Currently, with the increasing recognition of intolerances and allergies, as well as the frequent consumption of processed foods, slow and heavy digestion is becoming more common and a factor when choosing what we eat. Given this situation, the use of enzymes like Bromelain can help improve digestion when eating a food we don't tolerate well.
Bromelain is a natural complex of proteolytic enzymes from the stem of the pineapple. In the US, it is marketed in supplement form to promote digestive health; there is extensive data supporting the safety and efficacy of oral bromelain. Continue reading this article if you're interested in learning more about bromelain and how it can help improve your digestive well-being.
What is bromelain?
Bromelain is a cysteine protease belonging to the Bromeliaceae family and is derived from the stem and pulp of pineapple.
Various studies conducted with bromelain have yielded magnificent results that allow us to learn important facts, such as the fact that the body can absorb large quantities of this enzyme without ceasing its proteolytic activity and without negative side effects.
Properties and benefits
Bromelain is known for its properties as it produces anti-edematous, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
In more detail, the benefits of bromelain are highlighted and described as effects:
- Proteolytic: It is capable of breaking down proteins into many amino acids; this characteristic is what allows for so many other benefits.
- Antifungals: The efficient and generous proteolytic activity of this enzyme makes it a potent antifungal, as the cysteine protease inhibitor prevents several pathogenic fungi from developing prolific activity in the body.
- Antibacterial: One of the chemical components of bromelain is flavonoids, which alter cell membrane permeability and prevent bacteria from adhering to surfaces. Due to this antibacterial property, bromelain has been shown to be effective in treating infectious diseases such as Escherichia coli, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis; as well as urinary tract, sinus, and prostate infections.
- Antithrombotics: Bromelain's anticoagulant properties have led to the demonstration that it can cause a decrease in platelet aggregation, thereby reducing the risk of arterial thrombosis and embolism.
- Anti-inflammatory: This is the most notable effect of this enzyme, and it leads to a significant immune response in the body. This characteristic of bromelain is due to its ability to reduce most inflammatory mediators and factors in the body.
How it works in the Digestive System
The digestive process begins in the mouth with the secretion of saliva and chewing, where the first breaking of the bonds of ingested food occurs.
The food bolus then continues its course toward the gastric emptying phase, where factors such as gastric motility, the quality of intestinal juices, and the enzymatic diversity of the medium are important. Liquid foods can take 10 to 60 minutes to complete gastric emptying; while solid foods remain in the stomach for 50 to 115 minutes.
In adults, where the mechanical ability to chew and gastric motility begins to deteriorate, we find the reason why, as we age, we tolerate certain foods less well or our digestion becomes more copious and slow.
The final part of the digestive process takes place in the small intestine, where nutrient absorption primarily occurs; and finally, a portion is excreted in feces and urine.
The benefits of bromelain in the digestive tract are due to its anti-inflammatory activity. This property of this enzyme occurs both when there is an inflammatory process in the body and when these symptoms do not exist, due to its high proteolytic capacity.
The use of bromelain between meals significantly reduces the inflammatory response generated by the digestive process.
Recent studies tested under conditions similar to those of the human body have shown that bromelain's anti-inflammatory response is highly significant, even after being digested in the gastrointestinal tract. It was observed that once this enzyme is digested, it is transported to the cartilage, maintaining its anti-inflammatory properties; which is why it is also used to treat conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Digesting protein-rich foods, especially leaner meats, often results in more difficult digestion and a greater inflammation in the digestive system. This is because the bonds present in protein-rich foods are stronger and more stable, requiring a greater energy investment by the body to break them down and maximize the nutrients and energy they provide. Various studies have shown that taking bromelain after eating meat has a beneficial effect on the digestion of this food and the subsequent absorption of all its nutrients. This is because bromelain softens meat protein, has a high capacity to break down collagen, and also increases the degree of hydrolysis during digestion, allowing the protein to be broken down into a greater amount of essential amino acids.
Foods that contain bromelain
The largest source of bromelain, and from which the enzyme ingredient marketed as a food supplement is extracted, is pineapple (Ananas Comosus), specifically its stem.
However, this enzyme with proteolytic action is particularly present in yellow fruits such as:
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Banana
- Lemon
- Ginger
We recommend including these fruits in your diet after a larger meal or regularly, for better digestion and better intestinal health.
You can include these fruits in juice form or in smoothies; although we always recommend eating them fresh and natural to take advantage of all their fiber.
