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| - Last Updated on July 19, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
A social media post claims that consuming pineapple juice before wisdom tooth surgery reduces pain. We fact-checked and found that the claim is half true.
The Claim
“I feel amazing. didn’t have to take a single pain pill for my wisdom tooth extraction! just drank pineapple juice and vibed. highly recommend,” reads the post of the Twitter user. Similar claims have also been made by social media users on TikTok and Facebook.
Fact Check
Can pineapple reduce pain?
Maybe. Not enough evidence.
The claim to analgesic property of pineapple is based on the presence of Bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme. Bromelain is known for its pain relieving, anti-inflammatory properties and has been found helpful in multiple health issues like Osteoarthritis, Cardiovascular disease, Asthma and Cancer.
Can pineapple reduce pain of tooth surgery?
Not enough evidence.
Rather, in a small clinical trial to test the effective of bromelain on the pain of tooth extraction, scientists could not find any positive result. They concluded, “The oral administration of bromelain may have beneficial effects in the control of postoperative inflammation and pain of impacted third molars, using an appropriate dose regimen, although this study has not highlighted these potential benefits. Further studies are needed…”
Can there be side effects of drinking too much pineapple juice?
Yes. Most of the social media users who posted the claim had been seen drinking packaged or canned pineapple juice. Most packaged juices contain high amount of sugar that can lead it multiple other health problems.
High amount of consuming pineapple is also known to cause irritation in mouth and tongue.
Furthermore, though Bromelain has a very low toxicity level, it can interact with antibiotics often prescribed after surgeries. Bromelain should also be used with caution by patients who are on blood thinning medicines and sedatives.
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