Fruit

I can't be the only one who gets this: pineapple makes my mouth hurt, and kiwi doesn't hurt but just...feels funny. I mentioned this to J., who's got a degree in botany; he told me that pineapple contains bromelain, which is a protease enzyme—a digestive enzyme frequently used as a meat tenderizer. Yikes. No wonder it makes the roof of my mouth feel tender; it's trying to digest it! (Bromeline is specific to pineapples; I couldn't find the exact chemical in kiwi, but it does contain protease enzymes.)



I'm trying to find a good link, but I keep getting the Web sites of health food/natural product/beauty supply/nutrition supplement companies touting the bazillion all-natural ingredients in their latest product. I can see why protease would be useful in beauty products; it would be a heck of a facial cleanser, if you didn't leave it on too long. And I guess if you were missing some digestive enzymes taking supplements would be useful—along the lines of Lactaid for lactose intolerance.



But anyway. I think I'll be avoiding pineapple.