Nattokinase Blood Thinner

At the senior center last week, everyone seemed to be talking about the new dietary supplement Nattobiotic.  Personally, I had never heard of this product, but after hearing both men and women raving about the positive effects raw nattokinase has on our heart and circulatory systems, I decided to check it out.  I don’t always believe what I hear, and at my age don’t always hear everything that is being said, so when I came home I asked my granddaughter to help me look up Nattobiotic on her computer.  I was surprised to find out that the best nattokinase is not really new, and that the Japanese have been eating it for breakfast for thousands of years!

What is nattokinase?

Nattokinase is an enzyme that is extracted from the cheesy substance created by the fermentation process of the soy product natto.  Although the Japanese have been eating this product for hundreds of years, it was not until 1980 that Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi, who was studying 150 foods in his laboratory in Chicago, discovered that nattokinase had positive effects on the heart and circulatory systems, and helped slow down dangerous blood clotting.  Many research teams all over the world, including Japan and Korea, have since studied nattokinase, and all have agreed that nattokinase has a positive effect on heart health.

How does Nattobiotic work?

Our circulatory system works by sending clean, healthy blood full of fresh oxygen and nutrients throughout our bodies in a way that is similar to a roadway.  If you begin driving in a large city, for instance, you are first on an interstate system with maybe 6 lanes of traffic.  As you leave the city, the road will turn into 4 lanes, and then 2 lanes, and for those who live in the country, may even go down to a single lane.   Blood flows in much the same way.  When blood gets into the tiny capillaries, blood vessels must go single file. As people age, there may be breakage and leaks in the capillaries, causing our organs to not get enough of the oxygen and nutrients needed to keep us healthy.   When the blood cells drop off the nutrients and oxygen, they then pick up the “trash” of carbon dioxide and wastes, and then take it right back through vessels that will take it to the heart and then to the lungs to be cleaned up. When blood cannot make it through those tiny capillaries, they risk clumping together and forming a clot. If that happens, it ties up the circulatory system in much the same way a car accident would, and nothing can move in or out. If the clot does move to the heart, it can cause a heart attack or stroke. 

Nattokinase helps avoid the clotting inside our bodies by helping our bodies produce plasmin, an enzyme that helps dissolve and break down fibrin, a substance that can form blood clots.  By taking the supplement Nattobiotic, you will not only be receiving the best nattokinase, but will also be helping your heart and circulatory system to stay healthy.