Supplement
Nattokinase is an enzyme from natto, a fermented soybean food, that may help break down fibrin, a protein involved in blood clots. People mostly look at it for clot-related concerns like deep vein thrombosis, and the evidence is limited: a small trial of 45 people found levels of clotting factors VII and VIII went down. Another small trial saw blood pressure improve, but studies so far have been few and small.
Sources: PMID 19358933
- Updated
- How we grade
- 4 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 11
- Graded outcomes
- 0031
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General Cardiovascular Health
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factor VIII Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 45 people | ||
Studies that measured factor viii | ||||||
| Factor VII Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 45 people | |||
| Fibrinolysis | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 12 people | |||
Studies that measured fibrinolysis | ||||||
| Fibrinogen | Improves (the measure goes up) | 45 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Pressure Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 86 people | ||
Studies that measured blood pressure | ||||||
| Renin Activity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 86 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) No effect | NoneNo effect | 47 people | ||||
| Liver Enzymes | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 47 people | |||
Studies that measured liver enzymes | ||||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 47 people | ||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 47 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 47 people | ||||
Key findings
- Factor VIIIImproves (the measure goes down)
- Blood PressureImproves (the measure goes down)
- Factor VIIImproves (the measure goes down)
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Third-party tested Nattokinase products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed
- Enhancement of the fibrinolytic activity in plasma by oral administration of nattokinase
- Nattokinase decreases plasma levels of fibrinogen, factor VII, and factor VIII in human subjects
- Combined nattokinase with red yeast rice but not nattokinase alone has potent effects on blood lipids in human subjects with hyperlipidemia.
- Effects of nattokinase on blood pressure: a randomized, controlled trial