Medical Benefits of Nattokinase
Natto has a special enzyme in it called nattokinase which has been found to help with healthy blood circulation in ones body. These nattokinase benefits are obviously very important as it is also said to naturally help with the prevention of blood clots and strokes.
Japan is a country that has a very low rate of disease. In fact, it has been said to have the lowest. When I visited my naturopathic health practitioner one time there was a conversation about natto, and how good it was, and the
conversation was connected to research saying that Japan had a very low disease rate. I became very interested in the conversation, and it made me want to learn more about what Natto is and if it does help with heart health, and also if there is any truth about the disease rate in Japan being lower because they eat more Natto.
I needed to find out what natto was as well as what the nattokinase benefits are. What I found was that it is fermented soybeans. The process breaks down the proteins of the soybeans to make them easier to digest. It becomes a sticky substance that is cheese like, the taste is not wonderful but one can learn to like it. It has a very strong cheese taste it has been compared to blue cheese. I am not so sure about that, but even if the taste is not so good think about the fact it has medical benefits for you.
Looking on websites there is a lot of information about natto stating various properties about it. It has been a stable food substance in Japan for centuries and they are sure it helps to prevent heart attacks, blood clots and stokes. Health reports produced in 1980 by a Dr Hiroyuki Sumi say he discovered that natto contains an enzyme called nattokinase which is released during the fermentation process. All though other enzymes are present in the soybeans it is nattokinase benefits that keep your heart health. Dr. Sumi tested over 170 different foods to see how they helped with healthy blood circulation,he found nattokinase to be the best. It in fact was him who gave the name nattokinase to the enzyme found in natto.
Fibrin is found in the human body and is one of its compounds that cause the blood to clot; it also determines the thickness of the blood. If blood is not flowing at its normal rate, too slowly, or if the blood vessels have been damaged by arterosclerosis, blood clots may form. These can be harmful because they can become stuck in an artery of one of the various organs of the body they need to be removed. There is an enzyme in the body called plasmin that breaks down fibrin helping to prevent dangerous blood clots. Nattokinase bears a very close similarity to plasim Dr. Sumi found that it helps to brek down the fibrin and also helps the body to produce more plasim. Another of nattokinase benefits would be the fact that cardiovascular health is helped when using nattokinase as a natural supplement.
As the body grows older it does not produce as much plasmin and there are no known supplements for it. Naturopathic health practitioners think that nattokinase can be used as a plasim replacement due to all the research Dr.Sumi has done.
It follows on that through his research eating natto is beneficially to having a healthy heart due to the intake of the enzyme nattokinase which helps and supports the body’s natural production of plasmin. Thus helping to keep the bodies blood pressure at a normal level and reducing the production of fibrin causing blood clots. Now do you understand the nattokinase benefits?
This research has not been evaluated by the FDA so before taking nattokinase for helping with heart health it is advised to consult your healthcare provider.