Nattokinase is suddenly everywhere. Social media has taken an enzyme that most people had never heard of and turned it into one of the most talked-about supplements for cardiovascular health.
But nattokinase itself is far from new. Researchers have been studying it for decades. What has changed is the attention it’s getting, along with some pretty big claims about what nattokinase can actually do.
So let’s look at what’s really behind all this interest. What is nattokinase? What does it do in your body? Why is everyone talking about fibrin? And, most importantly, what do you need to know before deciding whether nattokinase is right for you?
What is nattokinase?
Nattokinase is an enzyme that comes from natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans that’s been part of the Japanese diet for centuries. And if you’ve ever tried natto, you’ll know it’s definitely an acquired taste! It’s sticky, it has a very strong smell, and most people would probably prefer to get their nattokinase in a capsule.
The story of nattokinase really begins in the 1980s, when Japanese researcher Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi was looking for something that could break down fibrin, a tough, thread-like protein your body produces as part of normal blood clotting. He found what he was looking for in natto. An enzyme produced during the fermentation process was very good at breaking down fibrin, and that enzyme became known as nattokinase.
So why does fibrin matter? If you cut yourself or you’re injured, your blood needs to clot so you don’t keep bleeding. Fibrin helps form a kind of mesh that holds the clot together while your body repairs the damage. But once that clot has done its job, your body also needs to be able to break the fibrin back down.
This ability to help break down fibrin is what made nattokinase so interesting. Human research has looked at this too. In one study, people taking nattokinase for two months had reductions in fibrinogen and two other factors involved in normal blood clotting. You can read the clinical research on nattokinase here.
Researchers have also studied nattokinase and blood pressure. In one eight-week clinical trial, people taking nattokinase had reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo. You can read that clinical study here. Another human study also found changes in blood pressure after eight weeks of nattokinase. You can read that research here.
So while the huge amount of attention nattokinase is getting may be new, the enzyme itself and the research behind it certainly aren’t.
Why has nattokinase become so popular?
A lot has changed since the pandemic. People have become much more aware of heart health, blood clots and cardiovascular health, while social media has put nattokinase in front of an audience that may never have heard of it before.
One area getting a huge amount of attention is nattokinase and spike protein. And there is some interesting research behind this. In a laboratory study, researchers found that nattokinase was able to break down the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in cell lysates and on the surface of cells. You can read the study on nattokinase and spike protein here.
This has opened up a whole new area of interest in nattokinase and what its protein-breaking activity may mean beyond fibrin. And with so much attention now on cardiovascular health, it’s easy to understand why this enzyme has suddenly become such a huge topic.
But spike protein is only one part of the growing interest in nattokinase. We already have decades of research into its fibrin-breaking activity and cardiovascular health, with newer research also looking at its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Healthy blood flow is an important part of cardiovascular health, but it doesn’t exist in isolation. Your blood vessels matter. Inflammation matters. Your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol matter. How much you move, smoking, stress and what you eat all matter too.
This is why I look at nattokinase as part of a much bigger picture. If something has suddenly changed in your body, new or unexplained symptoms should always be checked. But if your goal is supporting healthy blood flow and cardiovascular health, nattokinase is a very interesting enzyme to know about.
Why combine nattokinase with other enzymes?
This is where nattokinase starts to become even more interesting, because healthy circulation involves more than fibrin alone. That’s why you’ll often see nattokinase used as part of a broader enzyme formula rather than by itself.
One of the enzymes most often used alongside it is serrapeptase.
Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme, which means it breaks down proteins. It has been studied for its protein-breaking activity and its role in supporting a healthy inflammatory response. Inflammation, swelling and the health of the blood vessels and surrounding tissues are all part of the bigger circulatory picture.
So while nattokinase provides targeted support around fibrin and healthy blood flow, serrapeptase broadens the enzyme support beyond fibrin. They’re not being put together because they’re identical enzymes doing exactly the same job. They bring different enzyme activity to the same overall goal of supporting healthy circulation.
Then you can broaden that enzyme support further. Bromelain, which comes from pineapple, and papain, which comes from papaya, are also proteolytic enzymes. Additional proteases provide more protein-breaking enzyme activity, while lipase helps break down fats.
Rather than expecting one enzyme to do everything, you can bring different enzymes together, each with its own role, to provide much broader support.
And there is another part of an enzyme formula that’s incredibly important: those enzymes need to survive your stomach.
Why does acid resistance matter?
Your stomach is designed to break things down, so how an enzyme is delivered matters. If you’re taking systemic enzymes, you want those enzymes to make it through the acidic environment of the stomach so they can reach the small intestine.
This is why acid-resistant nattokinase and serrapeptase are so important. They’re designed to survive stomach acid rather than being broken down before they have a chance to be absorbed.
