Category: Health

Bromelain | Winchester Hospital

Bromelain is not actually a single substance, but rather a collection of protein-digesting enzymes (also called proteolytic enzymes ) found in pineapple juice and in the stem of pineapple plants. It is primarily produced in Japan, Hawaii, and Taiwan, and much of the original research was performed in the first two of those locations. Subsequently, European researchers developed an interest, and, by 1995, bromelain had become the thirteenth most common individual herbal product sold in Germany.

Source: Bromelain | Winchester Hospital

Bromelain | University of Maryland Medical Center

Source: Bromelain | University of Maryland Medical Center

Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes that digest protein (proteolytic) that are found in pineapples (Ananas comosus). Pineapple has been used for centuries in Central and South America to treat indigestion and reduce inflammation. Bromelain, which is derived from the stem and juice of the pineapple, was first isolated from the pineapple plant in the late 1800s. The German Commission E approved bromelain to treat swelling and inflammation after surgery, particularly sinus surgery.

Bromelain can be used to treat a number of conditions, but it is particularly effective in reducing inflammation from infection and injuries.

Homepage – American Botanical Council

Source: Homepage – American Botanical Council

At the American Botanical Council, we are passionate about helping people live healthier lives through the responsible use of herbs, medicinal plants. We are an independent, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to providing accurate and reliable information for consumers, healthcare practitioners, researchers, educators, industry and the media.

 

Published
Categorized as Medicine

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publications

What harm can having too little of a vitamin do? Consider this: Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and became progressively short of breath. The cause was lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more, according to another article in tomorrow’s New England Journal. Some people, like strict vegetarians, don’t take in enough vitamin B12 every days. Others, like many older people and those who have had weight-loss surgery or live with celiac disease or other digestive condition don’t absorb enough of the vitamin. Daily supplements can help.

Source: Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful – Harvard Health Blog – Harvard Health Publications

Published
Categorized as Nutrition