Special Report

Nattokinase and Cardiovascular Health

Ralph E. Holsworth, Jr., D.O.
Fibrin is a protein that forms in the blood after the capillaries are also considered, then the numtrauma or injury. This is essential to stop excess ber of thrombus related conditions might be much
blood loss. There are more than twenty enzymes higher. Cardiac infarction patients may have an
in the body that assist in clotting the blood, while inherent imbalance. Their thrombolytic enzymes
only one that can break the clot down (plasmin). are weaker than their coagulant enzymes. NattoBacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins present in the kinase holds great promise to support patients
blood also trigger an inflammatory condition re- with such inherent weaknesses in a convenient
sulting in excess cross-linked fiand consistent manner, without side
brin. Since there is no danger of
effects. 1,6,7
blood loss and trauma has not
occurred, this cross-linked fibrin
Discovery of a Fibrinolytic
will circulate through the blood
Enzyme
and will stick to the walls of blood
vessels. This contributes to the
Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi, M.D. (a.k.a, Dr.
formation of blood clots, slows
Natto) a researcher of the Japan
blood flow and increases blood
Ministry of Education and majoring
viscosity contributing to the elevain the physiological chemistry at the
tion of blood pressure. In the
blood laboratory of the University of
heart, blood clots cause blockage
Chicago, had long researched
of blood flow to heart muscle tisthrombolytic enzymes. He was
sue. If blood flow is blocked, the
searching for a natural agent that
Figure 1
oxygen supply to that tissue is
could successfully dissolve thrompartially cut off (ischemia) which results in angina bus associated with cardiac and cerebral infarcand heart attacks, or if prolonged, death of heart tion (blood clots associated with heart attacks and
muscle (necrosis). Clots in chambers of the heart stroke). One day in 1980 Dr. Sumi took the natto
can mobilize to the brain, blocking blood and oxy- that he was eating for lunch and dropped a small
gen from reaching necessary areas, which can portion into the artificial thrombus (fibrin) plate
result in senility and/or stroke.1
(Figure 1). The natto gradually dissolved the
thrombus and had completely resolved it in 18
Thrombolytic enzymes (enzymes that break down hours! Dr. Sumi found that the sticky part of natto,
commonly called "threads" (Figure 2), exblood clots) are normally generated in
hibited a strong fibrinolytic (blood clot
the endothelial cells of the blood vessels.
busting) activity. He named the correAs the body ages, production of these
sponding
fibrinolytic
enzyme
enzymes begins to decline, making blood
"nattokinase". Dr. Sumi commented that
more prone to coagulation. This mechanattokinase showed a potency matched
nism can lead to cardiac or cerebral inby no other enzyme. 1,7
farction, as well as other conditions.
Since endothelial cells exist throughout
the body, such as in the arteries, veins
Dr. Sumi conducted research on about
and lymphatic system, poor production of
200 kinds of food from all over the world,
thrombolytic enzymes can lead to the deand he found that natto had the highest
velopment of blood clots and the condifibrinolytic (blood clot busting) activity
tions caused by them, virtually anywhere
among all those foods. There are many
in the body.7
traditional foods for the prevention and
Figure 2
treatment of thrombosis (e.g., azuki beans,
It has recently been revealed that thrombotic clog- Korean ginseng, Japanese water dropwort) but
ging (blood clots) of the cerebral blood vessels most of these foods inhibit platelet aggregation
may be a cause of dementia. It has been estimated that sixty percent of senile dementia paIndex
tients in Japan is caused by thrombus. Thrombotic
Natto the Food of Warriors.3
diseases typically include cerebral hemorrhage,
Technical aspects of Nattokinase4
cerebral infarction, cardiac infarction and angina
Glossary of Terms.. 5
pectoris, and also include diseases caused by
Blood is Thicker than Water.. 5
blood vessels with lowered flexibility, including seEffects of NKCP.8
nile dementia and diabetes. If chronic diseases of
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similar to aspirin. Only nattokinase acts only on

the fibrinolytic system to dissolve thrombi within
the blood vessels. In 1986, Dr. Sumi presented
the results of his research in Japan for the first
time at the Japan Agricultural Chemistry Society.
Later he wrote a similar article for the International
Thrombolytic Association where the audience began to believe that the dietary intake of natto was
the major contributor to the longevity of Japanese
people.
The Proof is in the Pudding

At Tottori University in Japan, nattokinase therapy

is used for treatment of diseases causing thrombosis of the eye grounds with patients who become blind after a blood clot hinders blood flow
and weakens the ophthalmic nerve (i.e., vena centralis retinae atresia). Venograms confirm the
thrombi, dilation of veins and hemorrhage and
subsequent resolution of the eye ground in patients with vena centralis retinae atresia. Patients
regained their eyesight within 10
days and no abnormalities observed after 2 months.

