Health Benefits of Nattokinase

Article Summary:

• The enzyme nattokinase is produced by the bacteria Bacillus subtilis during the fermentation of boiled soybeans.
• The pharmacologic properties of nattokinase contribute to its health benefits of supporting the heart, brain, and gut.
• Advanced formulations utilize nano-delivery methods to achieve the stability and targeted delivery of nattokinase.

Have you tried the traditional Japanese breakfast of fermented soybeans called natto? Although the slimy texture might be unfamiliar to some, natto is widely considered to be a so-called “superfood” for benefiting the heart, gut, and brain. The beneficial effects of natto are derived from nattokinase — an enzyme produced by the bacteria Bacillus subtilis as boiled soybeans are fermented.  

As a nutritional supplement, nattokinase displays several pharmacologic properties that can provide significant beneficial health effects.* This post highlights the health benefits of nattokinase, how it supports several functions in the body, and why you should include an advanced nattokinase supplement in your diet.   

Health Benefits of Nattokinase: An Overview

Natto is a rich source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers. Chemically, natto contains 18 amino acids, of which eight are essential amino acids. The fermentation of natto results in the production of several bioactive factors, including nattokinase, bacillopeptidase F, vitamin K2, and dipicolinic acid. 

Nattokinase is a single polypeptide chain of 275 amino acids. Nattokinase is known for its pharmacologic properties that promote healthy cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal functions.* The beneficial effects of nattokinase include: 

• Fibrinolytic effect: Nattokinase degrades fibrin, the protein produced in response to bleeding, and helps increase the release of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), to help maintain normal blood clotting.*¹ 

• Thrombolytic effect: Nattokinase helps dissolve blood clots that have already formed.* Its thrombolytic effect has been found to be stronger than that of other thrombolytic agents, such as plasmin.*²   

• Antioxidant effect: Nattokinase’s antioxidant effect helps maintain normal inflammatory responses with the cardiovascular system.*³ Its antioxidant activity inhibits the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and lipid peroxidation to promote normal lipid metabolism.*  

The pharmacologic properties of nattokinase contribute to the following health benefits.

Various studies have established the overall safety of nattokinase as a nutritional supplement with little or no adverse health effects. The relative safety of nattokinase over other thrombolytic agents contributes to its preference as an supplement for promoting healthy blood circulation.* Although the health benefits of nattokinase are well-researched, its potential contraindications with prescription medications are unknown; therefore, it is recommended that you consult with your healthcare provider before including a nattokinase supplement in your diet.    

Because the molecular size of nattokinase is too large for oral absorption through the gastrointestinal tract, it can undergo chemical oxidation and subsequent inactivation in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, nattokinase absorption through the oral route is challenging. Fortunately, an advanced nattokinase supplement can resolve nattokinase’s absorption and bioavailability challenges to accomplish the targeted delivery of the enzyme.    

An Advanced Nattokinase Formulation to Promote Your Health 

NattoGuard is an innovative and advanced nattokinase formulation developed by Tesseract Medical Research that promotes your overall health and wellbeing. Tesseract’s proprietary CyLoc® – DexKey® nutrient delivery nanotechnology ensures the optimal absorption and bioavailability of nattokinase, thus achieving its many health-promoting benefits.* CyLoc® technology surrounds each nattokinase molecule in its smart delivery system to protect them from being degraded during the transit through the stomach, and the accompanying DexKey® reactors release each molecule at the desired point in the intestinal tract to achieve maximum absorption.  

All Tesseract nutritional supplements are made with the highest-quality nutrients and follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and industry standards. The cutting-edge delivery system and a well-designed quality control system make NattoGuard a superior nattokinase supplement for promoting your heart, brain, and gut health.*

References 

¹Hsia C-H, et al. Nattokinase decreases plasma levels of fibrinogen, factor VII, and factor VIII in human subjects. Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.) vol. 29,3 (2009):190-196. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2009.01.009

²Fujita M, et al. Thrombolytic effect of nattokinase . . . . Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin vol. 18,10 (1995):1387-1391. doi:10.1248/bpb.18.1387

^3,7Iwai K, et al. Antioxidative functions of natto, a kind of fermented soybeans: effect on LDL oxidation and lipid metabolism . . . . Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry vol. 50,12 (2002):3597-3601. doi:10.1021/jf0117199

⁴Okamoto A, et al. . . . [S]ubstances in fermented soybean, natto. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands) vol. 47,1 (1995):39-47. doi:10.1007/BF01088165

⁵Suzuki Y, et al. Dietary supplementation of fermented soybean, natto, . . .” Life Sciences vol. 73,10 (2003):1289-1298. doi:10.1016/s0024-3205(03)00426-0

⁶Jang, J-Y, et al. Nattokinase improves blood flow . . . . Laboratory Animal Research vol. 29,4 (2013):221-225. doi:10.5625/lar.2013.29.4.221
⁸Ji H, et al. Mechanisms of nattokinase . . . . European Journal of Pharmacology vol. 745 (2014):144-151. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.10.024