On the face of it, the benefits of bromelain pineapple extract appear to be just ‘another’ supposed wonder treatment that is the subject of many big claims, but has questionable results. In the pursuit of a non-surgical cure to eye floaters, we sufferers will take notice of anything that shows promise, but I for one, won’t try just anything for the sake of it. So keep reading for my top 4 reasons, why I’m going to try Bromelain supplement for the next 2 months, to see for myself if there is any truth to the bromelain pineapple hype, that’s been kicking up a fuss.
I purchased this particular supply of Bromelain from Amazon UK. It has 60 capsules and each capsule contains 1200GDU or 480mg per tablet. It advises you to take between 1-3 capsules per day, but I’m gonna take just one per day to start with. I’ll leave a link to this or an equivalent product in the description box.
So why did I do it? Firstly people have asked, and I looked into it and felt that it was a safe product to test for my own floaters. To be clear, I’m not expecting miracles at all in two months, all I want to see is even the faintest indication that bromelain is making some positive difference.
With that said, here are the top 4 reasons, that I found bromelain interesting, and worth a try…
1. Bromelain has a long history of therapeutic use in traditional and herbal medicine
Bromelain is an enzyme found naturally in all parts of the pineapple. It has a centuries-long history of being used to treat medical ailments, primarily throughout Central and South America. In parts of the word, it has medicine approval to be used in burns, because it is effective at removing the dead skin. The range of things it is known to be useful for include; soothing a wide range of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and it is often used for cardiovascular conditions, where there may be the risk of heart attack and stroke for example. This cardiovascular use comes from its ability to thin the blood (that’s why if you are already taking blood-thinning medication, you need to definitely consult your doctor before you start taking bromelain).
So this wide use of bromelain, pretty much assures me that it is safe to use, and not just a novel product with unknown risks.
2. Bromalin is a protein-digesting enzyme
Why is this important? The main way that it is claimed that bromelain may act against eye floaters is by dissolving the floaters. Before we can even take such a claim seriously, we need to know that the bromelain pineapple enzyme has that theoretical possibility. So we know that eye floaters are caused by clumping together of collagen fibrils that exist in the vitreous humor naturally, causing these bigger clumps to cast moving shadows that we see as floaters.
It turns out that bromelain is indeed a proteolytic enzyme and can speed up the breakdown of proteins into their smaller amino acid blocks. Collagen that floaters are made of are proteins, so bromelain can theoretically break them down. So it seems that we can tick that off as a plausibility – if we can somehow get the bromelain enzyme into the vitreous (of course).
3. Stem Bromelain can travel through cell membranes
Now, we know that the vitreous humor is enclosed by the hyaloid membrane, so for bromelain to get access to floaters and digest them, it presumably has to get past the membrane and into the vitreous.
Well, it turns out that…
There are two Bromelain enzymes types in pineapple classified as:
1 – Fruit bromelain – extracted from the fruit juice
2 – Stem bromelain – extracted from my the stem
Fruit bromelain – appears to have broad ability to break down protein types
Stem bromelain – can break down proteins too, but it also has an unusual property to affect several seemingly unrelated parts of the body and is widely accepted used as herbal medicine. It is often used in therapies in conditions that benefit from thinning the blood, as well as for decongesting airways, sinuses, and anti-inflammation amongst other things.
It also appears that the stem bromelain has the ability to travel through cell membranes, which may explain why it appears to impact a wide range of regions in the body, and why a lot of supplements and therapies use the pineapple stem extract and not just the fruit. The bromelain that I have is extracted from the stem, I believe – That’s what the term ‘ananas comosus’ refers to.
