People’s Pharmacy | Why would pineapple help ease joint pain?

Q. Please remind everyone that fresh pineapple can reduce arthritis symptoms! I have eaten it regularly for years and had very little arthritis. Recently I stopped eating it for couple of weeks and got horrible pain and stiffness in my hands.

I vaguely remembered something about pineapple and looked it up. Sure enough, there it was in your book.

A. Most chemists attribute the anti-inflammatory power of pineapple to its bromelain content (Nutrients, June 28, 2024). This is a mix of enzymes that can break down proteins. It has a long history of use for wound healing and controlling inflammation. In one study, bromelain combined with two other natural products reduced pain and swelling following hip or knee replacement surgery (Nutrients, Dec. 5, 2025).

We discuss a range of natural approaches for easing joint pain in our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies. It is available in the books section of the store at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

Q. I read your article about using vitamin C to treat cancer. High dose intravenous vitamin C appears to have pro-oxidative activity, rather than the antioxidant activity it exerts when taken orally. This may explain its devastating effect upon cancer cells. Research was published in Nutrients (May 21, 2020).

It is unfortunate that the U.S. medical establishment appears to be so biased against vitamin C therapy. Perhaps that’s because its use does not generate large profits as many pharmaceutical drugs do.

A. Cancer researchers at the University of Iowa studied the effects of high-dose intravenous vitamin C against stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer (Redox Biology, Nov. 2024). The randomized trial compared standard cancer treatment to standard treatment plus IV vitamin C. When vitamin C was added, it doubled median overall survival time from 8 months to 16 months.

To provide some context, there was a report about a new anticancer drug at the most recent meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The results from a clinical trial of daraxonrasib produced a standing ovation and headlines around the world. This breakthrough improved overall median survival for metastatic pancreatic cancer from 6.7 months to 13.2 months (New England Journal of Medicine, May 31, 2026).

Q. For my allergies I use saline spray daily and 1000 mg of quercetin, which I spread out: 500 mg in the morning, 250 mg in the afternoon, and 250 mg before bed. It’s an all-natural fix for my allergies. Just one word of caution: Quercetin should only be taken for 12 weeks at a time. So I do it for spring allergies and then again in the fall for ragweed.

A. Quercetin is a natural compound that occurs in many plants including onions, broccoli, apples, berries, grapes, tea and wine. It has anti-allergic properties and stabilizes mast cells to help prevent histamine release (Molecules, May 12, 2016).

Your regimen seems sensible. Saline spray to clear pollen and other irritants out of the nasal passages is effective and safe if the spray is sterile.

One caution about quercetin interactions, however. This natural product can interact with many medications such as statins for cholesterol control, anticoagulants to prevent blood clots and cyclosporine, which is used to prevent organ rejection. Anyone using quercetin should ask the pharmacist to check for potential drug interactions.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com. Their newest book is Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them (Crown).