7 reasons why you should be going bananas over pineapples

By Serisha Singh

One of the tastiest tropical fruits around, pineapples are packed with flavour and loads of health benefits.

Pineapples are rich in several nutrients

Pineapple is also a source of important vitamins and minerals such as thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, manganese and potassium and antioxidants and polyphenols, such as beta-carotene. In fact, just one cup of pineapple chunks provides 131% of your vitamin C needs for the day.

Bromelain makes pineapple a superfood

Fresh pineapple is the only known source of the enzyme bromelain, which is effective in alleviating joint pain, arthritis, reducing inflammation, inhibiting tumour growth and shortening recovery time following plastic surgery.

Boost your digestive system

Rich in fibre, pineapple helps to boost digestion. Bromelain also helps to digest food by breaking down the protein particles within it. This is an excellent and all-natural way to cleanse your digestive tract.

Keep your skin looking fab

An excellent source of vitamin C and other antioxidants essential for collagen synthesis, pineapple is great for your skin. Vitamin C also helps to maintain the integrity of your blood vessels, skin, organs and bones.

Make sure your bones stay healthy

Pineapple is also known for its high level of manganese, which is an essential element for energy production, while protecting your cells from free radicals. It helps your body use key nutrients including thiamine and biotin, keeps your bones healthy and helps synthesise fatty foods.

Open your eyes to good health

Pineapple is also a rich source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, which help your immune system and eyesight. It also helps to protect your body from free radicals.

Increase your energy and keep your blood pressure down

Pineapple contains high levels of vitamins B1 and B6 which are good for energy production and the breakdown of sugars and starches in your digestive system. It also contains copper which helps red blood cell synthesis, and potassium which assists in controlling the heart rate and blood pressure.

So reach for the pineapple every day and help keep the doctor away.

Apple becomes first company worth over Sh64 trillion

Apple became the first company to reach a market value of $700 billion (64,079,750,000,000) Tuesday as shares vaulted amid upbeat news on the US tech giant’s gains in the smartphone market and soon-to-arrive smartwatch.

Shares rose 1.9 percent to close at $122.02, lifting Apple’s market value to $710 billion, and making it the first company to hit the $700 billion milestone.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook, speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology & Internet Conference, said Apple was hitting its stride.

“We’ve taken (the mobile operating system) iOS and extended it into your car, into your home, into your health. All of these are really critical parts of your life,” Cook said.

“We want one seamless kind of life. And so, I think that is huge for our future…We also did a lot of things to further our global footprint. And so, if you look at what we’ve done in China, we’ve opened more stores there. We’ve opened a lot more distribution there. Through the world, we’ve opened almost 20,000 new points of sale. We’ve opened 27 new Apple Stores, lot of flagship stores.”

Cook said Apple took some $50 billion in revenue in emerging markets over the past calendar year.

– Room to grow –

Brian White, analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald, said the leading tech company has even more room to grow.

“Given Apple’s powerful iPhone cycle, a big 4G ramp in China and the upcoming launch of Apple Watch in April, we believe there is still plenty to look forward to at Apple during this transformational cycle,” he said in a note to clients.

“At the same time, we believe Apple’s valuation has room to expand from depressed levels.”

Apple shares remain valued at reasonable levels, according to analysts, because of the whopping $18 billion quarterly profit reported recently by the iPhone and iPad maker.

Using the price-earnings ratio favored by Wall Street, Apple is valued at around 16 times its annual earnings, but Fitzgerald said the value was only around 10 times the projected earnings for the next fiscal year.

Apple is far ahead in market value from the number two company, oil giant Exxon Mobil, worth some $382 billion at the market close.

The record Apple quarterly profit — on unprecedented revenue of $74.6 billion — was driven by the sale of 74.5 million iPhones, well ahead of most analysts’ expectations.

Analysts are also seeing expanded adoption of the Apple Pay system that enables customers to purchase items with a tap of their iPhone, and many predict strong demand for the Apple Watch set for release in April.

Separately, Apple agreed to commit $848 million for solar energy to power its data centers, according to a statement from First Solar, Inc.

Cook called the effort “our biggest, boldest, and most ambitious project ever” and said it was part of Apple’s commitment on clean energy and corporate responsibility.

Apple will receive electricity from 130 megawatts under a 25-year power purchase agreement, “the largest agreement in the industry to provide clean energy to a commercial end user,” the solar firm said.

The 2,900-acre California Flats Solar Project occupies part of a property owned by Hearst Corporation in Cholame, California, with construction set to start this year.

Apple unveiled plans earlier this month to pump $2 billion over the coming decade into a solar-powered data center “global command” facility in the southwest state of Arizona.

Top 30 Richest Clubs in The World… Manchester United Closing in on Real Madrid

Manchester United may have had their worst season for two decades last year but they have reclaimed second spot in the list of the world’s richest football clubs.

Only European champions Real Madrid stand ahead in terms of income, while Barcelona by contrast are struggling to keep pace financially with their Spanish rivals, United and Bayern Munich.

The Football Money League compiled by Deloitte sees Real established at the top of the tree for the 10th year in succession, with revenues of £459m, while United are on £433m, Bayern £407m and Barcelona £405m.

Manchester City remain in sixth position behind Paris Saint-Germain, with Chelsea and Arsenal sustaining their seventh and eighth places and Liverpool up to ninth.

A Deloitte spokesman said: “A season that saw Manchester United finish in their lowest league position since the start of the Premier League era actually saw the Red Devils reclaim second spot in the money league.

“Their commercial growth… continues to yield record-breaking deals. If the club can regain their Champions League status for the 2015/16 season, there is a strong possibility they will also regain top spot in our money league for that season.”

Indeed, almost half of the top 30 richest clubs are now made up of Premier League sides and that figure is likely to increase; Newcastle United and Everton have appeared at the top of the list for the first time, in 19th and 20th position respectively.

The spokesman added: “It is with great anticipation that we wait to see what the new round of Premier League broadcast deals, expected to be agreed in 2015, will yield. With the market expectation that another significant increase will occur, it is likely that the money league will have a strongly English appearance in the coming years.”

The Deloitte report underscores the changing landscape in relation to the European powerhouses, highlighted by the decline of Italian clubs in terms of finances; in 2001 Italy had five clubs in the top 10 and only Juventus, who significantly have built a new stadium, remain there in 10th position.

It also shows the continuing value to the Spanish clubs to be able to negotiate their own broadcast rights – Real earned more than twice the sum of Atletico Madrid in broadcast income despite their city rivals winning the league and reaching the Champions League final.

– Skysports.com