Raphides – The Pineapple Needles That Are Eating You Up!

If you are a tropical fruit lover, then there is no doubt that pineapple might be one of the top juicy delish on your list. This fruit is sweet, juicy, crispy, and sometimes, even a bit sour. Munching on a few slices of this tropical delight on a hot summer day gives you just the right amount of freshness. But what if we told you something that might make you never ever eat pineapple again? Read on to learn the secret of the pineapple.

You Are Not Eating Pineapple; It’s Eating You

When a science geek decided to find out why eating pineapple makes certain people uneasy in their mouths, he discovered something that blew the minds of many people. As the video available on his TikTok account, SF Microscopy, began, the question popped up, “Why do our mouths tingle after eating pineapple?” Soon enough, he took a piece of the fruit and kept it on the dish, and started zooming in. All that millions of people could see were crystal-like needles. That’s right. The itchy feeling whenever you eat a piece of the juicy fruit is 1000s of pineapple needles, also known as raphides.

Pineapple Needles and People’s Thoughts on Them

Pineapple Needles, or raphides, are pointy crystals of calcium oxalate. When you eat pineapple, these needles poke holes in your cell membrane, and as a result, you feel itchy or irritated. When the video went viral and got over 36 million views, people went crazy in the comment section. While some said that they would never ever eat pineapple in their lives, some joked around. In fact, one of the viewers even commented, “You know the fruit is good when it starts fighting back.” Well, now you know the daunting secret behind the weird feeling in your mouth, so beware the next time you decide to grab a slice of the tropical fruit.