If you are looking towards Bromelain as a natural supplement that can benefit your overall wellbeing, then you must first look at the pineapple. The natural enzymes in this fruit have been credited with a number of health benefits, including aiding digestion, speeding wound healing, and reducing inflammation. Bromelain is found in both the fruit and stem of the pineapple, but the enzyme in supplements comes from the stem.

Bromelain was first introduced as a health-boosting substance in 1957. Much of the research that has been done about it focused on its anti-inflammatory effects. Whether you have a sprained ankle, a nasty bruise, sinusitis, or any other type of inflammation, Bromelain may help you heal faster. In fact, many doctors around the world routinely recommend that their patients take Bromelain before and after surgery to speed the healing process. Essentially you can use Bromelain for any type of inflammation for which you might use aspirin.

Bromelain inhibits the release of certain inflammation-causing chemicals. It also activates a chemical in the blood and tissues that breaks down fibrin, a protein-sugar complex that is partly responsible for blood clotting. By breaking down fibrin, Bromelain produces another benefit which is the fact that it reduces swelling. That’s because fibrin prevents injured tissues from draining, and when they can’t drain, they swell. Bromelain is most beneficial when used after trauma such as surgery or injury but it is also prescribed for colds, flu, and ear infections to loosen thick mucus so it can drain or be coughed up.

Bromelain supplements may also keep platelets from sticking to each other and to blood vessel walls, which is a major factor in atherosclerosis. Bromelain helps prevent platelet clumping by decreasing the release of a chemical that causes them to stick together.