Surely this information is curious to you, but pineapples are carnivorous plants with the ability to ingest small insects. This is accomplished with the help of bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme found in the stem, fruit, leaves, and rind. Once the top of the pineapple collects the rain and an involuntary ant crawls inside, the bromelain is released into the water, slowly dissolving the trapped insect and then being absorbed by the fruit.
Bromelain's ability to digest protein explains why our tongue could hurt after eating a good amount of fresh pineapple. And also, why pineapple juice is an excellent meat tenderizer.
Numerous studies on bromelain in the last 50 years have revealed its benefits as a natural medicine. Bromelain breaks down proteins into amino acids, which are the building blocks of almost all biological processes in the human body.
Amino acids are found in our cells, muscles, and tissues. They play a key role in the transport and storage of nutrients, the function of organs, arteries and glands, as well as the repair of bones, muscles and skin.
Bromelain benefits
Below you can learn about the benefits of bromelain, and how you can incorporate it into your diet.
1. Bromelain is cardioprotective
First recognized as a therapeutic compound in 1957, studies on bromelain have indicated that it exerts several actions that benefit heart health.
According to a systematic review on the use of bromelain in cardiovascular diseases (1), it has powerful anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic properties. In animal and human studies, bromelain treatments resulted in increased blood flow, the breakdown of cholesterol plaques on artery walls, and a lower risk of blood clots. The use of bromelain also reduced the degree of tissue death during cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.
While bromelain is best used as preventive and maintenance therapy alongside typical medications, it is an incredibly safe add-on treatment with no reported serious side effects, even when used for a period of ten years or more.
2. Bromelain for osteoarthritis
The Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder is characterized by pain, swelling, stiffness and limited range of motion in the knee, hands or hips. While there is no cure, the symptoms of osteoarthritis are usually treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), hydrocortisone injections, or joint replacement surgery.
Since the first line of treatment for osteoarthritis is often NSAIDs, the researchers compared the safety and efficacy of diclofenac NSAIDs with a combination of enzymes, including bromelain. Published in Clinical Rheumatology (3), the study included 103 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee; Half received diclofenac, while the other half were treated with a mixture of the antioxidant rutin and the enzymes bromelain and trypsin for six weeks. Both treatments resulted in nearly equal improvements in knee joint pain, swelling, and function, and the bromelain mix was slightly better than diclofenac.
3. Bromelain helps speed recovery time
Protein-digesting enzymes, also known as proteolytic enzymes or proteases, have long been used in folk medicine to treat traumatic injuries.
While modern medicine tends to favor NSAIDs for treating injuries sustained in sports, studies of bromelain and other types of proteolytic enzymes have shown the ability to quell inflammation and speed healing time.
In a review of recovery time from sports injuries, more than 1,500 athletes in eight studies supplemented with proteolytic enzymes to treat various traumas, including sprains, strains, bruises, lacerations, back pain, and fractures.
The results of each study were favorable with significant improvements in pain, swelling, redness, and the recovery period. The amount of time required to recover was cut in half compared to those who did not take enzyme supplements.
Bromelain also works well as a post-operative pain treatment. The 2016 study involved 40 patients who needed to undergo oral surgery to remov