Nattokinase has been the subject

Conclusion
of 17 studies, including two small
human trials. Dr. Sumi and his colNattokinase is a particularly poleagues induced blood clots in
tent treatment because it enmale dogs, then orally adminishances the bodys natural ability
tered either four capsules of nattoto fight blood clots in several difkinase (250 mg per capsule) or
ferent ways and has many benefour placebo capsules to each
fits including convenience of oral
dog. Angiograms (Figure 3) readministration, confirmed efficacy,
Figure 3
vealed that the dogs who received
prolonged effects, cost effectivenattokinase regained normal blood circulation ness, and can be used preventatively. It is a natu(free of the clot) within five hours of treatment. rally occurring, food dietary supplement that has
Blood clots in the dogs who received only placebo demonstrated stability in the gastrointestinal tract.
showed no sign of dissolving in the 18 hours fol- The properties of nattokinase closely resemble
those properties of plasmin so it dissolves fibrin
lowing treatment. 1,3
directly! More importantly, it also enhances the
Researchers from Biotechnology Research Labo- bodys production of both plasmin and other clotratories and JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. of Kobe, dissolving agents, including urokinase
Japan, tested nattokinases ability to dissolve a (endogenous). Nattokinase may actually be supethrombus in the carotid arteries of rats. Animals rior to conventional clot-dissolving drugs such as
treated with nattokinase regained 62 percent of recombinant tissue plasminogen activators
blood flow, whereas those treated with plasmin (rt-PA), urokinase, and streptokinase, which are
only effective therapeutically when taken intraveregained just 15.8 percent of blood flow. 1
nously within 12 hours of a stroke or heart attack.
Researchers from JCR Pharmaceuticals, Okla- Nattokinase, however, may help prevent the conhoma State University, and Miyazaki Medical Col- ditions leading to blood clots with an oral daily
lege tested nattokinase on 12 healthy Japanese dose of as little as 2,000 fibrin units (FU) or 50
volunteers (6 men and 6 women, between the grams of natto.
ages of 21 and 55). They gave the volunteers 200
grams of natto (the food) before breakfast, then
tracked fibrinolytic activity through a series of
blood plasma tests. The tests indicated that the
natto generated a heightened ability to dissolve
blood clots. On average, the volunteers ELT (a
measure of how long it takes to dissolve a blood
clot) dropped by 48 percent within two hours of
treatment, and volunteers retained an enhanced
ability to dissolve blood clots for 2 to 8 hours. As a
control, researchers later fed the same amount of
boiled soybeans to the same volunteers and
tracked their fibrinolytic activity. The tests showed
no significant change. 1,3,6
Nattokinase Enzyme

