Bromelain is a mixture of enzymes extracted from the stem of pineapple and has long been used by Europeans to help inflammation and tissue swelling. Research also shows that it may help support healthy blood viscosity and blood platelet aggregation. Bromelain has to be enteric coated to not be activated in the stomach and used as a digestive enzyme. Enteric-coated bromelain tablets pass into the small intestine where they are absorbed into the bloodstream to provide benefits. Specially coated bromelain may significantly regulate inflammation in the joints. According to research, enteric-coated bromelain is at least as effective as other approaches in supporting joint comfort and is well tolerated. One study even found that bromelain is more effective than other methods for maintaining joint function at rest. Another study showed that specially coated bromelain yielded an overall improvement in general wellbeing, along with improvement in comfort and physical function.