High-Potency Proteolytic Pineapple Enzyme for Digestion & Joint Comfort
Looking for an all-natural way to soothe post-workout stiffness or break down heavy, protein-packed meals? NOW® Bromelain 500 mg (2400 GDU/g) delivers concentrated proteolytic enzymes extracted straight from the stem of the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus). Standardized to an industry-leading 2,400 Gelatin Digesting Units per gram, every single vegetarian capsule packs 1,200 GDU of active digestive power to ease fullness, encourage gut comfort, and support tissue recovery.
The Golden Timing Rule (How to Get the Results You Want):
✓ For Smooth Digestion: Take 1 capsule with your protein-rich meals to help your stomach break down steak, chicken, eggs, and protein shakes without the sluggish post-meal bloat.
✓ For Joint Comfort & Muscle Soreness: Take 1 capsule 1 to 2 times daily on an empty stomach (at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating) so the enzymes enter your bloodstream directly to ease inflammation and soreness.
Supplied by VitaNet®, LLC, an independent, family-owned nutritional retailer serving customers online since 1995. Every purchase is backed by our unconditional 100% money-back guarantee[cite: 1].
How Bromelain Works in the Human Body
Bromelain is classified as a proteolytic enzyme, which is simply a scientific term for an enzyme that digests protein. Picture whole proteins like tightly tangled molecular ropes. Left unassisted, large proteins can stress your digestive tract, leading to indigestion, gas, and incomplete nutrient absorption. Bromelain acts like molecular scissors, swiftly snipping those tough protein strands into easily absorbed peptides and free amino acids.
However, bromelain's true power lies in its biological versatility, which depends entirely on when you take it:
1. Local Gastrointestinal Action (Taken With Meals)
When consumed alongside food, bromelain stays inside your stomach and small intestine. It acts as a pre-digestive catalyst that hydrolyzes dietary proteins, easing the enzymatic burden on your pancreas and promoting faster gastric emptying without acid distress (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2021).
2. Systemic Anti-Inflammatory Action (Taken Between Meals)
When swallowed on an empty stomach with a tall glass of water, bromelain bypasses digestion. Research indicates that intact bromelain molecules absorb through the intestinal epithelium directly into the bloodstream (Biomedical Reports, 2016). Once circulating, it helps break down excess fibrin (the biological mesh that traps fluid at injury sites), reduces inflammatory bradykinin, and down-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines like PGE2 and TNF-alpha, supporting joint mobility and easing muscle fatigue.
The Benefits of Bromelain for Daily Wellness
Pineapples have been prized in Central and South American folk traditions for centuries, but standardized bromelain supplements unlock clinical-strength wellness benefits that eating the fruit cannot replicate:
Eases Overworked Muscles & Sore Joints: Clinical evaluations demonstrate that systemic bromelain administration supports healthy connective tissue recovery and helps relieve transient stiffness after high-intensity exercise or physical strain (Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012).
Eliminates Protein-Induced Digestive Sluggishness: If high-protein meals, keto diets, or dairy leave you feeling heavy and uncomfortable, bromelain accelerates digestion, promoting superior gastrointestinal motility.
Supports Sinus & Nasal Airway Comfort: Bromelain exhibits natural mucolytic properties, meaning it helps thin mucus secretions and calm inflamed sinus tissues, promoting clearer breathing during seasonal challenges (In Vivo, 2018).
Synergistic Absorption with Quercetin: Nutritionists frequently recommend pairing bromelain with the flavonoid quercetin. Bromelain significantly boosts quercetin's bioavailability, creating a dual antioxidant and seasonal immune defense shield.
A common mistake supplement buyers make is comparing enzyme bottles based purely on milligrams (mg). With enzymes, weight does not equal strength. An enzyme supplement could weigh 1,000 mg, but if it has been exposed to extreme heat or lacks standardization, its active enzymes may be biologically dead.
The true measure of an enzyme's potency is its activity rating:
What is a GDU (Gelatin Digesting Unit)?
A Gelatin Digesting Unit (GDU) is an official laboratory standard established by the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC). One GDU represents the amount of enzyme that can digest 1 milligram of amino nitrogen from a standardized gelatin solution in 20 minutes under strict laboratory temperature and pH conditions.
Standard Commercial Grade: 600 to 1,200 GDU/g (diluted, slower action).
NOW® High-Potency Grade:2,400 GDU/g (the highest natural therapeutic concentration available from pineapple stem extraction).
Active Yield Per Capsule: 500 mg (0.5 grams) × 2,400 GDU/g = 1,200 active GDU in every single vegetarian capsule!
NOW Foods World-Class Lab Testing & Contaminant Screening
Dietary supplements are only as good as the laboratory safety standards behind them. When you purchase NOW® Bromelain through VitaNet®, you are getting a product verified by one of the most advanced analytical testing infrastructures in the natural health industry.
NOW® Foods operates private, state-of-the-art testing facilities staffed by more than 160 full-time scientists and technicians who perform over 31,000 analytical tests every month across incoming raw materials and finished lots. Their facilities hold prestigious ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation through the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), ensuring testing accuracy and repeatability that rivals third-party forensic laboratories.
Heavy Metal Screening via ICP-MS: Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, NOW screens every batch for toxic heavy metals—including Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), and Mercury (Hg)—down to parts-per-billion (ppb) detection limits, strictly complying with USP specifications and California Proposition 65 safety ceilings.
