Bromelain
(Anas comosus)

General Info

Active Forms

Absorption

Dietary Sources

Dosage Info

Dosage Range
1-3 of the 500mg tablets, 3-4 times a day taken 30 minutes before meals.

Topically: Applied topically as a cream (35% bromelain in a lipid base); not recommended for more than 8-10 days.

Most Common Dosage
1-2 tablets (250-500mg), 3 times a day taken 30 minutes before meals. For anti-inflammatory benefits, use between meals, 1-3 tablets (250-500mg) up to 4 times a day.

Topically: Applied topically as a cream (35% bromelain in a lipid base); not recommended for more than 8-10 days.

Dosage Forms

Adult RDI

Adult ODA

Overview

Interactions

Drug/Herb Interactions
•	Anticoagulant medications
•	Antiplatelet medications
•	Antibiotics
•	Specific chemotherapeutic medications

Bromelain is a general name for a family of sulfhydryl proteolytic enzymes obtained from Ananas comosus, the pineapple plant. It is usually classified as either fruit bromelain or stem bromelain depending on its source, with all commercially available bromelain being derived from the stem.(1) These enzymes act on a wide variety of proteins, including food proteins, other enzymes, fibrin and plasminogen, and have been used for years in the food industry as meat tenderizers.(2)

In Europe, a patented tape has been developed containing bromelain that is used clinically for debriding wound eschar.(3) The German Commission E approves the use of bromelain in surgical swelling, particularly of the nasal sinuses.(4) Bromelain is used clinically in conditions such as soft tissue inflammation and arthritis, dyspepsia, and dysmenorrhea, as well as a digestive aid.(5)

Toxicities & Precautions

General
Bromelain is reported safe in recommended dosages.

Allergy
The allergenic potential for proteolytic enzymes should not be underestimated. Bromelain may cause IgE-mediated respiratory allergies of both the immediate type and the late-phase of immediate type in sensitive individuals.(6) Bromelain was reported to cause allergic symptoms in approximately 28 percent of individuals with IgE allergic response to honey bee venom.(7)

Health Conditions
Based on pharmacology, use with caution in individuals with bleeding disorders.(8)

Side Effects
In large doses (up to 1,840mg), bromelain was reported to increase blood pressure in hypertensive patients.(9)

Symptoms & Causes of Deficiency

Footnotes

¹ Gailhofer G, et al. Asthma caused by bromelain: an occupational allergy. Clin Allergy. Sep1988;18(5):445-50.
View Abstract
² Monograph:Bromelain. Altern Med Rev. Aug1998;3(4):302-5.
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³ Houck JC, et al. Isolation of an effective debriding agent from the stems of pineapple plants. Int J Tissue React. 1983;5(2):125-34.
View Abstract
⁴ Blumenthal M, et al. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications;2000:33-35.
⁵ Monograph:Bromelain. Altern Med Rev. Aug1998;3(4):302-5.
View Abstract
⁶ Gailhofer G, et al. Asthma caused by bromelain: an occupational allergy. Clin Allergy. Sep1988;18(5):445-50.
View Abstract
⁷ Tretter V, et al. Fucose alpha 1,3-linked to the core region of glycoprotein N-glycans creates an important epitope for IgE from honeybee venom allergic individuals. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 1993;102(3):259-66.
View Abstract
⁸ Blumenthal: The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines, 1st ed. American Botanical Council. 1998:94-95.
⁹ Gutfreund AE, et al. Effect of oral bromelain on blood pressure and heart rate of hypertensive patients. Hawaii Med J. May1978;37(5):143-6.

Bromelain(Anas comosus)

Bromelain
(Anas comosus)