Now, of course, we often describe the vitreous as a ‘closed system’, and that is true to the extent that there is no way for the intact vitreous structure to allow the whole vitreous humor fluid to drain out and for new fluid to drain in, like what happens in the anterior chamber of the eye with aqueous humor that gets produced from the ciliary processes and drains out via the trabecular meshwork. However, it doesn’t mean that nutrients cant travel into and out of the vitreous through the anterior hyaloid membrane. This is precisely what was suggested by MAURICE (1957) when his experiment seemed to demonstrate that salt he placed in the vitreous then leaked into the aqueous.
So in theory, bromelain could travel in your bloodstream, be present in the blood plasma that creates aqueous from the ciliary processes and then travel through the anterior hyaloid membrane and digest your collagen floaters.
So, ok this is super theoretical, but for those that want a suggested pathway for how bromelain can get into the vitreous; that’s a highly simplified theory.
4. Some research and anecdotal evidence suggesting benefit against floaters
It’s always great to have research suggesting and backing up a possible treatment for anything, and while there is not much for bromelain, many people will be aware of the now infamous Tiwanies studies that suggest eating raw pineapples, which of course contain bromelain, can reduce the perception of floaters over a 6 month period.
As well as that, there are many people why take bromelain for a whole load of other ailments and conditions, that swear by it. You’ll also find in the floater community, people why feel that it has made some kind of difference.
Final Thoughts
With all that considered, Of course, there are many people why have had no results with bromelain, and I’m fully prepared for that to be the case. For all those who have asked about it and so I can answer the question, “have you tried bromelain”, as well as all the reasons outlined in this video; I have decided to give bromelain a try for myself.
I’m not expecting miracles, but it would be nice to experience even the slightest indication to give me hope of some benefit to my own floaters, to warrant continuing to take it.
I love pineapples, but if I eat too much, I get acid indigestion, so I’m taking the supplements. Plus I want to try stem bromelain rather than fruit bromelain.
I’m not getting too hung up on the dosage, but I think I will start with one 480 milligram tablet a day for the first month and possibly increase that for the second month.
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Question: Have you tried bromelain, and did it impact your eye floaters?
Leave me your comment below.
Interesting. Do You have PVD floaters including weiss ring?
I personally don’t have a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) or a Weiss ring.
Well, here we are almost in December. Did it improve your floaters?
I’ve made some update videos.
I started taking the suplement 2 months ago, after one month I changed to pineapple since the suplements give me some problems. The floaters still remain and I can’t say if there’s any improvement. Let’s see in a couple of months more.
Thank you Samuel, keep us updated if possible.
I have been taking Bromelain 1000mg per day for about Three and a half months. I can see through my floaters now and they are getting smaller. My floaters. being more transparent helps my reading very much. I hope that it keeps on improving. They say it takes Six months. At first I didn’t believe that it would work but I kept on taking it and I am seeing great improvement.
That’s really interesting to hear. Thanks for sharing your experience David.
Glad you are getting better. Do you take the bromelain with food or without food ? Thanks
Hi, David, thanks for posting. I have been taking 850mg of bromelain per day for a month now. No results yet, but your testimony motivates me to keep going. Mine is a chronic case and my right eye is absolutely littered with floaters of all kinds. Really inhibits my vision. I have a four-month supply which I intend to finish. Really hoping for a breakthrough!
By the way, do you take it with or away from food? Any updates on your progress?
Regards.
Hey thanks fir all you do. I am trying bromelain pills for my eye floaters. Hey should we take the bromelain supplements with food or without food? Mine are chewable so should I drink water with it or let it dissolve In my mouth. ? Thanks. I heard if you take them without food it will help with inflammation. But which is the best way to take for floaters. Thanks
I have tried quite a few supplements. Bromelain seams to be having some effect vs the others. Floaters slowly are becoming more transparent and a few weeks ago my largest one that seamed to be suspended by a thin strand broke and fell out of view. Is this because of the supplement? I can’t say, but I will keep taking it as I feel it has had a positive impact. One thing I can recommend is be very patient. I don’t feel that taking the supplement for even a few months would be long enough to realize the benefits. Best to all, I know how frustrating this is. But there is hope!