You may have heard about bromelain for cough in particular. Bromelain is a key enzyme in pineapple that has strong anti-inflammatory properties that could potentially help treat respiratory problems, including asthma and allergies. The mucolytic (mucus-thinning) properties in bromelain also help break up and expel mucus in the sinuses or lungs.
On top of that, the vitamin C in pineapple is commonly used to reduce coughs, colds, and flu symptoms.
How does pineapple juice help a cough? The following are specific ways in which pineapple juice may relieve your cough:
Pineapple juice and bromelain are known to help a wide variety of respiratory allergic conditions, including allergic airways diseases, allergic asthma, bronchial asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All of these conditions can cause terrible wheezing and coughing. Pineapple juice may enhance the breakdown of mucus and expel the slimy substance.
A study published in the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications in 2015 found that pineapple juice could significantly improve patients with bronchial asthma. For the study, the participants consumed 100 ml of pineapple mixed with equal amounts of water twice daily for a 90-day period. Other research has shown that bromelain decreases allergic sensitization in mice with asthma.
A review by Indian researchers published in 2010 found that pineapple juice was part of an effective remedy for tuberculosis. In the study, the combination of pineapple juice, pepper, salt, and honey decreased cough symptoms up to five times quicker than over-the-counter cough syrups.
The bromelain in pineapple juice could also help for coughs due to sinus problems. You may find relief because bromelain works as a natural antihistamine, decongestant, and anti-inflammatory remedy.
It may reduce cough and nasal mucus associated with sinus inflammation like rhinosinusitis. Studies show that a 600 mg daily dose of bromelain for three months could help those suffering from chronic sinusitis.
It is possible to get canned pineapple juice for cough and colds; however, making your own pineapple juice recipes for cough and cold is much better than anything from the store.
Here are a handful of pineapple juice cough remedies that you can make for yourself in the comfort of your home:
The zest of ginger combines well with pineapple. The immune-boosting herb known as ginger is great for improving respiratory function due to its bioactive ingredient gingerol.
Cut the pineapple into one-inch chunks. Place the pineapple and ginger into your juicer. Alternatively, you can combine the pineapple, ginger, and a cup of filtered water into your high-speed blender.
The following recipe combines several of the best anti-inflammatory herbs and foods, including lemon juice, pineapple juice, ginger, raw honey, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. It makes an effective cough suppressant that may be better for you than the average cough syrup on the market today.
Stir in raw honey, salt, and cayenne pepper. Enjoy a quarter cup two to three times daily for the best results.
Rather than juicing the ginger, you can mince the ginger and add it to the mixture with the rest of the ingredients.
Rather than use several ingredients, you can also combine just pineapple juice and honey. Here is the breakdown of the recipe below:
Combine the honey with the pineapple juice. Warming the pineapple juice will help the honey dissolve quicker and more evenly.
Popsicles are a fun way to soothe the throat. Not only that, but they are easy to make. The pineapple and strawberries are both packed with immune-boosting vitamin C. Check out the recipe below:
Combine pineapple juice, chopped strawberries, and a cup of pineapple chunks in a high-speed blender.
Pour the mixture into popsicle molds, and let it sit in the freezer for at least three hours, or until it is solid.
Carrots, pineapple, and oranges also make for a great juice that is perfect if you have a cough. The end result is a bright orange masterpiece. The recipe will take about 10 minutes, with most of the time spent cutting up the fruit and vegetables.
Turn on your juicer and add pineapple, carrots, and orange. Also, add spinach if you are using it. Pour juice into a glass and serve.
Combat a cough with this super greens-and-pineapple-juice recipe. It is a perfect blend of vegetables, fruit, and ginger. This anti-inflammatory green juice pineapple blend can be just what your body needs to get through a cough or cold.
Rather than a juice, pineapple can combine with other fruit and greens in a smoothie. Try the recipe below as a smoothie for breakfast:
Pineapple juice for cough and cold is great; however, there are a few key points to remember when using it.
First off, always use fresh pineapple juice rather than canned pineapple juice for cough and cold. Canned or pasteurized pineapple juice does not contain enough bromelain to be effective for your cough or cold. Not to mention that canned juices are sweetened and most people don’t need added sugar in the diet.
Also, keep in mind that extremely high doses of vitamin C may cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn, insomnia, and headaches. This is important to consider since pineapple is a very high source of vitamin C.
The bromelain in pineapple may also interact with certain medications, including antidepressants, blood thinners, and insomnia medications. That is why it is a good idea to consult with your doctor before using pineapple juice for cough and cold, especially if you take these medications.
