If you are unfamiliar with nattokinase, you are not the only one. It can be described as an enzyme purified and extracted from bacteria Bacillus subtilis (i.e., natto), a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soy that has been used for millennia. How important is nattokinase for health? The answer is multiple because it has been determined to be important in treating and preventing the disease.
Benefits include a dramatic effect on blood clots; a recent study found that the enzyme affects recurrent sinus problems. Especially during the colder times of the year, they are common disease problems with colds, which can turn into several variants, including sinusitis. The symptoms are not pleasant (there are several different problems) and can lead to chronic sinusitis (CRS) and/or nasal polyps.
Nattokinase study
A recent study indicates that nattokinase is an effective way to combat these and related symptoms. Natural Health Supporter Dr. Michael Murray states that nattokinase has the ability to produce powerful effects to improve CRS, far better than conventional drugs. He explains how nattokinase is produced:
The enzyme nattokinase is created by adding the bacterium Bacillus natto to cooked soy. Bacteria react with soy to secrete nattokinase. The most popular and scientifically studied application of nattokinase has focused on its potent fibrinolytic activity.
This means breaking down fibrinogen, a blood clot component, and atherosclerotic accumulations. Increased fibrinogen levels are another clear risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
One of the most common ways a high value of fibrinolytic levels in the body is manifested is through the development of nasal polyps, as it rests on the nasal mucosa. This is also one reason why the researchers decided to determine how nattokinase may be useful for this condition.
What is a mucotic agent?
Mucolytic is a substance that makes mucus – a thick substance that makes sputum difficult from the throat when you cough and often contributes to “unproductive” cough – weaker and thinner, which facilitates its expulsion. Most mucolytics are available on prescription because they are chemical compounds, not natural substances. Furthermore, you will notice that the companies that produce this type of medicine clearly show that it is necessary to take medicines regularly to function properly.
Dr. Michael Murra notes that for the health of the nasal passages, sinuses, and airways, it is important that the secretions maintain elasticity and fluidity in your respiratory tract. If your mucus is too thick, it is difficult to get rid of it, which helps inflammation, blocks the airways, makes breathing difficult, and, as a result, forms polyps. This is where nattokinase comes into play, improving secretion and acting on inflammation and other problems. Aside from:
“This effect is similar to other enzymes such as bromelain and serrapeptase. And it suggests that nattokinase should be considered for treating CRS conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, and sinusitis.
Background of nattokinase: What is it and what does it do?
In 1980. Hiroyuki Sumi of the University of Chicago School of Medicine researched aspects of conventional drugs on blood clotting problems and tried it by then placing it in a petri dish with a blood clot. In 18 hours, blood clot dissolved – which is far less time than the same effect achieved with drugs prescribed for the same purpose. Subsequent clinical studies have found that nattokinase works, among other things:
It dissolves excess fibrin in blood vessels, improves circulation, dissolves blood clots, and reduces the risk of serious coagulation, i.e., it has an atherothrombotic preventive effect.
It increases HDL (good cholesterol), optimizes cholesterol levels, and has no side effects.
It reduces the blood’s viscosity, which in turn improves blood flow and later reduces blood pressure.
It causes “significantly stronger thrombolytic activity” comparable to that of another well-known blood thinner: aspirin, a drug known to cause bleeding and stomach ulcers.
It can be absorbed by your intestinal tract when taken orally.
Natokinase and reduction of blood pressure
During 2016. In 2006, researchers studied the link between nattokinase and low blood pressure and von Willebrand factor, which helps stimulate blood clotting and bleeding after an injury. Von Willebrand disease is an inherited condition aggravated by this factor (which refers to another coagulation disorder known as hemophilia). According to the study, nattokinase was associated with a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
A decrease in systolic blood pressure was observed in both sexes, but it was stronger in men who consumed nattokinase. The researchers point out that, although several pharmaceutical options are available for these conditions, especially “thiazide-type diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and beta-blockers,” side effects may include:
Contraindications, i.e., side effects.
Synergistic effects can worsen the effects of the protocol, making all combined greater than the individual effects.
Increased risk for some people, such as those with diabetic nephropathy or kidney damage caused by diabetes, including the possibility of impaired kidney function, abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension), and hyperkalemia, i.e., a situation when the potassium in the blood is higher than normal.