It’s also why systemic enzyme formulas are generally taken away from food. Take protein-breaking enzymes with a meal and you’ve given those enzymes plenty of dietary protein to work on. When you’re taking them for systemic support, you want to follow the directions for that specific formula.
And this is where looking beyond a standalone nattokinase supplement starts to make sense.
Where can I buy nattokinase?
If you’ve been searching where can I buy nattokinase, you’ll find plenty of options online and in health stores. But before choosing one, think about why you’re looking for nattokinase in the first place.
If your goal is broader circulatory support, this is exactly why we created Accelerated Serrakinase™.
At the center of the formula are acid-resistant nattokinase and acid-resistant serrapeptase. Nattokinase provides targeted support around fibrin and healthy blood flow, while serrapeptase broadens the protein-breaking enzyme activity and supports a healthy inflammatory response.
Then we add bromelain and papain, together with additional proteases and lipase, to broaden that enzyme support even further.
But Accelerated Serrakinase™ isn’t just an enzyme formula. We’ve also included rutin, a plant compound that supports the strength and flexibility of healthy blood vessels, and amla, a naturally rich source of vitamin C and antioxidant compounds. Coenzyme Q10 supports cellular energy production, including the high energy needs of your heart, while magnesium supports normal muscle and blood vessel function.
This is what makes the complete formula so important. Healthy circulation isn’t one ingredient or one process. We start with nattokinase and its action on fibrin, then build around it with additional enzymes and nutrients to provide broader circulatory and cardiovascular support.
So if nattokinase is what brought you here, don’t automatically assume you need nattokinase on its own. Look at what you’re actually trying to support and what the complete formula gives you.
What are the nattokinase dangers?
There is one important safety issue you need to understand before taking nattokinase, and it comes back to the same thing that makes this enzyme so interesting: its action on fibrin.
Because nattokinase can affect processes involved in blood clotting, talk to your doctor before taking it if you’re already using blood-thinning or antiplatelet medication. The same applies if you have a bleeding disorder or have surgery coming up.
And never stop prescribed blood-thinning medication and replace it with nattokinase. Nattokinase is a supplement and isn’t a replacement for medication prescribed by your doctor.
This isn’t about being frightened of nattokinase. It’s about understanding what you’re taking and making sure it’s appropriate for you.
In conclusion
Nattokinase deserves the attention it’s getting, but I don’t believe healthy circulation should come down to one enzyme alone. Nattokinase gives us targeted support for fibrin and healthy blood flow, but cardiovascular health is a much bigger picture. This is where combining nattokinase with other enzymes such as serrapeptase, bromelain and papain, along with antioxidants and nutrients that support your blood vessels, cellular energy and cardiovascular function, gives you a much more complete approach.
So if social media has sent you searching for nattokinase, look beyond a single nattokinase supplement and think about what you’re actually trying to achieve. If the goal is healthy circulation and cardiovascular support, look for a formula that supports more than fibrin alone. Healthy blood flow depends on your blood, your blood vessels and the wider cardiovascular system working together, and the right combination of enzymes and supporting nutrients allows you to support that bigger picture rather than focusing on just one piece of it.
Frequently asked questions about nattokinase
Nattokinase is an enzyme produced during the fermentation of natto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It is best known for its ability to help break down fibrin.
Nattokinase helps break down fibrin, a protein involved in normal blood clotting. This is why nattokinase has attracted so much interest for healthy blood flow and cardiovascular support.
Fibrin is a tough, thread-like protein your body produces when your blood needs to clot. It helps form the structure that holds a blood clot together, and your body also needs to break fibrin down once it has done its job.
Nattokinase is used to support healthy blood flow because of its fibrin-breaking activity. Human research has also investigated nattokinase for blood pressure and other areas of cardiovascular health.
Nattokinase and serrapeptase provide different types of enzyme support. Nattokinase is known for its action on fibrin, while serrapeptase has broader protein-breaking activity and supports a healthy inflammatory response. This allows a formula to support more than the fibrin piece alone.
The main safety consideration is taking nattokinase alongside medications that affect blood clotting. If you take a blood thinner or antiplatelet medication, have a bleeding disorder or have surgery coming up, talk to your doctor before taking nattokinase.
Talk to your doctor before adding nattokinase if you’re already taking medication that affects blood clotting. Nattokinase should never be used to replace prescribed blood-thinning medication.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Always consult your healthcare professional before beginning a new supplement, particularly if you take medication, have an existing medical condition or have surgery planned.
Sara Banta
Sara Banta is an NANP Certified Dietary Supplement Professional, Health Coach, and CEO & Founder of Accelerated Health Products. She is also the host of the top-rated podcast Accelerated Health with Sara Banta, where she shares practical strategies to support energy, metabolism, hormones, and overall wellness. Sara is passionate about helping people take control of their health naturally through education and innovative formulations.