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Natto, The Food of Warriors

Ralph E. Holsworth, Jr., D.O.
Say It Aint Soy! Yes, but this soybean is different! What makes it different is simple. After hours of fermentation, the boiled soybeans metamorphose to an ancient medicinal food called natto pronounced
nah-toe. Natto may just be the perfect food producing 18 valuable amino acids and an enzyme nattokinase that may challenge the pharmaceutical industrys best blood-clot busters. Natto, which has
recently attracted attention throughout the world, is the third most popular type of fermented soybean in
the Japanese diet. Japan has the highest average longevity in the world, which may partly be attributed
to a high consumption of natto.
When compared with ordinary soybeans, the natto produces more
calories, protein, fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamin B2. Its high
protein and economical price in terms of protein per gram has earned
it the sobriquet "hata-ke no niko," or meat of the field. This nickname
appears well deserved, as in comparison with an equivalent amount
of beef, natto has slightly less protein (16.5 grams to 21.2 grams), but
contains more carbohydrates and fiber, and is also higher in calcium,
phosphorous, iron and vitamin B2. Plus, it has nearly double the calcium and far more vitamin E to boot.
According to legend, the first person to originate traditional Japanese
natto was the famous warrior Yoshiie Minamoto during the Heian era
of Japanese history (794-1192 A.D.). The horse was an extremely
important to the Japanese samurai warrior of the period and great
care was given to provide suitable provisions for the horses when
armies were on the move. Typically, boiled soybeans were cooled
down, dried in the sun and packed immediately in rice straw bags for transport with the army. If the
army was on a rapid deployment, the boiled soybeans were packed hastily into the rice straw bags
without cooling or drying. The rice straw just happened to contain a harmless and naturally occurring
microorganism, Bacillus subtilis that fermented the soybeans and produced natto with its characteristic
sticky texture.
Initially, the soybeans were presumed to have spoiled until Yoshiie Minamoto observed that his horses
were picky eaters and demonstrated a preference for the spoiled soybeans or natto. One day, Minamoto demonstrated tremendous courage and dipped his finger into the seemingly rotten goo. To his
astonishment, the fermented soybeans were not only edible but had a distinct Umami flavor. Mimamoto
was responsible for introducing natto to northwestern Japan where he ruled. To this day natto is especially popular in that region of Japan and a folk remedy for fatigue, beriberi, dysentery, heart and vascular diseases.
The most distinctive features of natto are the adhesive surrounding the soybeans and the strong flavor.
The sticky material has been shown to consist of poly-g-glutamic acid (D and L) and polysaccharides
(levan-form fructan) and the strong "cheese-like" flavor is due to the presence of pyrazine. These features sometimes make it hard for some people, especially people from other countries, to accept natto;
however, these are the main factors which give natto the outstanding properties. Natto, which has recently attracted attention throughout the world, is a familiar part of the Japanese diet.

Dr. Ralph E. Holsworth, Jr., D.O. is a board-certified Osteopathic Family Medicine Physician. He
has been practicing as a family medicine physician with emphasis in functional and integrative medicine for over five years. Dr. Holsworth has had a specific interest in systemic enzyme therapy for ten
years and assisted in clinical and laboratory research. He is serving on the medical staff of Mescalero Public Health Service Indian Hospital in Mescalero, New Mexico.

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Technical Aspects of Nattokinase

Nattokinase produces a prolonged action in two ways: it prevents the formation of thrombi and it dissolves existing thrombus. Nattokinase orally administrated to twelve healthy adults indicated elevations
of the breakdown products of the fibrin and the ability of the blood to breakdown fibrin called euglobulin
fibrinolytic activity (EFA). These results suggest the ability of Nattokinase to accelerate fibrinolysis in the
blood for a prolonged period of time. FDP levels in the adults drastically increased 4 hours after the administration of the nattokinase indicating that fibrin within the blood vessels is gradually being dissolved
with repeated intake of nattokinase. By measuring EFA & FDP levels, the activity of nattokinase has
been determined to last from 8 to 12 hours. An additional parameter for confirming the action of nattokinase following oral administration is a rise in blood levels of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) antigen, which indicates a release of TPA from the endothelial cells and/or the liver and the endogenous
production of plasmin (the bodys blood clotting buster).6, 7
In 1995, researchers from Miyazaki Medical College and Kurashiki University of Science and Arts in Japan studied the effects of nattokinase on blood pressure in both animal and human subjects (see below). In addition, the researchers confirmed the presence of inhibitors of
angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) within the test extract, which consisted of 80% ethanol extract of lyophilized viscous materials of natto.
ACE causes blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to rise - by inhibiting ACE; nattokinase has a lowering effect on blood pressure. 1,2

Fibrin coagulating blood

The same natto extract was then tested on human volunteers with high
blood pressure. Blood pressure levels were measured after 30 grams of
lyophilized extract (equivalent to 200 grams of natto food) was administered orally for 4 consecutive days. In 4 out of 5 volunteers, the systolic
blood pressure (SBP) decreased on average from 173.8 + 20.5 mmHg to
154.8 + 12.6 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased on average from 101.0 + 11.4 mmHg to 91.2 + 6.6 mmHg. On average, this data
represents a 10.9 percent drop in SBP and a 9.7 percent drop in DBP.1,2,6
(See page 8)

