← The ApothecaryBromeliaceaefruit, stem (source of bromelain), leavesFact-checked 23 October 2026

Pineapple

Ananas comosus

Also calledAnaná (Spanish/Portuguese, from Tupi nanas) · Piña (Spanish) · Bromelain (the enzyme extract)

A tropical American fruit whose stem and fruit yield bromelain, a mixture of protein-digesting enzymes. A purified bromelain-based enzyme (NexoBrid) is an approved hospital medicine for removing dead tissue from severe burns; oral bromelain supplements have much weaker evidence.

Full natural-history sheet →

What it is used for

Burns and sunburn
Strong
A sterile bromelain-enriched enzyme concentrate (NexoBrid) is approved by the EMA (2012) and the US FDA (2022) for removing eschar from deep partial- and full-thickness thermal burns. In the US pivotal trial, 93% of patients had at least 95% eschar removal versus 4% with the gel vehicle. This is a hospital procedure, not a home use of pineapple.^3,4,1
Pain (general)
Limited
Some studies suggest oral bromelain may reduce pain and swelling after wisdom-tooth surgery; German Commission E approved bromelain for swelling after surgery or injury, especially of the nose and sinuses, but later trials after facial surgery were mixed.^1,2,6
Sinus congestion
Limited
NCCIH: there is not enough high-quality research to say whether oral bromelain helps sinusitis.¹
Arthritis and joint pain
Limited
Trials of bromelain for osteoarthritis were mostly uncontrolled or compared with other drugs and had methodological problems; MSK describes the clinical results as mixed.^5,2,1
Indigestion and dyspepsia
Traditional
The fruit is widely used in tropical folk medicine for digestive complaints; this rests on long use, not trials.⁷
Intestinal worms
Traditional
Folk records describe juice of young fruit as a vermifuge and high doses of leaf juice as a purgative; neither has been tested clinically.⁸

How it is prepared

food

Ripe fruit eaten fresh or as juice. Cooking or canning destroys most of the enzyme activity.

Indigestion and dyspepsia

dry extract / capsule

Oral bromelain tablets or capsules, standardised by enzyme activity rather than by weight.

Pain (general) · Sinus congestion

ointment / salve

NexoBrid: a powder mixed into a gel and applied to the burn under an occlusive dressing for 4 hours, by trained burn-unit staff only. The FDA label limits the total treated area.

FDA label (2022): total treated area must not exceed 20% of body surface area.

Burns and sunburn

Amounts are as recorded by the named source, not a recommendation.

Safety

Pregnancy: Insufficient data
Breastfeeding: Insufficient data
Children: No data on oral bromelain supplements in children. NexoBrid's US label was first approved for adults only.

Interactions with medicines

warfarin and other anticoagulants / antiplateletsModerateBromelain may increase bruising and bleeding risk; MSK advises against combining.
tetracycline antibioticsModerateBromelain may raise blood and urine levels of tetracyclines and may increase absorption of some other antibiotics.
CYP2C9 substratesMinorInhibition seen in lab studies; clinical significance unknown.

Interaction checker →

Do not use if

Allergy to pineapple or bromelain
Taking anticoagulants (bromelain supplements)

Side effects

Stomach upset and diarrhoea (oral bromelain)
Allergic reactions, including contact cheilitis and IgE-mediated allergy

Toxicity

The ripe fruit is a safe food. Folk records warn that unripe fruit has been eaten to cause abortion; there is little data on this.

In the healing traditions

Andean / Amazonian
Nanas / ananá
Domesticated in South America; the fruit is used in tropical folk medicine for digestive complaints, inflammation and sore throat.
Southeast Asian folk medicine
Nanas (Malay)
Folk records from tropical Asia describe leaf juice as a purgative and juice of young fruit against worms, and warn that unripe fruit has been taken to cause abortion.
Modern pharmacology
Bromelain / NexoBrid
Proteolytic enzyme concentrate applied in hospital to remove burn eschar; oral bromelain sold as a supplement for swelling and joint pain.

Active compounds

bromelain: mixture of cysteine proteases from stem and fruit; the active principle of the burn-debridement drug
flavonoids and phenolic compounds: contribute to the antioxidant activity seen in lab studies

History

Pineapple was domesticated in South America and carried around the tropics by Portuguese and Spanish sailors after 1500. Bromelain was first studied as a drug in the twentieth century. The burn-debridement product NexoBrid, developed in Israel, became the first bromelain-based prescription medicine, approved in the EU in 2012 and the US in 2022.

Sources

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.