Pineapples can be stored at room temperature. But because pineapples stop ripening when picked, they will go bad quite quickly. It is best to use pineapple immediately once you cut it; however, once cut, it can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to five days. That being said, the pineapple flavor likely will change.
Pineapple juice for cough and cold is often a good idea. That is due to the bromelain and vitamin C contained within the pineapple. Studies even show that pineapple juice can be helpful for respiratory conditions, such as bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, and chronic sinusitis.
When you do come down with a mild cough, cold, or respiratory condition, rather than taking a cough syrup, try some of the recipes for cough mentioned in this article. You may be glad you did. Not only might they relieve your cough, but they taste great, too!
Alcohol and Tobacco: Why Are they Used Together? - HealthyLifeInfo.com Wellness and Health Information
Extensive research supports the popular observation that “smokers drink and drinkers smoke.” Moreover, the heaviest alcohol consumers are also the heaviest consumers of tobacco. Concurrent use of these drugs poses a significant public health threat. A survey of persons treated for alcoholism and other drug addictions revealed that 222 of 845 subjects had died over a 12-year period; one-third of these deaths were attributed to alcohol-related causes, and one-half were related to smoking (1). This Alcohol Alert explores the association between alcohol and tobacco use, possible mechanisms of their combined health effects, and some implications for alcoholism treatment.
Postulated mechanisms for the concurrent use of alcohol and tobacco fall into two broad, nonexclusive categories: Either drug may increase the desired (rewarding) effects of the other, or either may decrease the toxic or unpleasant (aversive) effects of the other. These interactions involve processes of reinforcement or tolerance, as described below. (A third possibility–that one drug may alter the metabolism of the other, thereby affecting its absorption, distribution, or elimination from the body–has not been convincingly established [8].)
Reinforcement. Reinforcement refers to the physiological processes by which a behavior–such as consumption of a drug–becomes habitual. A key process in reinforcement for some drugs occurs when nerve cells release the chemical messenger dopamine into a small area of the brain called the nucleus accumbens following consumption of the drug (9). Nicotine is the primary ingredient of tobacco that triggers reinforcement. After reaching the brain, nicotine activates a group of proteins called nicotinic receptors. These proteins, located on the surface of certain brain cells, normally regulate a host of physiological functions, some of which may contribute to aspects of reinforcement. Ultimately, nicotine brings about the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (5). Alcohol consumption also leads to dopamine release, although the mechanism by which alcohol produces this effect is incompletely understood (10,11).
Tolerance. Tolerance is decreased sensitivity to a given effect of a drug such that increased doses are needed to achieve the same effect. Long-term administration of nicotine in animals can induce tolerance to some of alcohol’s reinforcing effects, and chronic alcohol administration induces tolerance to some effects of nicotine (8). Such cross-tolerance might lead to increased consumption of both drugs in an attempt to regain former levels of reward. In addition, cross-tolerance can develop to the aversive effects of drugs. For example, smokers may reduce their tobacco intake when they begin to feel its aversive effects (e.g., increased heart rate, “nervousness”). Alcohol’s sedating effects may mitigate these effects of nicotine, facilitating continued tobacco use (12). Conversely, nicotine’s stimulating effects can mitigate alcohol-induced loss of mental alertness (8).
Until recently, alcoholism treatment professionals have generally not addressed the issue of smoking cessation, largely because of the belief that the added stress of quitting smoking would jeopardize an alcoholic’s recovery (21).
Following the lead of other health facilities, many addictions treatment facilities are becoming smoke-free, providing a “natural experiment” on the effectiveness of dual recovery programs. Initial evaluations suggest that no-smoking policies are feasible in this setting (24). However, no outcome studies have been performed, and additional research is needed.
Problems encountered in smoke-free alcoholism treatment programs include surreptitious smoking by patients as well as by staff. Further, researchers have suggested modifying smoking cessation programs to conform with the structure and language of concurrent alcoholism programs (e.g., use of a 12-step approach) (2). Nicotine patch therapy for smoking alcoholics may require higher doses of nicotine than are usually applied, because of alcohol-induced tolerance to some of nicotine’s effects (25,26).
Finally, society has attempted to minimize the consequences of using both alcohol and tobacco through public policy actions, including health warning labels, restrictions on advertising, and age restrictions on use. Unlike tobacco, however, moderate use of alcohol has certain health benefits. The implications of this are discussed in Alcohol Alert No. 16, “Moderate Drinking,” which may be found on NIAAA’s Web site at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov.