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The Japanese Have Similar Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Levels as Americans — Yet Their Hearts Are Much Healthier. Why? Maintaining normal cholesterol and blood pressure levels is essential for cardiovascular health. But there’s another key factor many people, even cardiologists, often overlook: blood clotting. If your blood does not clot enough, even simple cuts or bruises can turn into life-threatening injuries. But if your blood clots too much, your blood becomes more thick, or viscous — slowing down your circulation. One fundamental difference between the Japanese and the American diet is that Japanese citizens consume over 50,000 tons of a traditional fermented soy food called natto each year, while Americans eat none. Could that account for the difference? 
Natto: Japanese Superfood Natto naturally contains the enzyme nattokinase, discovered by Dr. Hiroyumi Sumi in 1980. Several published studies have shown that nattokinase promotes healthy blood clotting and normal blood viscosity, which helps blood flow more easily through the veins.* Yet not all nattokinase is the same. Cardiokinase™, winner of the coveted 2009 Product Merit Award by Nutrition Business Journal, is a new and improved version of nattokinase developed by Dr. Sumi himself.
Health Benefits of Cardiokinase™
Why Cardiokinase™ is Superior
The Science Behind Cardiokinase™ Supports healthy blood clotting* There are two ways to support healthy blood clotting: Make sure clots are formed at an appropriate rate, or that they are broken down at an appropriate rate. As the best form of nattokinase, Cardiokinase™ helps with both.* In a recent human clinical trial, nattokinase was found to support normal levels of blood coagulation factors — such as fibrinogen, factor VII and factor VIII — thus supporting normal clot formation.* 1 A study published in 2008 by Dr. Sumi and colleagues showed that Cardiokinase™ supports the release of a protein that helps dissolve fibrin by human cells — thus supporting normal clot breakdown.*2 Promotes healthy whole blood viscosity* If your blood clots too much, it becomes more thick, or viscous — so it has a harder time getting through your vessels to the places it needs to be. A whole blood study can measure how thick your blood is. A whole blood study performed at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles of 2006 showed that Cardiokinase™ supports healthy whole blood viscosity.*3 It is the only natural substance demonstrated to do so. May improve overall circulation* Healthy circulation is important for every organ in your body, because it allows the heart to deliver essential oxygen and nutrients to all of your cells. Because Cardiokinase™ supports healthy blood clotting and promotes healthy whole blood viscosity, it may improve overall circulation.* Keeps blood cells from sticking together* Normally, each red blood cell maintains its distinct shape as it travels through the blood vessels. Sometimes, though, the red blood cells clump together, much like dry cereal does if you leave it sitting in a bowl of milk. When red blood cells stick together, they start to form a clot. In a whole blood study, Cardiokinase™ was observed to decrease the tendency of blood cells to stick to each other, which may support the health of the arteries.* (3) Maintains blood pressure levels already within normal range* Blood pressure is the amount of force that is put on the blood vessel wall as the blood passes through it. Maintaining normal blood pressure is essential to cardiovascular health, because it means the heart doesn’t have to work overtime to keep blood pumping through the veins. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial found that two months of supplementation with nattokinase helped maintain blood pressure levels that were already within normal range.*4
Frequently Asked Questions What is Cardiokinase™? Cardiokinase™ represents the new gold standard of nattokinase, an enzyme derived from the traditional fermented soy food natto. What does it do? Research on nattokinase, including studies performed exclusively on Cardiokinase™, shows it supports healthy blood clotting, promotes healthy whole blood viscosity (or thickness of blood), improves overall circulation, keeps blood cells from sticking together, and maintains blood pressure levels already within normal range.* How does it work? Cardiokinase™ works in two ways to support healthy blood clotting.* It supports normal clot formation, by maintaining normal levels of blood coagulation factors.* It also supports normal clot breakdown, by maintaining normal fibrinolytic (clot-dissolving) activity.* Why is fibrinolytic activity important? Fibrin is a protein that naturally forms in the blood after trauma or injury. The body can also produce fibrin when there is no trauma or injury, which may negatively affect cardiovascular and cerebro-vascular health. Fibrinolytic activity is the body’s natural way of breaking up excess blood clots. Does Cardiokinase™ support more than just heart health? Yes! Many aspects of health — from ache-free muscles, to immune strength and resistance, to cardiovascular and cerebro-vascular wellness — are directly related to the viscosity of the blood and the rate at which the body forms clots.* Is Cardiokinase™ safe to use in combination with blood-thinning drugs, such as Coumadin or Warfin? You should always check with your health care practitioner before taking any dietary supplement in combination with a pharmaceutical drug. However, Cardiokinase™ does not contain any vitamin K, so it is assumed to be compatible with these medications. Is Cardiokinase™ safe? Yes! Cardiokinase™ is derived from natto, which has been part of the food supply for hundreds of years. Cardiokinase™ is a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) affirmed ingredient, meaning that qualified experts generally recognize it has been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use. Why is measuring activity in IUs (international units) better than FUs (fibrin units)? The old test used to measure fibrinolytic activity, FU, was not able to correctly identify true nattokinase and was thus subject to false positive readings. Therefore, subpar products were showing fibrinolytic activity when in fact they had none. The new test, IU, is a more precise test that confirms the identity of the nattokinase and more accurately measures activity. Why does it matter what strain of bacteria is used to ferment the nattokinase in Cardiokinase™ ? There are three strains of microbes used to manufacture nattokinase currently in use: the Naurse, Miyagino, and Takahashi strains. Dr. Sumi tested the activity of all three strains and found the Naurse (or N) strain to be the most active, producing an effect 17.9 times higher than the control group. Have studies been performed exclusively on Cardiokinase™? What have they found? Yes! One of the most interesting findings is that Cardiokinase™ supports healthy whole blood viscosity, or the thickness of blood.* It is the only natural substance demonstrated to do so. Is Cardiokinase™ hypoallergenic? Yes! Unlike most forms of nattokinase, which utilize corn-based excipients, Cardiokinase™ is corn-free and therefore suitable for people with corn allergies (It should be noted that nattokinase by its very nature, does contain soy) It should be noted that the finished VegaGels do contain a small amount of corn starch.
References: 1. Chien-Hsun Hsia et al. “Nattokinase decreases plasma levels of fibrinogen, factor VII, and factor VIII in human subjects.” Nutrition Research. 2009;29:190-96.
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