Bromelain

Dolomite

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I started this thread to comment on bromelain as a supplement after reading the Travis Corner disscussions about bromelain interfering with prostaglandin E2 production and fungal hyphae development

For two weeks I have been taking 500 mg Now brand bromelain in the morning with breakfast. For the first 4-5 days I experienced some pain in my esophagus/stomach region. It has gone away. I haven't had any GERD symptoms lately but it may be too soon to tell. The mild pain I felt was similar to what I experienced when I took Defibron orally. The pain went away after several days of using the Defibron, too. I did not continue the Defibron after a week because it gave me some constipation. I have not had any constipation with the bromelain.

I can't really tell if it has helped with arthritis type pains.
 

Wagner83

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Do you have tongue coating? How has it evolved with the addition of bromelain? It could be worth managing.
 
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Dolomite

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No tongue coating but I do get skin yeast rashes. I have had them in the early spring since drinking more milk and OJ. They may be related to winter and less vitamin D.
 
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I have usually read that it should be taken on an empty stomach...so as to avoid being combined with food...don't know if this is really true.
 

Wagner83

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  1. Inhibitory effects of bromelain, a cysteine protease derived from pineapple stem (Ananas comosus), on intestinal motility in mice. - PubMed - NCBI
  2. The effects of protease supplementation on skeletal muscle function and DOMS following downhill running. - PubMed - NCBI
  3. [Bromelain in blunt injuries of the locomotor system. A study of observed applications in general practice]. - PubMed - NCBI
  4. Effect of combined oral proteases and flavonoid treatment in subjects at risk of Type 1 diabetes. - PubMed - NCBI
  5. Proteolytic activity and immunogenicity of oral bromelain within the gastrointestinal tract of mice. - PubMed - NCBI
I find it odd that there's no abstract available for number 4 but haven't tried to find the study you-know-where yet. @Travis I'm curious about your thoughts on the first and fourth ones (if you can be bothered that is). The last one is interesting as it could be a good way to use sodium carbonate away from large meals (so as to not interfere with digestion) while reaping benefits from the bromelain, although the benefits aren't clear to me, but it sounds like using sodium carbonate would protect the bromelain and allow it to work its magic. Is that wrong?
Hamster I think if the bromelain is taken with a meal it will simply help digest the proteins, but if one wants systemic effects he may choose to take it away from meal (with baking soda?).
 

Wagner83

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A simple warning that should have been obvious to me earlier, I wouldn't take a strong bromelain supplement along with aspirin.
 
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Dolomite

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Yes, @Wagner83, I read in several places that bromelain can act as a blood thinner. I don't take aspirin or use progesterone or vitamin E.

I am going to take it before breakfast with some OJ to see if I notice any changes in joint pain.
 
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Dolomite

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That is a good idea to take breaks in using bromelian. I have been using it 24 days. I started taking it with only OJ first thing in the morning 7 days ago to see the effects on arthritic type pains like @ecstatichamster commented. The first two days I experienced the lethargy @Wagner83 commented on. The next day I had all kinds of aches and pains in my hands, hips and knees. The pain in my left knee continued for two more days while the others pains went away. Today I am pain free! I don't know what it is but I think the enzyme made its way to my joints and caused some fibrolytic activity.

Another great thing is I haven't had anymore GERD type symptoms.

I think I will take a week off and see what I notice.

When I say I had knee pain, I could not bend it to go down stairs or put weight on it to take two steps at a time like usual. I had no problems today.

I like the bromelain because I don't have any side effects.
 
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That is a good idea to take breaks in using bromelian. I have been using it 24 days. I started taking it with only OJ first thing in the morning 7 days ago to see the effects on arthritic type pains like @ecstatichamster commented. The first two days I experienced the lethargy @Wagner83 commented on. The next day I had all kinds of aches and pains in my hands, hips and knees. The pain in my left knee continued for two more days while the others pains went away. Today I am pain free! I don't know what it is but I think the enzyme made its way to my joints and caused some fibrolytic activity.

Another great thing is I haven't had anymore GERD type symptoms.

I think I will take a week off and see what I notice.

When I say I had knee pain, I could not bend it to go down stairs or put weight on it to take two steps at a time like usual. I had no problems today.

