Nattokinase NSK-SD 20,000 FU

Nattokinase is an enzyme isolated from Natto, a traditional Japanese fermented soy food.

Studies have demonstrated that Nattokinase supports heart health and promotes healthy circulation.

Nattokinase is a 275 amino acid peptide. It is said to have similar clot-dissolving abilities as does plasmin, an enzyme that we all have in our blood as our natural defense mechanism to dissolve unwanted blood clots. Nattokinase increases the clot dissolving activities (= fibrinolytic activity) of blood, and suppresses clot formation while enhancing clot resolution.

NutraceuticsRx Nattokinase NSK-SD is the best premium Nattokinase available. Activity is 20,000 FU / gm.

Nattokinase - "The Blood Desludger"
By: Dr. Ralph E. Holsworth, Jr., D.O.

Cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed nations and pose a major burden to developing countries as well. It is notable, however, that age-standardized morbidity rates vary widely between populations. Data from the World Health Organization indicate that people in western cultures have a significantly higher risk of developing an inadvertent blood clot than those in Asian countries, with cardiovascular mortality rates much lower in Japan than in the western countries1. A blood clot blocks blood flow when a person has a heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism or deep leg thrombosis. Unfortunately it is an inconvenient reality in the lives of a growing majority of our population. Several studies have emphasized the importance of disparities in genetic back ground, as well as conventional risk factors including dietary habits, as the basis for the observed geographical differences.

Soybean-fermented foods, such as the Korean chunggok-jang, the Chinese dou-shi and the Japanese natto have served a major dietary role in these countries for at least 1000years. Of particular interest is the vegetable cheese natto, which is produced from boiled soybeans by fermentation using Bacillus subtilis natto. Natto has been widely consumed in Japan for its popular, characteristic taste and has also been utilized as a folk remedy to relieve fatigue, treat the symptoms of beri-beri, and to prevent cardiovascular diseases 2,3.

In the 1980's, Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi isolated the active ingredient from the ancient medicinal food — natto, an enzyme which he named "nattokinase"2,3.

Similar to Arthur Fleming's serendipitous discoveries of penicillin from bread mold, Dr. Sumi discovered that nattokinase within the natto had the ability to breakup or cut (lyse) blood fibrin into smaller pieces. Fibrin is a protein involved in the clotting of blood. It is a very fine thread-like protein that is polymerized to form a "mesh" that forms a plug or clot (in conjunction with platelets). "To clot or not to clot?" is the question presented to our body's blood with every beat of our heart. Have I been cut and require my fibrin to "patch" the severed vessel or is my blood becoming thicker and sludge-like from an infection, inflammation, heavy metals, chemicals, "stress" and/or a food allergen? As we age, the blood's default response to all of our body's insults is to clot and ask questions later. One out of four of us has a genetic predilection to forming a blood clot (thrombophilia) because one or two of our amino acids "got lost in translation."

The bottom line is that nattokinase lends assistance to your body's own system of breaking up its clots called the "plasminogen activatory system (PAS)"4. Nattokinase does not "micromanage "the PAS but up regulates or speeds up the system to work overtime and catch up with its clot-bursting chores. By removing used and abused fibrin, nattokinase desludges the blood and improves circulation. Red blood cells are not as "sticky" and pass smoothly amongst each other while racing to our capillary beds with oxygen. Nattokinase also allows your platelets to be "slippery" but still retain their ability to stop bleeding from a cut.

The science of blood flow (hemorheology) is receiving more attention in the medical fields as we understand that blood viscosity (thickness) may be the common denominator of over 300 independent cardiac risk factors(5),(6). Recent research indicates that nattokinase decreases blood viscosity without adversely affecting our normal coagulation cascade to form a clot and prevent bleeding(6). Frequent blood donors have a statically significant decreased incidence of heart attacks and strokes and coincidentally lower blood viscosity. We religiously change our engine oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months, why not donate our blood to assist our blood banks' mission and decrease our blood's thickness? Proper hydration will insure that blood runs smoothly as well.

Nattokinase is standardized in fibrinolytic units (FUs) and dosed accordingly. The daily therapeutic dose is typically 4,000 -6,000 FUs divided into 3 doses. Nattokinase's highest activity in the bloodstream lasts for 6-8 hours after taking orally, preferably with food. Although nattokinase is extremely safe, I always recommend that you consult your physician and review your medication and supplement list prior to starting nattokinase. Patients on blood pressure medicine should check their blood pressure routinely after taking nattokinase since restoration of blood flow and subsequently lowered blood pressure may enable the physician to decrease or eliminate the antihypertensive medication (9),(10).

Nattokinase provides a safe and effective solution for prevention of vascular disease and other related diseases from "hyperviscosity syndrome"(7),(8).Nattokinase validates the efficacy of an ancient medicinal food — natto and is beginning to compete in the scientific and medical research fields for its respected position.

References:

1. 1997-1999 World Health Statistics Annual. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2000.
2. H. Sumi, H. Hamada, H. Tsushima, H. Mihara, H. Muraki, A novel fibrinolytic enzyme (naltokinase) in the vegetable cheese nalto — a typical and popular soybean food in the Japanese diet, Experientia 43 (1987),1110-1111.
3. M. Fujita, K. Nomura, K. Hong, Y. Ito, A. Asada, S. Nishimuro, Purification and characterization of a strong fibrinolytic enzyme (naltokinase) in the vegetable cheese naito, a popular soybean fermented food in Japan, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 197 (1993), 1340-1347.
4. M. Fujita, Y. Ito, K. Hong, S. Nishimuro, Characterization of Naltokinase-degraded products from human fibrinogen or cross-linked fibrin, Fibrinolysis 9 (1995), 157-164.
5. E. Ernst, W. Koenig. G.D.O. Lowe, T.W. Meade, Fibrinogen-A New Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Blackwell, Vienna, 1992.
6. G.D.Lowe, A.J.Lee; A. Rumley, J.F. Price, F.G. Fowkes, Blood viscosity and risk of cardiovascular events, Br. J. Haematol. 96 (1997),168-173.
7. G.D.O. Lowe, Clinical Blood Rheology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1988.
8. G.D.Lowe, A.J.Lee, A. Rumley, J.F. Price, F.G. Fowkes, Blood viscosity and risk of cardiovascular events, Br. J. Haematol. 96 (1997),168-173.
9. M. Maruyama, H. Sumi, Effect of Naito Diet on Blood Pressure, JTTAS, 1995.
10. H.J. Meiselman, Hemorheological alterations in hypertension, Clln. Hemorheol. Microcirc. 21 (2000),195-200.