Raw foods provide enzymes that naturally break down food for proper absorption. However, cooking food destroys these enzymes, and the capacity of the living organism to make these digestive enzymes diminishes with age.

Bromelain is a proteolytic digestive enzyme found in pineapples (Ananas comosus) that can enhance absorption of protein and aid in digestion.69,70 It may also affect protein turnover in the body including proteins found in joint tissue, promoting only healthy inflammatory reactions.71