Why Meat Tenderizer and Pineapple Don't Digest Your Stomach

Meat tenderizer (papain, bromelain) and pineapple (bromelain) are proteolytic enzymes that break down proteins. They don't digest your stomach because:

1. Gastric pH (1.5–3.5) denatures these enzymes. Papain/bromelain optimal pH 6–7; irreversible inactivation in acid.
2. Pepsin (stomach enzyme) digests them. They become substrate.
3. Mucus barrier: Gastric mucus protects epithelium from autodigestion.
4. Rapid transit: Liquids empty in 15–30 min; limited contact time.
5. Specific inhibitors: Cystatins, α₂-macroglobulin in gastric juice inhibit proteases.

Practical Note

• Bromelain supplements (enteric-coated) bypass stomach for systemic anti-inflammatory effect.
• Pineapple "tongue burn" is oral mucosal irritation, not stomach damage.

Your stomach is designed to handle proteolytic enzymes—it produces its own (pepsin) and neutralizes ingested ones.