In fact, the study states:
There is a growing interest in non-pharmaceutical sources of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and food-based strategies to support cardiovascular function, especially for reducing hypertension.
Natural methods to reduce such inflammatory conditions are exciting. The dietary components of functional benefit for a patient with hypertension include essential fatty acids that contain cardioprotective fatty acids found in fish, flax, walnut, seed, and algae oils and have known anti-inflammatory activities.
Natokinase research
Animal and human studies have shown that effective nattokinase (NK) supports the circulatory system by diluting the blood and dissolving clots.
In one study, doctors gave a dog with a chemically induced thrombus in a leg vein the contents of a nattokinase capsule, and the clots dissolved within five hours.
A similar study in rats with induced carotid artery thrombosis showed “significantly stronger thrombolytic activity.” It increased blood flow by 62 percent, compared with other enzymes that achieved 15 percent improvement and zero percent blood circulation.
According to Life Extension, another study in rats included nattokinase supplementation three weeks before and after endothelial injury of animals’ stomach arteries. The result was more efficient thickening and dissolution of blood clots near the injury than control animals that did not receive the supplement.
Because higher blood viscosity and coagulation may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, one study included the intake of nattokinase in healthy individuals and those with elevated factors that indicate a risk of cardiovascular disease, with a significant reduction in fibrinogen levels within two months.
During long flights (and driving vehicles), there is a risk of developing deep vein thrombosis or blood clots, especially when the person cannot get up and move. The study compares the effects of a combination of nattokinase and pycnogenol (derived from pine bark) and a control group of participants who received placebo, with thrombosis in five control subjects and no cases in the NK / pycnogenol group.
Besides, studies show that the longevity of Japanese people who consume NATO (interestingly, one of the derivatives of NATO is vitamin K2) has increased significantly for thousands of years. In far lower life forms, the lifespan of nematodes ( Caenorhabditis elegans ) is also significantly prolonged by nattokinase.
Natokinase: conventional drugs
Previous research on nattokinase, which includes a collaboration between Qingdao University in China and Oklahoma State University, called NATTO a “miracle food” and identified one of its most significant benefits: heart disease prevention.
It is well known in the medical world that when patients show major risks to the primary cause of death in the United States – cardiovascular disease (CVD) – such as obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, the first step is to prescribe them medication, suggest bypass surgery or angioplasty remove excess plaque from the arteries or recommend blood thinners. The latter can cause serious side effects, including:
- Bleeding (internal bleeding)
- Stomach pain and cramps
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Feeling cold
- Liver damage
- Hair loss
- Nausea
However, scientists understand that blood clots are another risk factor for heart health. The risk increases due to several factors, and age are one.
“Although our body produces several enzymes that can lead to the formation of blood clots, it produces only one enzyme – plasmin – to dissolve them. Due to aging, the production of plasmin decreases, making the blood more susceptible to coagulation and clotting.
What’s worse, fibrinogen (blood-clotting protein) levels increase as we age. High levels of fibrinogen usually lead to increased aggregation of platelets, platelets, and eventual cardiac or stroke … “Preventing blood clots, especially in the elderly, is a crucial step in preventing heart attacks and strokes.”
The key is in nature, which is what nattokinase offers. According to Life Extension, nattokinase has been available for purchase since 1998. Keep in mind that nato for food can be made from genetically modified soy, so be sure to ask if this is not the case.
Concluding remarks on Natokinase
Scientists say that the recommended amount of nattokinase powder is two capsules of 100 milligrams a day. If you wonder about the soy that contains it, remember that natto is fermented soy, and fermentation removes the disadvantages associated with eating raw or cooked soy. You can even make your own natto at home, and if you prefer the form of a supplement, nattokinase is actually an enzyme that comes from food.
“you can ask the question of using soy products for health. Keep in mind that when soy is fermented, it neutralizes the harmful effects on your hormones. But more importantly, what you get in the supplement is not natto, food obtained from soy fermentation, but nattokinase, a purified enzyme extracted from natto. In other words, there are practically no soy residues in nattokinase. Just be sure to look for a brand that uses Nattokinase from soy that is not genetically modified because most soy is genetically modified. “
A study conducted in Egypt claims that nattokinase may be beneficial for people with Alzheimer’s disease, as was the case in a study in rats. The scientists determined after oral administration and a subsequent study of their brain tissue. Additional studies are ongoing.
