As of 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had not approved quercetin or bromelain, alone or in combination, for the treatment of gout or any other disorder. While research on these substances suggests possible medical applications, large scale clinical studies have never been performed. There have been no peer reviewed, evidence-based studies as to the use of these substances for the treatment of gout.
This very painful condition is best treated with conventional medicine. Talk to your doctor about the best ways to prevent gout attacks.
Gout
Gout occurs when uric acid crystals build up and get lodged in the joints. Uric acid crystals are formed when purines break down. Purines are a class of compounds involved in the synthesis of RNA and DNA. While the kidneys normally remove uric acid from the body, sometimes this mechanism is ineffective. Doctors can prescribe drugs, such as allopurinol, that prevent gout attacks. Avoiding high-purine foods such as organ meats, anchovies, sardines, herring, legumes, mushrooms and spinach is also helpful.
Bromelain Research
Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple. Proteolytic enzymes break proteins down. For example, the trypsin in your stomach is a proteolytic enzyme that helps digest protein.
Lab studies suggest that bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties. For example, the July 2008 "Clinical Immunology" reported in vitro studies that showed that bromelain may prevent a special type of white blood cells called a neutrophil from migrating to an injured area. This suggests that bromelain is potentially beneficial in treating certain autoimmune disease such as arthritis.
Effectiveness of Bromelain
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence using the following categories: "effective," "likely effective," "possibly effective," "possibly ineffective," "likely ineffective," "ineffective," and "insufficient evidence to rate."
Using this scale, bromelain is rated "possibly effective" with respect to treating arthritis. All other claims are rated as "possibly ineffective" or lower. Treating gout is not even considered as a possible use of bromelain.
Quercetin Bromelain Complex
Bromelain is often sold in combination with quercetin. Quercetin belongs to a group of plant pigments called flavonoids. Flavonoids are responsible for the color of many fruits and vegetables. Bromelain and quercetin are sold together because preliminary studies suggest that quercetin also has anti-inflammatory properties.
References
- "Clinical Immunology;" Bromelain Treatment Decreases Neutrophil Migration to Sites of Inflammation. D.J.Fitzhugh, et al.; July 2008
- "Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine"; Bromelain as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis: A Review of Clinical Studies; S. Brien, et al.; December 2004
- MedlinePlus Supplements: Bromelain
- PubMed Health: Gout
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Quercetin