Bromelain supplement
The use of dietary supplements to maximize the benefits of the substance our body requires is becoming increasingly common. In this case, we find that due to the body's high absorption capacity for the enzyme bromelain, its commercialization in supplement form began 50 years ago when its benefits began to be studied.
Various laboratories market this enzyme individually or with other compounds with which it can act synergistically and lead to even better digestion.
Bromelain Supplement: Digest ON
Fast-acting capsules to combat bloating and gas.
Unique formula with clinically proven ingredients from Ayurvedic extracts and a patented multi-enzyme complex.
BENEFITS:
- Reduces symptoms of bloating , gas and heartburn.
- It helps digestion.
- Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Relieves abdominal pain.
Contains a patented Digezyme® multi-enzyme complex, pepsin (an enzyme that facilitates protein digestion), and bromelain, along with an Ayurvedic complex consisting of licorice, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger extracts.
The synergy between all its components reduces the body's inflammatory response to a process as complex as digestion and promotes the breakdown of food to maximize the absorption of its nutrients.
[dib_prod_6807055106082]
Healthy digestion. Why is it important?
Frequently, the symptoms that lead us to take action and decide to take a supplement and/or medication are usually when we suffer from some pain and/or discomfort that prevents us from carrying on with our daily lives in a calm and normal manner.
However, many pathologies and deficiencies are preceded by a previous problem that has not been resolved or noticed.
So why is healthy digestion important? First, to reduce abdominal discomfort and the bloating that this complex process causes in the human body. But also, through proper intestinal health and a well-functioning digestive system, our bodies can make the most of the nutrients in the food we eat.
Proper nutrition and nutrient absorption will also prevent the body from aging and deteriorating more rapidly.
Conclusion
Bromelain can be taken naturally, especially when we consume the fruit from which it is extracted, pineapple; or you can choose to take it as a dietary supplement. These tablets may contain only the enzyme bromelain or be accompanied by other ingredients and compounds to enhance its effect, as is the case with Digest ON.
This pineapple enzyme is beneficial for treating inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, as a support for cancer treatment, for oral conditions, etc.; and among other benefits, we highlight its proteolytic properties, which benefit intestinal health.
A full, generous, and enjoyable life is usually preceded by optimal health. For our bodies to be at their best, it's essential to maintain healthy lifestyle habits, including proper nutrition and nutrient absorption. Bromelain is one of the elements that will help you improve your intestinal health and help you follow a diet rich in all the macronutrients and micronutrients to keep your body healthy and strong.
References
- Beneficial Properties of Bromelain - PMC (nih.gov)
- Therapeutic uses of pineapple-extracted bromelain in surgical care - A review. (aku.edu) (bromelain therapeutic uses).
- Age-dependent Fecundity of Podisus nigrispinus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) at Sublethal Doses of Gammacyhalothrin (scielo.br) (extraction and purification methods of bromelain and its therapeutic use).
- Bromelain: A Potent Phytomedicine - PMC (nih.gov) (what it is, potential for phytotherapy, anti-inflammatory effect).
- Bromelain a Potential Bioactive Compound: A Comprehensive Overview from a Pharmacological Perspective - PMC (nih.gov) (low toxicity/side effects, anti-inflammatory effect, medical and pharmacological use).
- Bromelain, a Group of Pineapple Proteolytic Complex Enzymes (Ananas comosus) and Their Possible Therapeutic and Clinical Effects. A Summary - PMC (nih.gov) (what it is and where it comes from, absorption and bioavailability, clinical and medical uses, anti-inflammatory and analgesic).
- Dietary Supplementation with Fresh Pineapple Juice Decreases Inflammation and Colonic Neoplasia in IL-10-deficient Mice with Colitis - PMC (nih.gov) (pineapple juice to decrease inflammation by bromelain) doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2003.12.010 (deerland.com) (bromelain for digestion)
- Methods for improving meat protein digestibility in older adults - PMC (nih.gov) (bromelain to better digest proteins).
- Anti-inflammatory properties of a proprietary bromelain extract (Bromeyal™) after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion - PMC (nih.gov)
- Oral enzyme combination with bromelain, trypsin and the flavonoid rutoside reduces systemic inflammation and pain when used pre- and post-operatively in elective total hip replacement: a randomized exploratory placebo-controlled trial - PMC (nih.gov) (bromelain as an analgesic).
