Bromelain

What is Bromelain Enzyme?
Bromelain is a protease digestive enzyme also referred two as proteolytic that is extracted from the stem of a pineapple.

How does Bromelain work?
Its function is to splits the bonds of peptides in polypeptide chains of amino acids. More simply put, the enzyme breaks down complex proteins into more readily digestible forms to be absorbed by the body as energy. Since the pineapple stem is the main source of this enzyme, canned pineapple will not be as useful as supplementation.

Benefits
Digestion - Bromelain has wide uses in digestive enzymes supplements along with amylase, lipase, cellulose and lactase to relieve digestion problems such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn etc. Bromelain is able to withstand an acidic environment.

Inflammation - Has uses as a natural ant-inflammatory and has long been understood to have these properties but hasn’t been used as widely as recently. Bromelain is heavily marketed to bring relief of pain, swelling and inflammation from arthritis, allergy, carpal tunnel syndrome or CTS, weight loss and even Lyme Disease.

After Surgery Healing - Research has shown the enzyme may speed up recovery times after surgeries by reducing inflammation from injuries while at the same time benefit the immune system by serving as an anti virus agent.

Athletes and bodybuilders - They use it to speed up the healing time after workouts by reducing the swelling in the muscles. It is also used as a protein digestive supplement by bodybuilders because of its abilities to break down amounts of protein that normally the digestive tract would not be able to handle.

Side effects
Those who are allergic to pineapples should avoid bromelain. There have been very little reported side effects but the most common include: indigestion, upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea. Those with digestive disorders should contact a doctor before using bromelain.

Dosage
There is no set standard for a daily dosage of bromelain however the typical dosage to relieve swelling and inflammation in adults is 200-300 mg per day between meals on an empty stomach. This is of course subjective and the dosage will vary from person to person depending on how tolerant the person is and what it is being used to treat.