This Is What Makes Pineapple So Anti-Inflammatory, According To New Research

Pineapple has long had a reputation as a “feel-good” fruit. It’s refreshing, naturally sweet, hydrating, and often associated with digestive support after meals. But beyond its vitamin C and antioxidant content, pineapple is also the primary dietary source of bromelain—a digestive enzyme that helps break down proteins.

But its benefits appear to go beyond digestive support. A new review takes a closer look at bromelain’s potential health benefits1, including its possible role in inflammation, metabolic health, recovery, and immune function. Here’s what you need to know about the enzyme.

Potential benefits of bromelain

The review highlights several areas where bromelain may offer potential health benefits (though researchers stress that much of the evidence is still in the preclinical stages). 

It may help support healthy inflammation levels

This is currently the strongest area of research around bromelain.

The review found that bromelain may help modulate inflammatory pathways and reduce compounds associated with inflammation, including cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6. Researchers also noted that bromelain appears to influence pathways like NF-κB and MAPK, which play major roles in the body’s inflammatory response.

Some small human studies even found improvements in pain, swelling, and stiffness, particularly in people recovering from dental procedures or living with osteoarthritis.

It could support recovery & soreness

Researchers noted that bromelain may help reduce pain signaling compounds like bradykinin and prostaglandins, which may partly explain why it’s commonly used in recovery-focused supplements.

While more research is needed, this is one of the more practical and promising current applications of bromelain.

It may play a role in metabolic health

In animal studies, bromelain supplementation was associated with reductions in body weight gain, liver fat accumulation, and inflammatory markers. A small human study also found reductions in weight and waist circumference in participants taking bromelain supplements.

Still, researchers caution that these findings are preliminary and shouldn’t be interpreted as evidence that bromelain is a standalone weight-loss solution.

Additional areas of interest

The review additionally explored bromelain’s potential role in wound healing, immune function, heart health, and cancer-related pathways. However, the authors repeatedly emphasize that most of these findings come from laboratory or animal studies (not large human clinical trials).

Pineapple recipes

Ready to enjoy more pineapple? Of course you can slice or cube it to have for a snack (it’s even great grilled in the summer), but you can also use it as a marinade for meat (bromelain is a fantastic tenderizer) or in a variety of other recipes. 

The takeaway 

Research on bromelain is still in the early phases, but it can support digestion and seems to have some anti-inflammatory properties. All the more reason to add this fruit to your diet.