By Dr. Lloyd Berg, PhD.
As a mission of our on-going blog series, our goal is to educate consumers about the health benefits of fresh pineapples. Today, the fourth installment in this series focuses on research suggesting that bromelain (a key enzyme found largely in pineapples) can help mitigate Asthma and its symptoms.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease, which inflames and narrows the airways. It can have genetic, allergic, infectious, environmental, and/or dietary origins. Many people have asthma for many different reasons. As a result, researchers continue to investigate several ways to tame asthma including by testing the benefits of lifestyle changes and alternative treatments. Among said treatments, intake of bromelain from pineapples is currently being considered as one of the top natural advancements.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, bromelain was tested as part of a recent study by the University of Connecticut. After eight days of testing three different groups of mice, researchers found that increases in the bromelain enzyme actually reduced airway inflammation in the group of mice with allergic airway disease.
While it’s not a cure, this research suggests that in addition to all other health advantages we’ve mentioned over the past few weeks, pineapple’s bromelain could also possibly help in treating asthma. So is a pineapple a tasty treat that’s actually healthy for you? Yes! Compared to other items on the grocery shelf – now that’s a breath of fresh air!
This blog entry is part of a multi-post series on the potential benefits of pineapples. For more information about pineapple consumption, please contact us at marketing@chfusa.com.