References:
1.Natto-Traditional Japanese Fermented Soy Beans with Recently Discovered Health Benefits and
Novel Industrial Applications, Enzyme Wave, Volume 3, June 2002, Amano Enzyme, Inc., page 2-4.
2. Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke with Potent Enzyme that Dissolves Deadly Blood Clots in Hours.
Health Sciences Institute, March 2002.
3. Maruyama M, Sumi H. Effect of Natto Diet on Blood Pressure. JTTAS, 1995.
4. Sumi H, Hamada H, Nakanishi K, Hiratani H. Enhancement of the fibrinolytic activity in plasma by oral
administration of nattokinase. Acta Haematol 1990;84(3):139-43.
5. Sumi H, Hamada H, Mihara H. A novel strong fibrinolytic enzyme (nattokinase) in the vegetable
cheese natto. International 5. Journal of Fibronolysis and Thrombolysis. Abstracts of the ninth international congress on fibrinolysis, Amsterdam, 1988, Vol.2, Sup.1:67.
6. Sumi H, Hamada H, Tsushima H, Mihara H, Muraki H. A novel fibrinolytic enzyme (nattokinase) in the
vegetable cheese Natto; a typical and popular soybean food in the Japanese diet. Experientia 1987, Oct
15;43(10):1110-1.
7. Sumi H. Healthy Microbe Bacillus natto. Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co. Ltd.

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Breaking News
BLOOD Is Thicker than
Water

Glossary of Terms

By Ralph E, Holsworth, Jr., D.O.

Cardiac Infarction: Heart attack.

Cerebral Infarction: Stroke.
Endogenous: Produced in the body.
Exogenous: Derived from outside the
body.
Fibrin: A whitish, filamentous protein
formed by the action of thrombin on fibrinogen and makes up part of coagulum or
blood clots.
Fibrinolytic: Pertaining to or causing the
breaking up of blood clots.
Infarction: Cardiac or cerebral tissue
death due to failure of blood supply to the
area usually caused by a blood clot.

Massive research efforts and numerous hypotheses have failed to identify the initiating event of
atherosclerosis. Why atherosclerosis develops is
significantly more important than how it progresses. To that end, the evolutionary approach to
the origin of atherosclerosis is presented and explained based upon the biophysical properties of
the blood and their interrelationship with the blood
vasculature.
Historically, cardiovascular research has focused
on a biochemical approach to atherosclerosis. The
results have been a very detailed and accurate
histopathology of atherosclerosis, starting with the
histological manifestations of fat-laden cells in the
intima to the complex series of mechanisms.
However, any theory that embraces only a biochemical, genetic, or environmental perspective
leaves many questions unanswered. These question include the following:

Plasmin: An endogenously produced fibrinolytic enzyme.

Plasminogen: A precursor to plasmin. A

protein found in many tissues and body fluids.

Why are the arteries leading to the heart

and brain so susceptible to atherosclerosis?

Why do we not observe atherosclerotic

plaques in the intramyocardial coronary
arteries, the arteries of the arms or
breasts, or in the veins?

Why do people with normal blood pressure and normal cholesterol still have
heart attacks?

Why do men develop cardiovascular diseases at a younger age than do women,

especially premenopausal women?

Why is there a pattern of increased heart

attacks in the morning hours (Cannon et
al. 1997, Cohen et al, 1997)?

Thrombus: A blood clot that obstructs a

blood vessel or a cavity of the heart.
Thrombolytic: Pertaining to or causing the
breaking up of a thrombus.
TPA: Tissue plasminogen activator.
t-PAs: The most commonly used thrombolytic drugs including activase, urokinase,
and streptokinase.
Urokinase: An endogenously produced
thrombolytic enzyme & also a commonly
used thrombolytic drug given intravenously
to cardiac and cerebral infarction patients.

There are simply too many questions that cannot

be resolved by applying only current biochemical
theories. The fundamental shortcoming of current
biochemical theories is that they do not identify
the initiating event that precedes endothelial injury
(both denuding and nondenuding).

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No theory appropriately accounts for the

