Pineapple is a low-fat, cholesterol-free source of many nutrients, especially vitamin C and manganese. One cup provides nearly 100 percent of both of these essential nutrients. Information given below is for one cup of fresh, cubed pineapple. Dietary reference intake (DRI) percentages are for adults between 18 and 50 and may vary for other age groups and athletes who are on high-calorie diets.

Calories and Sugars

One cup of fresh pineapple contains 82 calories. These calories come primarily from carbohydrates, of which there are 21.7 g in each cup. Like all fruits, pineapple does contain sugar. Nearly 10 of the 16.3 g of sugar in a cup of pineapple are sucrose, while the remaining sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. One cup of pineapple also contains 2.3 g of fiber, which is 8.2 of the DRI.

Fat and Protein

Pineapple is low in both fat and protein, containing less than 1 g of each per cup. Like all plant foods, pineapple also contains no cholesterol.

Minerals

Pineapple provides significant amounts of many minerals, especially manganese. One cup of fresh pineapple supplies 85 percent of the DRI of manganese for women and 67 percent for men. Manganese is essential for the metabolism of amino acids, cholesterol and carbohydrates. Pineapple is also high in copper, containing 20 percent of the DRI per cup. One cup provides 9 percent of the DRI for potassium as well. Other minerals, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc are present in smaller amounts.

Water-soluble Vitamins

Pineapple contains large amounts of vitamin C, with one cup supplying over 100 percent of the DRI for women and 88 percent for men. Vitamin C is important for iron absorption and works as an antioxidant in the body. One cup of pineapple provides many of the water-soluble B vitamins as well, including 14 percent of the DRI for vitamin B-6 and over 10 percent of the DRI for thiamin. One cup of fresh pineapple also supplies over 5 percent of the DRI for niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.

Fat-soluble Vtamins

Although pineapple is not high in all fat-soluble vitamins, one cup does provide over 10 percent of the DRI for vitamin A, which is important for vision and immune system function. Pineapple also contains beta-carotene, which can be transformed into vitamin A and acts as an antioxidant. One cup of pineapple provides less than 2 percent of all other fat-soluble vitamins, which includes vitamins D, E and K.

If you are diabetic or are trying to avoid raising your blood sugar to maintain or lose weight, you may be familiar with the glycemic index, or GI. You may also be confused as to whether to incorporate fruit such as pineapple into your diet, since it has sugar. It is important to understand how the GI works and how to keep your blood glucose levels stable for health and fitness reasons.

The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index may appear complicated and complex, but it is fairly easy to understand. The GI is a quantitative numerical ranking system of how fast carbohydrate-based foods and drinks can potentially raise your blood glucose levels. In simple terms, the GI is a scale indicating how quickly a food raises your blood sugar level. High GI foods, or foods and beverages over 70, will raise your blood sugar and insulin levels quickly. Low GI foods, or foods and beverages with a ranking of 55 or below, will have a far less significant effect on your blood sugar and insulin levels.

Glycemic Index of Pineapple

Pineapple receives a GI ranking of 66. At 66, pineapple falls within the upper-half of the medium GI range of 56 to 69. Unsweetened pineapple juice, however, receives a GI ranking of 46 -- 20 points lower than whole pineapple. This may come as a surprise, since most fruit juices that contain 100 percent fruit juice usually have GI rankings equal to or slightly higher than their whole-fruit source.

Comparison to Other Fruits

Pineapple has a GI ranking higher than most other fruits. Most fresh fruits without added sweeteners are among the low GI foods, with rankings below 55. For example, apples at 38, cherries at 22, grapes at 46, grapefruit at 25 and oranges at 43 all have GI rankings lower than pineapple. If you want to keep your blood sugar stable or low, these fruits, in the same quantity, are better choices. This is not to suggest that pineapple is a "bad carbohydrate" source or "not good for you." It simply has a higher effect on your blood sugar than most other fruits if consumed in equal quantities.

Glycemic Index vs. Caloric Intake

If you are trying to lose weight, you also must consider the caloric content of a food or beverage and not just the GI. For example, pineapple has a GI ranking of 66, while vanilla ice cream has a GI ranking of 60. Although an equal amount of pineapple may raise your blood sugar and insulin levels slightly more than vanilla ice cream, vanilla ice cream usually has far more calories in the form of saturated fat and simple sugars that will be stored as fat. Eating pineapple is a far better choice than vanilla ice cream for weight-loss purposes. Fundamentally, losing weight is a product of creating a caloric deficiency, not simply avoiding carbohydrates and high GI foods.

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