Multi-Residue Pesticide & Solvent Screening: Utilizing tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS), raw botanical extracts are screened against hundreds of agricultural pesticides (including glyphosate) and toxic extraction solvents.
Microbiological Pathogen Testing: Advanced bioMérieux automated systems and rapid PCR platforms confirm that every lot is free of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, while verifying total yeast and mold counts remain well within pharmaceutical-grade limits.
Enzyme Activity & Botanical Fingerprinting: Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) verify authentic Ananas comosus stem identity, while enzymatic assays confirm that the 2,400 GDU/g potency remains fully active through the bottle's expiration date.
NOW® holds comprehensive Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) certification through the Natural Products Association (NPA) with an “A” compliance rating and is audited by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Complete Ingredient Listing & Supplement Facts
Double-checked against official NOW Foods manufacturing records for item code #N2943 (UPC: 733739029430):
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Veg Capsule
Servings Per Container: 60
Description
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value
Bromelain (2400 GDU/g)† (from Pineapple)
500 mg
*
* Daily Value not established.
† Gelatin Digesting Units - an official measure of proteolytic (protein digesting) activity.
Suggested Usage: Take 1 veg capsule 1 to 2 times daily, with or between meals, depending on your wellness goals. Store in a cool, dry place after opening.
Critical Safety & Interaction Guidelines (Please Read Before Use):
Pineapple Allergy Warning: Do NOT take this product if you have a known allergy or severe sensitivity to pineapples. Symptoms can include skin hives, breathing difficulty, or digestive cramping. Cross-reactivity may also occur in individuals allergic to latex, birch pollen, celery, or grass pollen.
Blood-Thinning / Anticoagulant Medications: Bromelain exhibits natural fibrinolytic and anti-platelet aggregation properties. If you are taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs (such as Warfarin, Eliquis, Plavix, Xarelto, or daily Aspirin), consult your physician prior to use, as combining them may elevate the risk of bruising or bleeding.
Scheduled Surgery: Discontinue taking bromelain at least 14 days prior to any planned medical or dental surgery to avoid unnecessary bleeding complications.
Antibiotic Absorption: Bromelain has been shown in clinical trials to enhance blood and tissue levels of certain antibiotics, notably amoxicillin and tetracyclines. While sometimes advantageous, discuss timing with your doctor.
Active Stomach Ulcers: Individuals suffering from active gastric or peptic ulcers should avoid taking bromelain on an empty stomach, as its proteolytic nature can potentially irritate damaged mucosal tissue.
Why Choose VitaNet®, LLC for Your Supplements?
In an era dominated by fly-by-night third-party marketplace sellers who store sensitive vitamins in overheated warehouses, buying from a trusted, dedicated vitamin specialist makes all the difference for your health.
Serving Health-Minded Customers Since 1995: VitaNet®, LLC is a family-owned, independent American business operating out of Hartville, Ohio with over 31 years of direct natural product experience[cite: 1].
Better Business Bureau (BBB) A+ Rated: We maintain the highest standards of retail ethics, transparency, and product freshness[cite: 1].
Unmatched 100% Money-Back Guarantee: We offer a 100% money-back guarantee on all products, and we even pay the return shipping costs whether the bottle is opened or unopened[cite: 1].
Real People, Real Support: Need help choosing a formulation? Call our dedicated team directly at (330) 877-8786 or toll-free at 1-800-877-8702[cite: 1].
What does 2,400 GDU mean on this NOW Bromelain bottle?
GDU stands for Gelatin Digesting Units. It is a certified scientific measurement of how effectively and rapidly the enzyme breaks down tough protein bonds. A potency of 2,400 GDU/g is the industry gold standard for natural pineapple stem enzyme concentration. Each 500 mg capsule provides 1,200 active GDU.
Should I take bromelain with food or on an empty stomach?
It depends entirely on your health goal! If you are taking bromelain to help digest protein and ease post-meal bloating, take 1 capsule with your meal. If you are taking it to soothe sore muscles, relieve stiff joints, or clear nasal airways, take it on an empty stomach with water at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after food.
Can I take bromelain if I am allergic to pineapple?
No. Bromelain is extracted directly from the stems of the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus). If you have an established pineapple allergy or cross-sensitivities to latex, celery, or birch pollen, you must avoid bromelain supplements.
Does NOW Bromelain interact with prescription blood thinners?
Yes. Bromelain has natural blood-thinning and clot-dissolving properties. If you are currently prescribed anti-platelet or anticoagulant medications such as Warfarin, Eliquis, Plavix, Xarelto, or take high-dose aspirin, consult your doctor before using bromelain.
How does NOW Foods verify that this supplement is pure and free of heavy metals?
NOW Foods operates ISO/IEC 17025 accredited in-house testing laboratories that perform over 31,000 analyses monthly. They utilize Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to verify that heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) fall well below strict safety thresholds, and use GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS to ensure zero harmful pesticide or solvent residues.
Can I combine NOW Bromelain with Quercetin?
Yes, bromelain and quercetin are one of the most popular and clinically effective nutritional combinations available. Bromelain substantially enhances the digestive absorption of quercetin, boosting its antioxidant and respiratory comfort benefits.
What if this bromelain supplement does not work for me?
VitaNet®, LLC offers an unconditional 100% money-back guarantee on all products[cite: 1]. If you are unsatisfied for any reason, VitaNet will refund your purchase price and even pays the return shipping costs, whether the bottle is opened or unopened[cite: 1].
