Nattokinase – what is it and how does it work?

Enzymes play an important role in the health and functioning of the entire human body. Nattokinase, still largely unknown in Europe, is an enzyme rich in beneficial healing properties that are good for our health. From preventing high blood pressure to reducing varicose veins and the risk of heart disease, nattokinase can bring many benefits when used regularly. What should you know about it, and what exactly is it?

Nattokinase from natto – what is worth knowing about it?

Nattokinase is one of many natural enzymes found in a traditional Japanese dish called natto. To prepare this dish, soybeans are boiled and fermented. During the process, the fermented soybeans release nattokinase and other enzymes that are considered very healthy.

Contrary to what the name suggests, this enzyme is not a kinase, i.e. one of the classes of enzymes, but a specific protease. So what are proteases? Proteases are compounds that break down proteins. Nattokinase breaks down fibrin, or more precisely, fibrin polymers that are formed during blood clotting. Therefore, nattokinase, like other similar enzymes, is often referred to as a natural blood thinner.

Nattokinase – where is it obtained from?

Natto, as we already know, is a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans. In addition to its unique taste, natto is also a habitat for specific bacteria from the Bacillus subtilis strain, which are beneficial to our health. During the fermentation process, these bacteria release an enzyme called nattokinase, which is capable of naturally dissolving blood clots.

The Japanese Pharmacopoeia considers it to be the most effective remedy for cardiovascular health prevention. Through its fibrinolytic action, nattokinase clears blocked arteries, cleanses coagulated blood masses and thins the blood. In this way, it helps to prevent certain consequences associated with heart disease or heart attack.

Although the dish itself has been known in Japan for hundreds of years, nattokinase was not discovered by accident. Japanese researcher Dr Hiroyuki Sumi spent years searching for a natural thrombolytic agent that could successfully dissolve blood clots formed during heart attacks and strokes. The official date of the discovery of nattokinase is 1987, when Dr Sumi, after testing more than 173 natural food products, found what he was looking for. Nattokinase has an anticoagulant effect, also known as fibrinolytic.

Preparations containing nattokinase – what do they help with?

Nattokinase is known for its health benefits and anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties, as well as its excellent benefits for the cardiovascular system. The enzyme has the ability to break down adhesive substances that make arterial plaques sticky. In this way, it acts preventively, preventing blood clotting and the formation of compacted plaques in the arteries, promoting the following properties in the body:

• Dissolves blood clots – nattokinase has direct fibrinolytic properties that can break down fibrin and reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications

• Lowers blood pressure – studies conducted in Japan have shown that taking nattokinase has a positive effect on lowering blood pressure.

• Reduction of perceived pain – nattokinase is successfully used to treat joint pain, including rheumatoid arthritis. It is also believed to relieve pain experienced by women during menstruation, especially if the pain is caused by fibroids or endometriosis.

• Alzheimer's disease – nattokinase has the ability to degrade amyloid fibrils, which accumulate in the brain in the form of clumped plaques, which can lead to damage to brain cells. This condition promotes the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Nattokinase and varicose veins – is it effective?

Studies have shown that taking nattokinase reduces the risk of blood clots and promotes good blood flow. Similarly, another study showed that nattokinase breaks down fibrin and reduces the activity of factors that stimulate blood clotting. Thus, nattokinase may be an effective treatment for preventing the formation of varicose veins.

Dietary supplements containing nattokinase improve blood flow and reduce platelet size. At the same time, they oxygenate the blood, making it an excellent circulatory aid, thus contributing to the reduction of varicose veins and even haemorrhoids.

Nattokinase – how do dietary supplements work?

Nattokinase is, as we explained at the beginning, an enzyme from the protease group. Proteases also include plasmin and thrombin, two endogenous enzymes that are actively involved in blood clotting. Thrombin promotes the formation of blood clots, thus enabling blood coagulation. To this end, thrombin produces fibrin from the precursor fibrinogen, a specific ‘glue’ that aims to seal wounds in the body. Unfortunately, thrombin also affects blood vessels, which can lead to dangerous thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes. Plazmin, on the other hand, is an enzyme that dissolves blood clots or the fibrin they contain in a process called fibrinolysis. If the body is in a state of fundamental balance, no clots can remain permanently, as they are dissolved by plasmin long before undesirable events, such as a heart attack, occur. Nattokinase has fibrinolytic properties, which means that its chemical similarity to plasmin helps dissolve clots in the blood vessels.

Nattokinase – where is it used?

Nattokinase mainly breaks down proteins. This allows it to be used for various medical purposes. It has a direct blood-thinning effect by dissolving blood clots.

What is more, the indirect use of nattokinase leads to the formation of specific peptides, which in turn activate substances with fibrinolytic activity. This action further thins the blood, ultimately lowering overall blood pressure.

Thanks to this, nattokinase can be used, among other things, in:

• Lowering high blood pressure

• Preventive treatment of thrombosis and prevention of post-heart attack and post-stroke symptoms

• Detoxifying the body by cleansing the blood vessels of fibrin

• Increasing HDL cholesterol (‘good’ cholesterol) levels

Nattokinase – what do its users think?

Most consumers using nattokinase have not reported any side effects associated with the use of the enzyme. Many people praise the visible benefits associated with improved blood pressure, as well as stiffness and tension in the neck and shoulder muscles.

Some users of nattokinase have also noticed a noticeable change in the body's ability to get rid of residual blood clots after about 4 weeks of treatment. The fibrinolytic properties of this enzyme have been and continue to be the subject of various studies in scientific literature.

Nattokinase enzyme – what should it not be combined with?

Nattokinase should not be used in any form simultaneously with other anticoagulants without prior consultation with a doctor. If you have heavy bleeding or are approaching surgery, you should consult your doctor before taking this supplement.

Do not take supplements containing nattokinase with medications such as anticoagulants. Furthermore, nattokinase may also help lower blood pressure. If you are already taking other blood pressure-lowering medications, they may lead to many health complications.

Nattokinase – potential side effects and contraindications

Dietary supplements containing nattokinase are generally considered safe, although the powerful effects of the enzyme may cause complications in people with certain medical conditions. To minimise the side effects of nattokinase, you should stop taking it at least two weeks before any planned surgery to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding. In addition, these dietary supplements are not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding.