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Bromelain vs Inflammation & Much More
Plus: knee cracking and popping: is it normal or should you be worried?
The 10almonds Team
June 17, 2024
Today’s almonds have been activated by:
Do you sometimes want to eat/drink something that’ll spike your blood sugars? Have something fibrous first. Failing that, something fatty. Ideally, something fibrous and fatty, in that order.
Your blood sugars will thank you; even if you are not diabetic; it has a big effect on a lot of other things!
In A Rush?
Today’s 30-Second Summary
If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:
Bromelain is an enzyme (really, a collection of enzymes) found in pineapples, with a lot of potential health benefits
Today’s main feature looks at the science of its famous anti-inflammatory action and its many mechanisms, with a spotlight on its use against arthritis
We also touch on some of its other effects, including its clot-dissolving properties, and (paradoxically) its benefits for wound healing.
Omega-3 fatty acids have a lot of health benefits—including for joints and for the brain—but not all sources are created equal
Today's sponsor, NativePath, are offering a convenient, sustainable, and highly bioavailable form—far better than cod liver oil!
Today’s featured recipe is a deliciously gut-healthy probiotic and prebiotic spaghetti chermoula; we’ll bet it’ll become one your favorites for warm summer nights!
Read on to learn more about these things, or click here to visit our archive
A Word To The Wise
 | Baby’s First Debts?Even with private insurance, new American babies come with thousands of dollars of medical debt for many parents |
Watch and Learn
Knee Cracking and Popping (Knee Crepitus). Should You Be Worried?
Prefer text? The above video will take you to a 10almonds page with a text-overview, as well as the video!
Monday’s Research Review
Let’s Get Fruity
Bromelain is an enzyme* found in pineapple (and only in pineapple), that has many very healthful properties, some of them unique to bromelain.
*actually a combination of enzymes, but most often referred to collectively in the singular. But when you do see it referred to as “they”, that’s what that means.
What does it do?
It does a lot of things, for starters:
❝Various in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that they are anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous, anti-thrombotic, fibrinolytic, and facilitate the death of apoptotic cells. The pharmacological properties of bromelain are, in part, related to its arachidonate cascade modulation, inhibition of platelet aggregation, such as interference with malignant cell growth; anti-inflammatory action; fibrinolytic activity; skin debridement properties, and reduction of the severe effects of SARS-Cov-2❞
Some quick notes:
“facilitate the death of apoptotic cells” may sound alarming, but it’s actually good; those cells need to be killed quickly; see for example: Fisetin: The Anti-Aging Assassin
If you’re wondering what arachidonate cascade modulation means, that’s the modulation of the cascade reaction of arachidonic acid, which plays a part in providing energy for body functions, and has a role in cell structure formation, and is the precursor of assorted inflammatory mediators and cell-signalling chemicals.
Its skin debridement properties (getting rid of dead skin) are most clearly seen when using bromelain topically (one can literally just make a pineapple poultice), but do occur from ingestion also (because of what it can do from the inside).
As for being anti-thrombotic and fibrinolytic, let’s touch on that before we get to the main item, its anti-inflammatory properties.
If you want to read more of the above before moving on, though, here’s the full text:
Anti-thrombotic and fibrinolytic
While it does have anti-thrombotic effects, largely by its fibrinolytic action (i.e., it dissolves the fibrin mesh holding clots together), it can have a paradoxically beneficial effect on wound healing, too:
For more specifically on its wound-healing benefits:
Anti-inflammatory
Bromelain is perhaps most well-known for its anti-inflammatory powers, which are so diverse that it can be a challenge to pin them all down, as it has many mechanisms of action, and there’s a large heterogeneity of studies because it’s often studied in the context of specific diseases. But, for example:
❝Bromelain reduced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α secretion when immune cells were already stimulated in an overproduction condition by proinflammatory cytokines, generating a modulation in the inflammatory response through prostaglandins reduction and activation of cascade reactions that trigger neutrophils and macrophages, in addition to accelerating the healing process❞
Read in full:
Or if you want a more specific example, here’s how it stacks up against arthritis:
❝The results demonstrated the chondroprotective effects of bromelain on cartilage degradation and the downregulation of inflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) expression in TNF-α–induced synovial fibroblasts by suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling❞
Read in full:
More?
Yes more! You’ll remember from the first paper we quoted today, that it has a long laundry list of benefits. However, there’s only so much we can cover in one edition, so that’s it for today 😉
Is it safe?
It is generally recognized as safe. However, its blood-thinning effect means it should be avoided if you’re already on blood-thinners, have some sort of bleeding disorder, or are about to have a surgery.
Additionally, if you have an allergy, this one may not be for you.
Aside from that, anything can have drug interactions, so do check with your doctor/pharmacist to be sure.
Want to try some?
You can just eat pineapples, but if you don’t enjoy that and/or wouldn’t want it ever day, bromelain is available in supplement form too.
We don’t sell it, but here for your convenience is an example product on Amazon 😎
Enjoy!
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Please do visit our sponsors—they help keep 10almonds free
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This Or That?
Vote on Which is Healthier
Yesterday we asked you to choose between chickpeas and black beans—both are excellent, but ultimately we picked the black beans (click here to read about why), as did 56% of you!
Now for today’s choice:
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Click on whichever you think is better for you!
Bonus (Sponsored) Recommendation
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Recipes Worth Sharing
Gut-Healthy Spaghetti Chermoula
Chermoula is a Maghreb relish/marinade (it’s used for both purposes); it’s a little like chimichurri but with distinctly N. African flavors. The gut-healthiness starts with the probiotics in the chermoula itself, and continues in the feta, the vegetables, and the wholewheat nature of the pasta.
The dish can be enjoyed at any time, but it’s perfect for warm summer evenings—perhaps dining outside, if you’ve place for that!
Click below for our full recipe, and learn its secrets:
One-Minute Book Review
Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength – by Steven Low
The author, a professional gymnast and coach with a background in the sciences, knows his stuff here. This is what it says on the tin: it’s rigorously systematic. It’s also the most science-based calisthenics book this reviewer has read to date.
If you just wanted to know how to do some exercises, then this book would be very much overkill, but if you want to be able to go from no knowledge to expert knowledge, then the nearly 600 pages of this weighty tome will do that for you.
This is a textbook, it’s a “the bible of…” style book, it’s the one that if you’re serious, will engage you thoroughly and enable you to craft the calisthenics-forged body you want, head to toe.
As if it weren’t already overdelivering, it also has plenty of information on injury avoidance (or injury/condition management if you have some existing injury or chronic condition), and building routines in a dynamic fashion that avoids becoming a grind, because it’s going from strength to strength while cycling through different body parts.
Bottom line: if you’d like to get serious about calisthenics, then this is the book for you.
Penny For Your Thoughts?
What did you think of today's newsletter?We always love to hear from you, whether you leave us a comment or even just a click in the poll if you're speeding by! |
Wishing you the very most well-informed start to the week,
The 10almonds Team
