Pineapples are native to South America. According to California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc., explorers carried the fruit with them to help prevent scurvy, or vitamin C deficiency, and had introduced the fruit around the world by the 1700s. Today pineapple juice is a popular fruit drink, providing several essential vitamins to your diet.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the most abundant vitamin in pineapple juice, supplying 25 mg per 1-cup serving. This equates to approximately 30 percent of your dietary reference intake, or DRI--the daily amount recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Pineapple juice may also have added ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, which increases the amount of this nutrient you ingest per serving. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant, a substance able to counteract the harmful effects of free radicals in your cells. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption in your gut, and it also promotes would healing in your skin and tissues.
Vitamin B6
One cup of pineapple juice contains 0.25 mg of vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, providing you with 15 percent of your DRI. Vitamin B6 plays a role in your body's production of red blood cells. It is also important in protein metabolism, so the greater the amount of protein in your diet, the more vitamin B6 you need, states MedlinePlus.
Thiamine
Thiamine, or vitamin B1, functions in carbohydrate metabolism, helping your body convert sugars and starches to useful energy. It also helps maintain healthy heart and nerve cells. Eight oz. of pineapple juice provides 0.145 mg of thiamine, or 12 percent of your DRI for this nutrient.
Folate
A cup of pineapple juice supplies 0.045 mg of folate, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory, accounting for more than 10 percent of your DRI. Folate is particularly important in prenatal nutrition, as low dietary intakes among pregnant women are associated with spina bifida, a neural tube birth defect. Additionally, folate functions in DNA synthesis, a process necessary for normal cell function and tissue growth. Folate also aids in the production of red blood cells.
Riboflavin
Riboflavin, also called vitamin B2, operates in conjunction with other B vitamins in the synthesis of red blood cells. Riboflavin supports tissue growth in your body as well. A 1-cup glass of pineapple juice provides 0.052 mg of riboflavin, or 5 percent of your DRI.
Niacin
An 8-oz. container of pineapple juice contains 0.497 mg of niacin, or 3 percent of your DRI. Niacin is important in maintaining a healthy nervous system, as well as keeping your skin cells in good condition. Taken as a dietary supplement, niacin may also lower your blood cholesterol, according to Medline Plus.
Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic acid functions in the synthesis of both cholesterol and hormones in your body. It is also a critical vitamin in the process of metabolizing your food. One cup of pineapple juice supplies 0.14 mg, approximately 3 percent of your DRI, of this nutrient.
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