Bromelain—an enzyme from pineapple—showed modest pain relief when taken orally (about 0.27 points better than placebo on pain scales), and was more effective for sinusitis than other conditions. When applied topically to wounds, it significantly sped up healing by nearly 7 days. Don't expect dramatic results, but side effects were generally mild (bloating, nausea, headache).

Researchers analyzed 54 published studies on bromelain through 2022, with 39 studies having enough data to combine results statistically. They assessed study quality and looked at both oral and topical uses.

Funding not disclosed in abstract