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• Bromelain shows promise for traumatic brain injury
• Vitamin D deficiency associated with chronic rhinosinusitis severity

Bromelain shows promise for traumatic brain injury

September 04 2026. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found benefits for bromelain, an enzyme occurring in pineapple, in people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the leading cause of injury mortality. The findings were reported July 19, 2026, in Food Science & Nutrition.

The trial included 58 men and women aged 18-65 years who were admitted to a neurologic intensive care unit with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Diagnoses included epidural hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage or brain edema. Half of the participants received 200 milligrams of bromelain given by feeding tube three times per day and the remainder received a placebo for 14 days. Clinical evaluations that included the Glasgow Coma Scale, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (NUTRIC) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II were conducted at the beginning of the study and on days 7 and 14. Time spent on a ventilator, blood markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and other factors were also evaluated.

At the end of the trial, individuals who were given bromelain showed improved SOFA, NUTRIC and APACHE scores and lower blood levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6, a marker of inflammation) compared with the placebo group. At 60 days, participants who received bromelain had a significantly lower mortality rate than those who received a placebo. "The significant reduction in 60-day mortality in the bromelain group is noteworthy," authors Alireza Gheflati and colleagues remarked. "This suggests that bromelain may have longer-term benefits that extend beyond the acute phase of traumatic brain injury."

"These findings suggest that bromelain may serve as a promising adjunctive therapy to reduce inflammation and improve clinical outcomes in critically ill traumatic brain injury patients," they concluded. Further studies were recommended to confirm their results.

—D Dye

Vitamin D deficiency associated with chronic rhinosinusitis severity

September 02 2026. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 studies published July 23, 2026, in Frontiers in Immunology found increased severity of chronic rhino sinusitis in people who were deficient in vitamin D.

"Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide," Ibrahim Sumaily and colleagues remarked. "It is an upper respiratory tract ailment marked by widespread inflammation of the mucosal lining of the nose and paranasal sinuses."

For their review and meta-analysis, Sumaily and associates identified 12 studies that included 1,236 men and women aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps (which often occur in chronic rhinosinusitis). Included studies evaluated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and disease severity or polyp recurrence, or the disease-specific effects of the addition of vitamin D to the diet.

Significantly lower serum vitamin D levels were observed in individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis than those without the condition. Among individuals with nasal polyps, the incidence of deficiency was greater than 90%. Low vitamin D levels were associated with greater disease severity.

In studies that evaluated the effects of oral or intranasal vitamin D, individuals who received vitamin D showed improvements in symptom severity, radiologic findings and quality of life, as well as a decrease in postoperative recurrence of nasal polyps compared with control groups. No significant adverse effects were reported. "These therapeutic effects are likely mediated through multiple mechanisms, including modulation of inflammatory pathways, enhancement of epithelial barrier function, and regulation of local immune responses," the authors wrote.

They concluded that vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with increased disease severity and recurrence and that the vitamin may serve as a promising addition to standard treatment. "Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to establish optimal dosing strategies and inform clinical guideline recommendations," they recommended.

—D Dye

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