Comments on Ear, Nose, and Throat Meds & Remedies

Papaya Enzyme Tablets - Papain and Bromelain are proteolytic enzymes from papaya and pineapple, respectively. These are wonderfully effective, useful medicines that our health care system has made it difficult for us to get at - though it is now available over the internet.

BE CAREFUL:

• You must only use tablets that are calibrated in ENZYME ACTIVITY UNITS. Papaya tablets at health food stores, basically, can have any amount of enzymes in them, and there is no way to know what you are really getting with these.
• You must dissolve the enzyme tablets in the buccal pouch (between cheek and gum). You will see that many papaya supplement instructions say to chew or swallow; it is well known that the enzymes are inactivated by stomach acids, and swallowing guarantees they will do almost nothing. The reason they instruct you to chew or swallow is most likely due to FDA regulations on supplements. Dissolve in buccal pouch for good absorption.

Papain and Bromelain proteolytic enzymes take down swelling and thin mucous. They are effective for everything from helping boxers with their bruises to taking down swelling of the throat, swelling of the eustachian tube, and sinus pain due to blockage. Some of my patients report extremely rapid action in helping them clear their ears in case of inflamed eustachian tube.

Years ago, there was a drug called papase on the market, by one of the big drug companies. The story goes that the FDA required tighter rules on getting drugs approved, and paperwork and clinical trials were required. The drug companies felt, well, everybody knows this is just made from papaya, and no one will pay enough money to make it profitable enough for us to sell it. Forget it, let's take this off the market, let them buy more expensive drugs. Papase is no longer available.

Getting Papaya & Pineapple Proteolytic Enzyme Tablets - Search the web for "proteolytic enzyme calibrated in FCCPU enzyme activity units".

©2004, Dr. Murray Grossan

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