ENRICH YOUR LIFE WITH THIS NATURAL ENZYME COCKTAIL

If there’s one fruit worth eating daily for its amazing health benefits is pineapple. Packed with many different enzymes, it has long been used as a medicinal plant in countries such as Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India and China. Bromelain is a pineapple's crude extract containing a mixture of active enzymes. In 1891 a Venezuelan chemist called Vicente Marcano isolated bromelain from pineapple fruit, and about 70 years later it was extracted from pineapple stem. The main sources of bromelain are pineapple fruit and stem; the latter needing to be processed since it’s a waste byproduct. Unlike most enzymes that become inactive during digestion, bromelain remains intact while absorbed in the gut - a characteristic that has been confirmed by several studies. From protecting the heart to relieving pain, bromelain has many benefits.

Effects on the heart
This enzymatic mixture offers protection against cardiovascular diseases by inhibiting platelet aggregation and the formation of blood clots. This helps in minimizing the severity of angina pectoris and the risk of stroke. It also breaks down cholesterol plaques (click here to read more about natural ways to reduce LDL cholesterol), which is one of the main factors leading to heart attack. 



Attenuates immune response

Pineapple extract helps to modulate allergic reactions and modifies white blood cell count, alleviating asthma and other hypersensitivity disorders such as sinusitis and bronchitis. In addition, bromelain is fantastic for autoimmune disorders and chronic inflammation including osteoarthritis, irritable bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. It is a good alternative to NSAIDs due to its direct analgesic effect exerted through the inhibition of pain mediators such as bradykinin. A study carried out at the University of Reading, UK, found that administering 400 mg of bromelain reduced acute knee pain by 59%. 



Reduces osteoarthritis pain

If you are a bone pain sufferer already fed up with the side effects of NSAIDs such as gastrointestinal discomfort, you should definitely give bromelain a try. Some studies have found that bromelain is as effective as diclofenic for hip osteoarthritis and, in fact, better tolerated. Another study proved that 90 mg of bromelain three times a day had the same effect as 50 mg of diclofenac twice a day in reducing knee tenderness, pain, swelling, and in improving motion. 

Protection against pathogenic bacteria
Vibrio cholera and E. coli are two intestinal pathogens that provoke diarrhea. Bromelain has been found to protect intestinal walls against them by turning down secretory pathways related to water and electrolyte loss and by preventing bacteria from attaching to intestinal mucosa. This is why I recommend including bromelain supplement as part of your home medicine cabinet, which is ideal when children get sick. 

Bromelain prevents pathogens to stick to intestinal mucosa.
Photo credits: www.sciencenews.org

Promising therapy for cancer

Some researchers have evaluated the role of bromelain in preventing and fighting cancer. While studies are not yet conclusive, it has been shown to modify the microenvironment surrounding cancer cells as well as their internal gene machinery, promoting apoptosis (cell death) and changing the expression of relevant biomarkers such as NF-kB, Cox-2 and PGE2 that are associated to cancer progression and tumor angiogenesis - the formation of blood vessels feeding the tumor.

Degradation of fibrin is another suggested mechanism for the action of bromelain on cancer cells. Fibrin is sort of a gluey protein used by cancer cells to adhere to other tissues. Bromelain directly stimulates plasmin, which in turn degrades fibrin and ultimately helps in controlling metastasis and invasion. 


Recommended dose

The normal recommendation of bromelain supplements is 80 - 320 mg three times a day. Doses of 1,000 mg and up to 2,000 mg per day are considered safe. Finally, if you are allergic to pineapple you should not take bromelain, and consult a physician if you are taking warfarin.



Final note

Some studies use bromelain in combination with other enzymes. Papaya is a great source of natural enzymes with fantastic health benefits, however it deserves another blog post. If you want to know more about the benefits of bromelain read the article called Properties and Therapeutic Applications of Bromelain: A Review, published by Rajendra Pavan.