Bromelain benefits health and beauty in general. It is used alone or in conjunction with other natural ingredients to beautify the skin, or along with other natural products in alternative treatment of many conditions such as sinus infections, sports injuries, cancer, osteoarthritis, the common cold, stomach issues, and the list goes on. And scientists are just beginning to unlock the door to the multitude of benefits that bromelain exhibits.
Bromelain works inside out by taking care of the digestive tract. A healthy digestive system is the root of health and beautiful skin. Once you are off and running with a healthy gut, you can move on to some of the other benefits of bromelain.
What is bromelain you may ask?
Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme mixture derived from the stem, fruit, and juice of the pineapple plant. In fact, Pineapple is the one and only natural source of it. Throughout history, for centuries, it has been used as an alternative treatment for medical ailments, primarily throughout Central and South America. In South America pineapples were served with heavy meals to help the food digest. Drinking fresh pineapple juice or eating fresh pineapple was common. Bromelain is currently categorized as a dietary supplement by the U.S Food and Drug administration FDA.
Here are 12 Benefits of Bromelain
- May Help Prevent Cancer
There are some scientific studies which provided evidence that bromelain can halt the development of lung metastasis. This has led scientists to believe bromelain could be part of a holistic approach and alternative treatment for cancer. There is even talk that it might contain one of the chemical keys to curing the disease however, more studies need to be completed. Bromelain has properties that prevent the development of tumors and irregular. According to some research, bromelain could serve as a therapeutic agent for malignant lung cancers
- Promotes Healthy Digestion
Bromelain helps to break down proteins in your gut which makes it beneficial for your digestion system. Bromelain may improve the efforts of certain medications and it helps your body absorb more nutrients from your food. Bromelain soothes inflamed tissue and in turn provides relief from digestive ulcers and colonic inflammation along with helping to heal wounds. It can even reduce small proteins in your gut that cause digestive symptoms. People with Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation and diarrhea, ulcerative colitis and even peptic ulcers, may find relief from using bromelain.
- Assists Recovery from Surgical Procedures
Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory and natural alternative to over-the-counter painkillers that can significantly improve recovery from surgical procedures. Bromelain may ease the pain from oral surgery as well as discomfort. This enzyme has properties can help deflect infection which can reduce the risk of post-operative complications. You may choose to consult with your doctor about incorporating pineapple or pineapple juice into your post-surgery eating plan.
- Ease Asthma/Allergy and Hay Fever Symptoms
Some scientific studies on asthma conclude that bromelain’s anti-inflammatory properties can ease asthmatic symptoms. The theory is that bromelain reduces inflammatory responses that affect the airways and allergic sensitivity. They believe that bromelain’s soothing effects helps the body naturally process foreign allergens and can help with hay fever and allergies in general by calming the immune system.
- Treats Sinus Infections
Bromelain is already a popular remedy for sinus swelling in Germany. Several studies suggest that bromelain lessens mucus and reduces coughing related to sinusitis.
- Relieves Sports Injury Joint Pain
Bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties which have been linked to reduced swelling from sprains, strains, bruises, and other minor muscle injuries. Studies show that bromelain may speed up healing time after a physical or sports injury. Bromelain is one of the top ingredients in natural joint pain remedies which has an enzyme that can soften stiff connective tissue.
- Relief from Common Cold Symptoms
The use of bromelain is known for helping to prevent respiratory illness. Eating pineapple can help eliminate symptoms like excess mucus and phlegm from your body. Feasting right away on pineapple when you first feel a cold coming on, can help avoid mucus and phlegm from building up in your sinus cavity or respiratory tract.
- Burns
People use bromelain topically as a cream to remove dead skin from second- and third-degree burns. It can also be applied on wounds to speed up the healing process.
- Oral Use
Bromelain is used orally to reduce swelling and inflammation, particularly of the nose and sinuses, dental gums. A group of researchers tested the anti-inflammatory effect of bromelain in the treatment of oral inflammation after third molar surgery and found a reduction of postoperative painful inflammation in patients that given bromelain comparable to those received diclofenac sodium treatment. The supplement demonstrated less inflammation and improved oral aperture, even though the bromelain treatment was done with 150 mg per day.
- Osteoarthritis
Bromelain has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties which makes it an effective alternative treatment for pain, soft tissue swelling, and joint stiffness which is often all associated with osteoarthritis. There was a study that focused on the effectiveness of bromelain to treat arthritis of the knee and the shoulder. In the study participants that were given 400 milligrams of bromelain 2 times daily showed improvements.
- Cardiovascular Disease
bromelain inhibits the ability of blood platelets to clump or stick together which is generally termed aggregation. It is believed that this helps reduce clot formation and cardiovascular events. For this reason, bromelain has shown effective as an alternate treatment for various cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart attack, peripheral artery disease in high blood pressure.
- Beautiful Skin
Bromelain is an excellent face mask as it exfoliates and helps to beautify the skin. After exfoliating your skin, you will look younger and your skin will shine. In addition to that, it helps reduce the wrinkles that come with aging.
Bromelain is useful because it can function the same way in both acidic and alkaline (base) environments. Unfortunately, fresh pineapple is not always available in all parts of the world. You can take bromelain supplements, but always check with your doctor or healer before supplementing your diet. One way or the other, be sure to add pineapple into your diet and start reaping the benefits of bromelain for a healthier you.
