Pineapple
Ananas comosus
Fruits. Latin American & Amazon and Modern nutrition.
Also called Ananas, Piña
Pinyin: Bō Luó
Spanish: Piña
Bromelain can raise bleeding riskPineapple is a sweet tropical fruit, eaten fresh or canned, and its stem holds bromelain, an enzyme studied for swelling.
Did you know? A pineapple is not one fruit: many small flowers fuse together around a central core to make one compound fruit.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Inflammation. Bromelain (a protein-digesting enzyme) supplements have been tested for swelling after surgery and for sinus swelling. Several small trials show modest benefit, but results are mixed.Early proof
- Digestion & gut health. Bromelain is said to help digest protein. Good human trials are lacking, and fresh fruit holds far less bromelain than the supplements used in studies.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Indigenous peoples of South America grew pineapple long before Europeans arrived. Folk healers in Latin America have used the juice and stem for digestion, though that use is not well tested.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Anti-inflammatory, Nutritive. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Fresh fruit, juice and canned pineapple are normal foods. Bromelain supplements used in studies provide far more enzyme than a serving of fruit.
Food, juice and capsule.
Where to get it
Native to South America and grown in Costa Rica, Brazil, the Philippines and other warm places. Sold fresh, canned, dried, as juice and as bromelain capsules made from the stem. Key nutrients: vitamin C, manganese and fiber.
Be careful
Fresh pineapple can sting the mouth because of its enzymes, and some people are allergic to it. Bromelain supplements can raise bleeding risk and should be stopped before surgery, usually about two weeks ahead. Canned fruit can carry added sugar.
Avoid if: before surgery; bleeding disorders.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Often blended with pineapple in Caribbean juice drinks.
- Works well together
Pineapple is a natural source of bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme.
- Works well together
Some allergy and joint blends combine quercetin with bromelain, an enzyme from pineapple.
- Works well together
Both fruits contain protein-digesting enzymes (papain and bromelain).
- Works well together
Both are tropical fruit drinks often blended together.
- Use cautionBlood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
Bromelain may add to the effect of blood thinners such as warfarin, raising bleeding risk. This matters most for supplements, not normal fruit.
Adds up with others that may slow blood clotting: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 40 more.
The honest take
Fresh pineapple is a tasty source of vitamin C and manganese. Bromelain has real but modest evidence for swelling after surgery and sinus problems, mostly in supplement form. Claims that pineapple melts fat or fixes digestion are not proven.