If you've been wondering what is nattokinase or searching for information on nattokinase benefits in Ireland, this guide by Pat Coffey at The Honey Pot in Clonmel gives you the complete picture. Nattokinase is a remarkable enzyme from Japan that has gained significant scientific credibility for cardiovascular health — and it's now available in Ireland through specialist health food stores.
The story of nattokinase begins in Japan with a traditional food called natto — fermented soybeans made by culturing cooked soybeans with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis natto. Natto has been eaten in Japan for over 1,000 years, primarily in the Kanto region around Tokyo. It has a distinctive sticky, stringy texture, a powerful smell, and a flavour that divides opinion sharply — beloved by those who grew up with it, challenging for Western palates.
In 1980, Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi, a Japanese researcher working at Chicago University, was studying natural compounds that could dissolve fibrin (blood clots). One afternoon in the laboratory, on a whim, he placed a small amount of natto on a fibrin plate. Within 18 hours, the fibrin had completely dissolved — far more rapidly than any other natural compound he had tested. He named the active enzyme "nattokinase" (natto + kinase, a class of enzyme).
Nattokinase is a serine protease enzyme produced by Bacillus subtilis natto during the fermentation of natto. It has a molecular weight of approximately 27,000 daltons and is classified as a fibrinolytic enzyme — one that breaks down fibrin, the protein mesh that forms blood clots and contributes to arterial plaque.
Unlike streptokinase and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) — the pharmaceutical thrombolytics used in hospital settings to treat acute stroke and heart attacks — nattokinase is:
Nattokinase works through several complementary mechanisms to support cardiovascular health:
Nattokinase directly cleaves fibrin — the protein network that forms blood clots. This reduces the risk of unwanted clot formation (thrombosis) and may help break down existing fibrin deposits in arteries and veins.
Nattokinase activates the body's endogenous fibrinolytic system by converting plasminogen to plasmin — the body's own clot-dissolving enzyme. This amplifies the fibrinolytic effect beyond direct enzyme activity.
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a protein that normally suppresses fibrinolytic activity. Elevated PAI-1 levels are strongly associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Nattokinase has been shown to inhibit PAI-1, restoring the body's natural fibrin-clearing capacity — particularly relevant for people with metabolic syndrome or diabetes, who typically have elevated PAI-1.
A well-designed human clinical trial (Niall & Sumi, 2008, Hypertension Research) found 8 weeks of nattokinase supplementation significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The mechanism appears to involve ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibition — similar to the effect of ACE inhibitor blood pressure medications, but milder and natural.
Nattokinase reduces platelet aggregation (the stickiness of platelets that initiates clot formation), improving blood fluidity without the haemorrhagic risk of pharmaceutical antiplatelet agents at normal supplemental doses.
It's important to be clear about what nattokinase cannot do:
Nattokinase supplements are measured in FU (fibrinolytic units) — the standard unit measuring enzyme activity, not simply weight. Be wary of products that only list milligrams (mg) without FU activity — these may be listing the weight of the substrate rather than verified enzyme activity. Clinical trials typically use doses of 2,000–4,000 FU per day. Good Health Naturally's nattokinase product (stocked at The Honey Pot) is standardised and measured in FU to confirm actual enzymatic activity.
Nattokinase is most appropriate for:
It is NOT appropriate for people on pharmaceutical anticoagulants (warfarin, rivaroxaban, etc.) without GP oversight.
Available at The Honey Pot, 14 Abbey Street, Clonmel. Order at thehoneypotonline.ie or call 052-612 1457.
Buy Good Health Naturally Nattokinase in Ireland — The Honey Pot, Clonmel
Shop at The Honey Pot → 📞 052-612 1457DYOR disclaimer: General information only — not medical advice. Consult your GP before use if you have cardiovascular disease or take blood-thinning medication.