Is Pineapple Leaves Edible?
The leaves of pineapple leave hard and waxy – and while the leaves won’t cause mortality but can damage the mouth cavity and possibly the intestines as it is very hard. Mechanical damage from trying to ingest pineapple leaves is possible, so we recommend that you don’t try consuming it. The non-toxicity label applies only to ripe pineapples. The crown, leaves, skin, and fruit on unripe pineapple are toxic and unsafe for consumption because of high levels of bromelain. While low levels of bromelain in ripe pineapple will barely affect humans during fruit consumption, higher levels can cause sores and wound in the oral cavity. The leaves and the sap from the leaves can also irritate the skin and the mouth’s sensitive lining. While you can technically eat the pineapple’s skin, you may risk irritation in the mouth, which may manifest in itching and pain.
Are Pineapple Leaves Poisonous?
If the pineapple is unripe, the pineapple plant’s leaves should be considered poisonous due to the high levels of bromelain present. When you ingest the pineapple plant’s leaves, the sap can also cause gastric tract problems. There have been reports of stomach pain and severe pain in the mouth, including the lips, tongue, inner cheeks, etc. The sap can also irritate and cause dermatitis if you happen to contact the pineapple sap too much, so take care of your hands and fingers by wearing gloves when cutting open pineapples. Sometimes, the pineapples sold in supermarkets are not yet fully ripe, but they are aged enough that they don’t taste too bad.
However, as we’ve mentioned earlier, there is much more bromelain involved in pineapples that are not yet fully ripe. This can irritate, especially in sensitive skin. When you cut open the pineapple and your hands come into contact with the skin’s sap, irritation can occur easily.
What Parts of a Pineapple Are Edible?
The rind of the pineapple and the fleshy parts of the ripe pineapple are fully edible. Some people are known for eating the rind, especially if the pineapple slices are soft already. There’s nothing wrong with the rind – it’s just the core of the collective fruit. If you like juicing fruit, now is your chance to juice the entire fruit. The skin can be juiced, too, if the fruit is ripe. We remind people to eat only the ripe pineapple fruit if they are sensitive to chemicals like bromelain. The pineapple fruit is quite full of different acids that can irritate both the mouth and the skin. The mouth cavity can also react to the bromelain, so some people eat pineapple with a bit of salt, as salt deactivates the bromelain and makes it easier for people with sensitive mouths to eat the freshly sliced fruit.
