Bromelain is a found naturally in the juice and stems of pineapples and typically extracted and made available to consumers as capsules, tablets and powder. Called a proteolytic enzyme, bromelain is believed to help with the digestion of protein if taken with a meal. And if taken between meals, bomelain reduces swelling and inflammation. It is a key ingredient in most meat tenderizers.

Natural supplement to reduce swelling and inflamation.

Buy the NOW brand of Bromelain, 500mg tablets.

Bromelain can be useful in treating a wide range of conditions, but it is known to be particularly effective in reducing inflammation associated with injuries and infections. It is a natural anti-inflammatory for conditions such as arthritis or a sprained ankle and can be taken with ibuprofen. Doses of 200 mg have proven to be an efficacious alternative to NSAIDS. If you are taking bromelain to reduce swelling, inflammation, brusing or pain after a surgery or injury, it is advised that you take it on an empty stomach to maximize absorbtion and get the most advantage of it's anti inflamitory properties.

Bromelain has also showed a lot of promise in reducing healing time following surgery and physical injuries. It is most often used to reduce inflammation associated with tendinitis, sprains and strains, and other minor muscle injuries. Many tell me since it helps with the absorbtion of protein, it helps build muscle and reduce body fat.

Incidentally, it is one of the most popular supplements in Germany, approved for the treatment of inflammation and swelling of the nose and sinuses due to surgery or injury. I have noticed it reduces sinus swelling dramatically.

How does it work?

Bromelain seems to cause the body to produce substances that fight pain and swelling (inflammation). It also contains chemicals that interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slow blood clotting.

Bromelain for swelling due to osteoarthritis.

Bromelain appears to help with mild pain associated with osteoarthritis and is a common ingredient in nutritional supplements marketed as a natural pain remedy for arthritis. While it has been touted to provide arthritis pain relief, no large scale studies have been done to prove it.

There is also evidence that bromelain may also reduce pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. While you may think that actually eating pineapple may produce the same results as the pill form, studies have shown that it does not occur in high enough doses in the fruit to relay the beneficial properties of capsules. So even though Bromelain is derived from pineapples, supplementation is necessary to achieve optimum levels of this enzyme.

Makes antibiotics work better.

Due to its properties of improving absorption, it is suggested that bromelain may also increase the absorption and effectiveness of antibiotics as well as a number of other medications.

Why the NOW brand?

I find that the NOW brands are higher quality and absorbed better by the body. They have proven to be consistently high quality supplements and offer the highest natural potentcy of this enzyme. Most enzymes are typicallly considered to be poorly absorbed, however, bromelain is considered one of the most bioavailable of all enzymes having been the subject of many research studies all over the world.

Contraindications

• Bromelain is generally recommended for no longer than 8 - 10 days in a row.
• Side effects from bromelain are generally mild and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive menstrual bleeding.
• People who are allergic to pineapples should not take bromelain because skin reactions or asthma-like symptoms may occur.
• Pregnant women and people with bleeding disorders, high blood pressure, and liver or kidney disease should not take bromelain.

Bromelain may affect the blood's ability to clot, and could interfere with any blood-thinning drugs you are taking, including:

• Warfarin (Coumadin)
• Clopidogrel (Plavix)
• Aspirin

Sedatives -- Some experts believe bromelain may increase the effect of drugs that have a sedating effect, including:

• Anticonvulsants such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and valproic acid (Depakote)
• Barbiturates
• Benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium)
• Drugs to treat insomnia, such as zolpidem (Ambien), zaleplon (Sonata), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and ramelteon (Rozerem)
• Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil)
• Alcohol