Benefits of Pineapples Promoted in Health Blogs and as Perceived by Malaysians

Little is understood about what and how health blogs communicate about the benefits of pineapples and whether they make known scientific findings, such as the anti-cancer potential of pineapples, to the public. This study investigated the benefits of pineapples promoted in health blogs and as perceived by Malaysians. The objectives of the study are to (a) examine claims on the benefits of pineapples in blog articles and (b) describe the benefits of pineapples as perceived by Malaysians. A total of 30 blog articles with a total word count of 39,496 were analyzed to determine the types of claims on the benefits of pineapples. The analysis showed eight types of claims: 31.9% performance claims, 14% food/nutrient claims, 14% risk reduction claims, 11.3% nutrient function claims, 9.6% enhancement claims, 8.3% symptom relief claims, and 1.7% diet claims. In addition, 152 online questionnaire responses from Malaysian participants were obtained. The results on the pineapple consumption patterns showed a preference for fresh pineapples rather than pineapple juice or other food made from pineapples. The participants were convinced about vitamin C contents and the general health benefits of pineapples, but 38.8% were not aware of the anti-cancer properties. After learning about the bromelain enzyme and the anti-cancer potential of pineapples, 44.4% of the participants intend to eat fresh pineapples, and 9.9% intend to take vitamin supplements with pineapple extract. Parents exerted a stronger influence than the newspaper, friends, and doctors on pineapple consumption. The acidic taste may be a barrier to pineapple intake, but not the cost of pineapple. The study showed that the translation of scientific findings in health blogs focussed on easy-to-understand concepts but may neglect the latest anti-cancer properties of pineapples.