initiating causal factors or factors in atherosclerosis. This is an unsettling fact on an individual and societal level. The cost to the
United States in medical care and lost productivity due to cardiovascular diseases is
estimated at $298 billion for 2001 (American
Heart Association).
An Evolutionary Approach to
Atherosclerosis
First, we recognize the human vasculature is
a dynamic organ that responds to all intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli. Second, we believe
that the damaged intima, the lesions, and the
occlusions in the vascular system are secondary responses to another event.
The proposed event of mechanical injury as
the initiator of the vessel wall injury stems
from these shifts in perspective. First, certain
types of blood flows may cause mechanical
damage to the vasculature. These types of
blood flows are referred as injurious pulsatile
flow. Second, in response to this mechanical
injury, the vasculature develops plaques and
abnormalities in the vessel wall in a predictable pattern. The presentation of these various mechanisms in a unified concept is called
the protective adaptation theory. The protective adaptation theory (Kensey and Cho
1992, Kensey and Cho 1994) provides the
missing link, particularly in events preceding
lesion development, where current biochemical theories cannot account for the mechanisms.
The Why of arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis is eloquently explained by the bellwether
work of The Protective Adaptation Theory.
Endothelium injury is caused by a highintensity stimulus over a short period of time,
i.e., a coronary artery stent placement.
Stress is caused by a low-intensity stimulus
over a long period of time, i.e., a callus is a
standard adaptation of the skin to stress. A
key difference between protective adaptation
to stress and to injury is that protective adaptation to stress is usually reversible.

Fluid Mechanics and Hemodynamics

Blood behaves very differently in our circulatory system than water flowing in pipes. First
of all, blood has a higher viscosity (thickness)
than water. Increased blood viscosity and
blood flow is pulsatile and the flow rate varies
with time. The reason for the pulsatile flow is
two-fold, a resultant of the ejection portion of
the cardiac cycle and because the arterial
wall is elastic. The arterial system is not a
straight pipe with its many bifurcations and
bends. Pulsatile blood flow imparts energy
into the arterial system that is stored partially
in the blood vessels.
The protective adaptation process theory
organizes the arterial systems adaptative
process into two cycles, both of which originate from the mechanical stresses in the
system. The first cycle is the region-specific
development of arteriosclerosis, a condition in
which the arteries have lost their compliance
(elasticity). The second cycle is site-specific
development of atherosclerosis in arteries
that lost their compliance in cycle one.
Although, arteriosclerosis is a precursor to
atherosclerosis, the two cycles develop synergistically and reinforce each other in a
vicious circle.
Arterial occlusive disease results from a protective response to mechanical stress and
injury, a futile effort to maintain the integrity of
the vessel.
Region-Specific Protective Adaptation:
Arteriosclerosis
At birth, arteries are extremely compliant
and stretchable, but over a lifetime these
characteristics decrease as a result of the
changes in wall tissue structure. The loss of
compliance has been defined as medial arteriosclerosis. The changes of compliance in
the arterial wall is an adaptative response to
the stretching and stress of high arterial pressure, which causes extended, repeated overstretching of the arteries.

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cosity and plasma viscosity, especially at

lower shear rates (Ehrly 1973).

Site-Specific Protective Adaptation:

Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is an adaptive response that
leads to arterial occlusive disease. Starting as
a response to the mechanical injury of endothelial cells, atherosclerosis occurs at very
specific sites in the arterial system. These
frequency of atherosclerosis in these specific
sites correlates with their exposure to injurious
systolic pressures and repeated stretch-recoil
processes. This explains our first question of,
Why the arteries leading from the heart and
brain are so susceptible to atherosclerosis?
Whole Blood Viscosity The Start of The
Pathogenesis
Viscosity represents the stickiness and thickness of blood. It is the frictional resistance to
blood flow. So as blood viscosity increases,
blood flow decreases assuming that the heart
maintains the same systolic pressure. In order
for the heart to maintain the same cardiac output, the systolic pressure must increase as the
whole blood viscosity increases. Elevated
blood viscosity contributes to the arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis and increased peripheral
vasculature resistance. Increased vasculature
peripheral resistance results in hypertension
and an increased left ventricle requirement to
work harder. Eventually the atherosclerosis
narrows the lumens in the vascular and the
blood pressure gradients increase inversely
proportional the 4th power of the lumens decreased diameter size. Only 25-35 % of the
left ventricular ejection flows directly to the peripheral vessels from the arterial system to the
veins. As blood viscosity and peripheral vasculature resistance increases, an even large
volume remains a pulsatile mass hammering
the arterioles (greatest pressure gradient) very
similar to the water hammer in water supply
lines.
Get The Fibrinogen Out!
Fibrinogen is a major determinant of both
plasma and whole blood viscosity. One of the
logical and practical ways to reduce whole
blood viscosity is to remove fibrinogen from
the blood. Lowering fibrinogen levels limits red
cell aggregation and reduces whole blood vis-

