Nattokinase is a featured supplement from Planned Longevity™’s Supplement Toolbox. If you’re thinking about cleaning up your circulatory system, nattokinase might be an important addition to your supplementation strategy.
Nattokinase is an enzyme produced with the fermentation of soybeans. This fermentation process results in a food called Natto which is a popular and versatile Japanese dish. Natto is a stand-alone dish, or it is easily combined with other foods.
It looks awful to the Western eye. It’s slimy and nasty looking, with a curious taste and odor. Ok, most of us would agree, but this strange food is notoriously healthy (as the above link points out). You automatically get nattokinase when you consume Natto.
Aside from nattokinase, Natto provides a healthy serving of Vitamin K2 – a vitamin difficult to get in a typical Western diet. This is one reason Natto is said to be good for bone strength. Here’s more on vitamin K2 and its role in bone (and tooth) health.
Now about Nattokinase.
First, if you want to start using nattokinase, here’s the easy way: Eat a serving of natto a few times a week. This is easily incorporated into your regular diet. If you can’t stomach the looks and taste of natto, then you can purchase nattokinase separately as a supplement.
Natto is a healthy food made from fermenting soybeans.
It contains many healthy things, including Nattokinase, a fibrinolytic enzyme, and Vitamin K2, a critical vitamin difficult to find in Western diets.
OK. Since I have already written about Vitamin K2 and provided you with a link, we will move on to Nattokinase.
Nattokinase is an enzyme derived from natto.
When taking a nattokinase supplement, unless otherwise stated, it is a purified form of the enzyme with no other ingredients. Nattokinase is a fibrinolytic enzyme meaning it breaks down fibrin.
Fibrin is a protein that assists in (among other things) blood clotting and plaque buildup. Fibrin is everywhere in your bloodstream. It’s ready to go into action wherever it’s needed. It is essential to and is a part of your immune system.
“Fibrin is a unique biomaterial used as a sealant or glue, a matrix for cells, a scaffold for tissue engineering, and a carrier and/or a vector for targeted drug delivery.” (Quoted from the above-linked article.)
To simplify, think of fibrin as microscopic sticks that hold things together – things like clots and plaques. Now, a fibrinolytic enzyme like nattokinase breaks up these little sticks allowing blood clots and plaques (plaques are more tenacious) to dissolve back into the bloodstream.
Thus, it is claimed that nattokinase keeps your bloodstream free of clots and plaques by breaking them apart and preventing their formation in the first place.
Nattokinase cautions:
First, since blood clotting is essential for survival, we don’t want to stop it altogether. Without clotting, you could easily bleed to death from a cut or a bruise (bleeding under the skin). In fact, clotting and clot resolution are natural functions of your immune system.
This represents a type of equilibrium that goes on continually in your body. Disrupting this equilibrium could cause serious problems. On the other hand, cleaning useless debris from your circulatory system is a clear benefit. Things can build up, and fibrin is sometimes at the center.
Nattokinase can help with this by keeping your circulatory system “clean.” This can happen by eating natto and taking nattokinase. (The preference here would be eating natto because it’s hard, if not impossible, to overdo it with a natural food source.) Taking nattokinase as a supplement is different – you can overdo it.
To take or not to take nattokinase.
All supplements I talk about have a lot of power to affect your body and your health. Nattokinase is no exception. I do not recommend you take this enzyme without checking first with your PHP (personal healthcare provider).
Do your homework and make sure taking nattokinase is the right decision for you and in your best interests. I do not recommend using this supplement. Nobody knows better than you if this is the right decision. Study and read about nattokinase before you make any decision.
Always buy your supplements from a reputable company like this one. Start with a minimal dose. More is not always better. Take this supplement for at least six months. This is not the kind of supplement that will produce results overnight.
In the long-term, look for improvements in circulation, energy, and possibly blood pressure. Write down your conditions and concerns today and evaluate them six months from now. It takes a long time to dissolve debris sticking to your artery walls and clogging up blood vessels – this is not an overnight solution.
DONT’S
First, don’t take nattokinase without your doctor’s ok. Eating natto is fine. This is food, and you don’t need any approval to eat it. It is extremely unlikely that you will get too much nattokinase by eating natto.
Second, don’t take nattokinase if you are on a blood thinning medication. You could easily have a bleeding episode.
Third, During the first two weeks, listen to your body and look for anything unusual, especially extensive bruising and cuts that bleed excessively) both of these are indicators of poor clotting ability.
Finally, nattokinase is generally recognized as safe, but we are talking about something that directly affects your cardiovascular system. It can be very helpful to your circulation and bring much-needed blood to your organs.
Too much of a good thing, however, is not good. Let time do its job, and be mindful of your body’s progress. Don’t expect miracles, and if you have any adverse issues, stop taking the nattokinase and check with your PHP.
As I always say: Be safe, don’t be sorry.
OMY1
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