Serrapeptase (also called serratiopeptidase) is a proteolytic enzyme — a protein-dissolving enzyme — originally isolated from the bacterium Serratia marcescens, which lives in the intestine of the silkworm Bombyx mori. The discovery of this enzyme's remarkable properties is one of the more unusual stories in nutritional biochemistry: researchers in Japan in the 1970s noticed that the silkworm uses this enzyme to dissolve the hard calcium shell of its cocoon from the inside when it is ready to emerge as a moth. The enzyme — secreted by bacteria in the silkworm's gut — dissolves the cocoon protein so completely and efficiently that it effectively liquefies what is, in structural terms, one of the strongest naturally occurring protein composites in the animal kingdom.
This observation raised an obvious and exciting question: if this enzyme can dissolve the protein structure of a silkworm cocoon, what might it do to dead protein tissue, fibrin deposits and inflammatory debris in the human body?
Serrapeptase is a serine protease — it cleaves peptide bonds in proteins, breaking long protein chains into smaller fragments. Its key practical property, from a health perspective, is its selectivity: serrapeptase appears to digest non-living or damaged protein tissue while leaving healthy living tissue intact. This selectivity is what makes it such an interesting compound for the following applications:
Serrapeptase has been extensively studied, particularly in Japan and Germany, from the 1970s through to the present. It has been approved as a pharmaceutical drug in Japan and several European countries for use in conditions including post-operative swelling, inflammatory conditions, and sinusitis-related mucus hypersecretion.
Key findings from the clinical literature include:
The evidence base, while not as extensive as that for some pharmaceutical drugs, is meaningfully real and is the reason serrapeptase is prescribed medicinally in multiple countries. It is not a wellness supplement with vague claims — it is a pharmacologically active enzyme with documented mechanisms and clinical outcomes.
It is important to note that serrapeptase is not appropriate for everyone, and it is not a treatment for any disease. It is used as a nutritional supplement to support the body's own processes. People who have worked with it most commonly include those with:
The two main serrapeptase-based products that Pat Coffey stocks at The Honey Pot come from Good Health Naturally:
Serranol contains serrapeptase (80,000 IU), CurcuminX4000 (250mg Meriva® curcumin), Ecklonia Cava extract (50mg) and Vitamin D3 (1000IU). This is Pat's most commonly recommended serrapeptase product for general inflammatory conditions and chronic pain support. The combination of serrapeptase with highly bioavailable curcumin and the antioxidant Ecklonia Cava creates a synergistic anti-inflammatory approach.
Blockbuster AllClear is a more comprehensive formula primarily oriented toward cardiovascular support. It contains serrapeptase alongside nattokinase and lumbrokinase (two additional fibrinolytic enzymes), vitamin E, CoQ10, grape seed extract, resveratrol and other cardiovascular support nutrients. For people specifically working on cardiovascular health, this is a more targeted choice than Serranol.
Serrapeptase has a generally good safety profile in the clinical literature. The most common adverse effects are mild gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, stomach upset) that typically resolve with dose adjustment or taking the enzyme with food.
CRITICAL WARNING — Blood Thinners: Serrapeptase has fibrinolytic activity — it dissolves fibrin. This means it has blood-thinning properties and MUST NOT be combined with pharmaceutical anticoagulants (warfarin, rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, heparin) or with antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, clopidogrel, dipyridamole) without explicit medical supervision. If you are taking any blood thinning medication, speak with your GP or haematologist before taking serrapeptase or any product containing it. The combination could potentially cause dangerous levels of anticoagulation.
Serrapeptase should also be avoided in the two weeks before and after surgery due to its anticoagulant effects. Pregnant women should not use it without medical advice.
Serrapeptase is most effective when taken on an empty stomach, at least thirty minutes before a meal or two hours after one. This allows the enzyme to pass through the stomach without being activated by gastric acid and reach the small intestine where it can be absorbed intact. Enteric-coated preparations are used in most quality products (including Serranol and Blockbuster AllClear) to ensure the enzyme survives the acidic stomach environment.
Serranol and Blockbuster AllClear from Good Health Naturally are both available at The Honey Pot, 14 Abbey Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Pat can advise on which product is more appropriate for your situation and discuss any safety considerations relevant to your health history.
Serranol and Blockbuster AllClear available at The Honey Pot, Clonmel — call Pat for advice
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