Natto, made from fermented soybeans, is a

traditional Japanese food. Many people enjoy
it for its distinctive flavor, enlivened by the activity of Bacillus subitilis. Natto has a long
history, and some have theorized that it may
even have a prehistoric origin, possibly circa
B. C. It has at least been ascertained that
natto has been popular since the Edo period,
400 years ago. Originally, natto was utilized as
a folk remedy for heart and vascular diseases,
fatigue, and beriberi. In 1980, Dr. Hiroyuki
Sumi et al. found that natto contains a potent
fibrinolytic enzyme, which they named nattokinase.
It was confirmed that oral administration of
nattokinase (or natto) produced a mild and frequent enhancement of the fibrinolytic activity
in the plasma, as indicated by the fibrinolytic
parameters, and the production of tissue plasminogen activator. Nattokinase capsules were
also administered orally to dogs with experimentally induced thrombosis, and lysis of the
thrombi was observed by angiography (Sumi
1990). It was shown that the oral administration of natto and nattokinase enhance the fibrinolytic activity in plasma. A shortening of euglobulin lysis time (ELT) and an elevation of
EFA were found for a long time (from 2 to 8 hr)
after a single administration of natto (p<0.01)
(Sumi 1989).
Conclusion
Nattokinase may prove to be a
defibrinogenating enzyme that drastically
decreases blood viscosity. Decreasing blood
viscosity strikes at the root of arteriosclerosis
and atherosclerosis as well as hypertension,
peripheral vascular disease and congestive
heart failure. The fibrinolytic activity of
nattokinase resolves the active process of
atherosclerosis and lyses thrombi. The per
oral administration, prolonged half-life of 4-6
hours and extremely safe profile show
favorably upon nattokinase as the key agent
for restoration of vasculature health.

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EFFECT OF NATTO DIET ON BLOOD PRESSURE

Masugi MARUYAMA and Hiroyuki SUMI*
Department of Physiology, Miyazaki Medical College, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake-cho, Miyazaki-gun, Miyazaki 88916, JAPAN, *Department of Physiological Chemistry, Science & Industrial Technology, Kurashiki University of
Science and Arts, 2640 Turagima-cho-Nishinoura, Kurashiki-shi, Okayama 712, JAPAN
Basic and Clinical Aspects of Japanese Traditional Food Natto, 1-3, 1998
In Japan, it is said that taking Japanese traditional fermented soybean, natto, tends to lower the blood pressure. In
spite of the knowledge, there has been almost no evidence which proves the efficacy of natto diet on high blood
pressure.
In the present study, we first demonstrated that some components of natto had a
lowering effect on blood pressure, by administrating natto extract to human subjects and rats.
We administered a 80% ethanol extract of lyophilize viscous materials of natto. It
was reported that the extract contains inhibitors of angiotensin converting
enzyme (ACE), which converts angiotensin to its active form angiotensin (Fig.
1)1,2).
Fig 2 shows systolic blood pressure (SBP) change after administration of 0.5ml of 80% ethanol extract (equivalent
to 25 mg of viscous materials) into the peritoneal cavity of Wister rats (400-500 g, male). Average SBP of 6 rats
was 16614 mmHg before administration. After administration of the extract, SBP decreased significantly to 14524
Fig 2
mmHg in 2 hours (p<0.05), and to 14427 mmHg in 3 hours
(p<0.05).
Fig. 3 shows the blood pressure change after oral administration of lyophilized product of 80% ethanol extract to human
volunteers who had high blood pressure. Thirty grams of lyophilized extract (equivalent to 200g of natto) was administered per orally for 4 consecutive days. As shown in the figure, in 4 out of 5 volunteers, the SBP as well as diastolicblood
pressure (DBP) decreased. The average values decreased from
173.820.5 mmHg to 154.812.6 in mmHg SBP and
101.011.4 mmHg to 91.26.6 mmHg in DBP.
For further confirmation of the blood pressure lowering effect of natto, we are going to increase the number of subjects and it is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of the action.
Fig 3
References
1)Hayashi W, Nagao K, Tosa S and Yoshioka Studies on Natto
Science (Natto Kagaku Kaishi, Tokyo), 1: 83-93, 1977
2) Hanagata Y, Okamoto A, Koizumi Y and Yanagida T: Basic
and Clinical Aspects of Japanese Traditional Food Natto, 1: 8999, 1994
3) Guidebook of Model MK-1100, p. 1-12, 1994, Muromachi
Co. LTD., Osaka

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