ArthurAndrew :: Benefits of Raw Nattokinase

Benefits of Raw Nattokinase

Nattokinase is a fibrinolytic (fibrin-dissolving) enzyme derived from a Japanese fermented soybean food called natto [1-4]. These soybeans are fermented with the Bacillus subtilis bacteria [3,4] which produces an enzyme called nattokinase.* The resulting food, natto, has a very slimy texture, sour taste and strong smell that is very unappealing to some. Despite its questionable taste, natto has been shown in numerous studies to have a number of health benefits.* For its use in nutritional supplements, the nattokinase enzyme is typically extracted and purified in a laboratory setting.*

Natto has been involved in numerous studies, and the results show that it has the most potent oral fibrinolytic activity of over 200 foods tested [6]*. Nattobiotic's unique formula boosts the powerful fibrinolytic activity of nattokinase by utilizing the benefits of raw natto food rather than a nattokinase enzyme extract.* Raw natto inherently contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and probiotics that are generally removed during the nattokinase extraction process.* These important co-factors make the fibrinolytic enzymes more bioavailable in the body, increasing their effectiveness and impact.*

Nattobiotic not only contains nattokinase but also the live probiotics, antioxidants, nutrients and other enzymes created during the fermentation process.* This gives Nattobiotic's exclusive synbiotic formula the highest Fibrinolytic Unit (FU) activity among the major brands of nattokinase supplements, allowing it to hydrolyze 5,000 units of fibrin per dose (2 capsules), and optimizes its health benefits.*

Nattokinase & Fibrinolysis

Fibrin is naturally produced in the body by a protein called thrombin and is degraded by a protein called plasmin.* Usually these processes exist in a delicate balance; however, as we age, fibrinolysis is impaired and fibrin begins to accumulate in the body.* Nattokinase supplementation, however, can tip the balance back in favor of fibrin removal using two different mechanisms.*

Firstly, nattokinase is a naturally fibrinolytic enzyme, which means that it can support the body's ability to produce normal amounts of fibrin [2]*. In fact, nattokinase is actually 4-times more potent than the body's own natural fibrin degrading enzyme, plasmin*[7].

Nattokinase has also has been shown to support normal levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), which boosts its fibrinolytic capabilities even more [8,9].* High levels of PAI-1 are directly linked to impaired fibrin degradation and removal because PAI-1 blocks the body's natural production of plasmin* [10]. By supporting normal amounts of PAI-1, nattokinase promotes the conversion of more plasminogen into plasmin, increasing the amount of fibrinolytic proteins in the blood.*

Vitamin K2 (The forgotten Vitamin)

According to the Rotterdam researchers, higher vitamin K2 intake has been shown to help regulate calcification of your tissues [21]*. Tissue calcification plays a significant role in influencing optimal cardiovascular health.* Vitamin K has been shown to support normal calcification of your tissues by providing the proper calcium pathway from your blood to your bones.*

Vitamin K2 may also exert cardio-protective effects by supporting normal blood clotting near the inner surface of the blood vessel walls [21]*. Vitamin K is essential for the functioning of several proteins involved in blood clotting [25], which is why it is the target for anticoagulant drugs like warfarin.* However, according to Dutch Professor Cees Vermeer, vitamin K2 helps promote normal clot formation when blood vessels are intact and promote normal clotting when blood vessels are broken, thereby regulating the body's natural clotting factor mechanisms.* As a result, inhibiting vitamin K2 may actually be detrimental to vascular health.*

Synbiotic Benefits

Each Nattobiotic capsule contains 1 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of probiotic B. subtilis, as well as a prebiotic fiber, Isomalto-Oligosacharide. This mixture of pro- and prebiotics is known as a synbiotic [31]*.

Bacillus Subtilis

Probiotics are "good" bacteria that boost health when taken orally and are allowed to grow and multiply in the body [32]*. B. subtilis is especially suited for growing in and colonizing the gastrointestinal tract because it is a spore-forming bacteria.* Most bacteria are destroyed by the acidic pH range, mainly thriving in the more alkaline lower GI tract, but spores are able to withstand a broader range of pH and temperature [33,34]*. This improves the chances that the probiotic strain will be able to thrive in the GI tract.*

Research has shown that natto intake can increase the number of B. subtilis in the gut, as well as affect the metabolic activity of the intestinal microflora [35,36]*. This is because once they are established in the small intestine, B. subtilis probiotics act like tiny factories, producing beneficial vitamins (like vitamin K2), minerals, antioxidants and enzymes (like nattokinase) that help support and maintain digestive and overall good health [37].*

In one clinical study, 80 elderly volunteers were given B. subtilis supplements for 12 weeks. At the end of the study period, the researchers observed healthy blood values in all healthy participants [31].* It is possible that this may be linked the production of nattokinase by these bacteria once they colonized the digestive tract.

References

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