I like the bromelain because I don't have any side effects.
Fantastic results @Dolomite. Congratulations!
 

griesburner

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i currently take bromelain, too for my swelling in my knee caused by my rheumatoid arthritis. i think its getting better but i am not sure yet if its the bromelain or coincidence. @Dolomite how many mg or fip units did you take of bromelain ?
 
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Dolomite

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@griesburner, I use NOW brand bromelain 500 mg. when I started I took it with breakfast. For the last week, I have been taking it with some OJ the first thing in the morning. The pain I have referred to is localized and doesn't include a mentally defeating tiredness. I don't know if that explains it well. But the pain lessens and then is gone entirely!

The second week of use I did feel some odd pains in my gut. Now I think they may have been from the enzyme acting on fibrotic areas.

I may be wrong about all of this but overall I feel great after some localized pains.
 

Wagner83

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http://www.deerlandenzymes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/EnzymeAssayUnits_Deerland.pdf
Bromelain Units GDU: One gelatin digestion unit per gram of bromelain is that amount of enzyme which liberates 1mg of amino nitrogen from a gelatin substrate in 20 minutes under the conditions of the assay (pH 4.5 and 45°C). The hydrolyzed gelatin substrate liberates amino acids and peptides which are measured by titration with sodium peroxide.
@Travis, does it mean that 500 mg with a potency of 2400 GDU/gram digests 1.2 grams of gelatin per proteins in 20mn (the conditions of the stomach may be different though)? Some vastly more expensive products have 500mg with an activity of 5000 GDU per gram, would 1 gr of a 2400 GDU / gram bromelain be approximately equal to 500 mg at 5000 GDU/gr?
 

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http://www.deerlandenzymes.cwp-content/uploads/2015/04/EnzymeAssayUnits_Deerland.pdf

@Travis, does it mean that 500 mg with a potency of 2400 GDU/gram digests 1.2 grams of gelatin per proteins in 20mn (the conditions of the stomach may be different though)? Some vastly more expensive products have 500mg with an activity of 5000 GDU per gram, would 1 gr of a 2400 GDU / gram bromelain be approximately equal to 500 mg at 5000 GDU/gr?
Yeah. I think these are simple linear relationships on paper although it could deviate with higher concentrations. I would assume that the enzyme preparations are tested using the same supplement mass, but I think you could expect some inter-enzyme substrate competition for the gelatin as the concentration increases. Also, bromelain is known for auto-proteolysis: Each individual bromelain enzyme is capable of digesting neighboring bromelain enzymes . . . or the veritable Jeffrey Dahmer of proteins. So as the bromelain concentration increases relative to the gelatin, I think you expect a deviation from non-linearity: Instead of the liberated nitrogen rate versus the bromelain concentration curve being straight, I think that it might level-off and plateau.

The Question: Is 1·g × (2400·GDU/g) ≈ 500·mg × (5000·GDU/g) ?

While being approximately true assuming linear functions (2400 ≈ 2500), these values had likely both been determined using the same mass of both supplements. I think this could mean that the approximate sign (≈) in this case could really be a bit wavier, had we that HTML character, but to know exactly how much wavier we need to find curves of ∂N/∂t vs bromelain.
 

Travis

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i currently take bromelain, too for my swelling in my knee caused by my rheumatoid arthritis. i think its getting better but i am not sure yet if its the bromelain or coincidence. @Dolomite how many mg or fip units did you take of bromelain ?
I had initially been somewhat surprised by the studies showing bromelain to be absorbed whole, but since this protein is smaller than Volkheimer's persorbed starch particles I probably shouldn't have been. I just found a classic '60s study just now that had been published in The Lancet in which a doctor had drank C. albicans yeast cells only to have them appear in the urine shortly thereafter. I suppose the lessen from all these studies is that enzymes, cells, and starch particles all really can be absorbed intact.
 
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Dolomite

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Which supplements are you using please?

I am using NOW brand Bromelain, 500 mg/2400 GDU/g. I take one a day in the morning with some orange juice before breakfast.

I am still taking it daily for now. I stopped for five days but restarted when I felt a return of GERD symptoms.
 

Broken man

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Do you feel some improvements?
I am using NOW brand Bromelain, 500 mg/2400 GDU/g. I take one a day in the morning with some orange juice before breakfast.

I am still taking it daily for now. I stopped for five days but restarted when I felt a return of GERD symptoms.
 

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