Nattokinase: The Enzyme of Enzymes

Article by Arnie Gitomer

THE ENZYME OF ENZYMES

By Dr. Nicholas Calvino

Recentnly a new enzyme with potent fibrinolytic activity, that rivals pharmaceteuttical agents, has been discovered and shows great potential in providing support for hypercoagulative states and in supporting the activation of many of the bodies 3,000 endogenous enzymes. This all natural enzyme, Nattokinase, is derived from fermented soy and the bacteria Bacillus natto. Already, backed by strong and novel research, Nattokinase shows promise in supporting areas such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, angina, venous stasis, thrombosis, emboli, atherosclerosis, fibromyalgia/chronic Fatigue, claudication, retinal pathology, hemorrhoid, varicose veins, soft tissue rheumatisms, muscle spasm, poor healing, chronic inflammation and pain, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, tissue oxygen deprivation, infertility, and other gynecology conditions (e.g. endometriosis, uterine fibroids).

Enzymes, the Fountain of Life: Biological enzymes have been called “the fountain of life” because without them, life could not exist. Enzymes speed and regulate all chemical reactions in the body in an orchestration of intelligence and control. Enzymes are made in the body from proteins and are provided by the ingestion of enzyme rich foods. Up to 40% of the proteins made on a daily basis in the body are for the production of the over 3,000 endogenous enzymes. During times of stress, sickness or reduced nutrient intake, the body can fall behind in the demand for the constant upkeep and creation of enzymes. Luckily the body has evolved to derive many of its enzymes from food, which helps to reduce the burden of the high enzyme production needs required by the body. Unfortunately, however, the enzyme content of foods has significantly decreased over the years due to processing, refining and preservation techniques of the food industry and a decreased consumption of fermented foods and fresh foods, which are high in enzyme content. Enzymes are an essential component of the diet, like vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fat, protein, carbohydrates, etc., and without them, a deficiency state does occur. This deficiency state has been linked by various researchers, such as Dr. Edward Howell, Dr. Francis Pottenger, Dr. Royal Lee, and Dr. Weston Price, to chronic disease, accelerated aging and premature death. Enzymes function by activating vitamins and minerals to forms usable by the body, by assisting in the liberation of nutrients from food, by helping to destroy harmful microbial agents, by signaling and regulating chemical processes (such as detoxification), and by activating other enzymes and hormones.

There are three major groups of biological enzymes: (1) Food Enzymes, (2) Digestive Enzymes and (3) Metabolic Enzymes. In the past, the therapeutic use of enzymes has largely focused on the use of digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes can be directly beneficial because they assist in digestion, help regulate immune responses in the intestinal tract, and relieve the body of its relative requirement of digestive enzyme production, allowing for biological energy and resources to be further allocated to the production of metabolic enzymes, indirectly. Recently, however, a new enzyme has been isolated from a traditional fermented Japanese food (although it is consumed by other cultures in the same or similar forms), Natto, that appears to have metabolic effects and to work directly in concert with the metabolic enzymes.

The name of this new enzyme is Nattokinase (meaning the enzyme from Natto) and has been called, “The Enzyme of Enzymes” by its discoverer, Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi. Natto has been used in Japanese culture for over 1000 years for its popular taste and as a folk remedy for heart and vascular diseases, and now we know why: it contains Nattokinase, a very potent fibrinolytic (breaks down fibrin, a blood clotting protein) enzyme, which has shown remarkable<