Art (California) on 02/21/2024

Covid-19 is estimated to have killed approximately 7 million people since it was found in 2019/2020 until today or just over 4 years.

Atherosclerosis, the main cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) dwarfs all of the deaths from Covid-19 since it was detected and tracked. In just one year, accounting for over 30% of deaths in the world or approximately 18 million deaths per year, atherosclerosis is far and away much deadlier than Covid-19 ever was. Seven million deaths in just over 4 years for Covid-19 compared to atherosclerosis at approximately 18 million deaths in just one year!

For a bit more perspective, the death toll from atherosclerosis is predicted to increase each year, but assuming it stays at approximately 18 million deaths per year for the next 4 years, that will be about 72, 000, 000 deaths over a 4 year period compared to 7 million Covid-19 deaths over a similar 4 year period. That is greater than 10 times the death toll of Covid-19! Excuse me while I go take my nattokinase.

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 02/21/2024

Hi Hollyhock,

Yes, I guess related in the sense that they are both promoters of atherosclerosis(AS) and CVD, but there are many promoters of AS and CVD in many things we eat, drink or are exposed to in life.

I am looking at it in terms of nattokinase, GSPE and vitamin K2M7 potentially ameliorating the atherosclerotic and CVD aspects of all of it in order to avoid becoming another AS or CVD statistic.

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 02/23/2024

Hi Maria,

The the study used Nattokinase at a high dose of 10, 800 FU per day for a full year, to very good effect in terms of lowering cholesterol, triglycerides, atherosclerosis, while raising HDL cholesterol. They also found that a dose of 3, 600 FU per day had no effect on the mentioned parameters. You didn't say what dose of nattokinase you used and for how long you used it. The majority of nattokinase supplements are only 2000 FU per capsule while some are only 1000 FU per capsule and the study dose would require more than 5 of these 2000 FU capsules per day to reach 10, 800 or more than 10 of the 1000 FU capsules per day to reach the study dose.

They also found that a low dose of vitamin K2M7 at only 180 mcg per day was additive to the high dose nattokinase in terms of improving the mentioned parameters.

My personal experience showed that nattokinase and vitamin K2M7 very significantly lowered my cholesterol numbers and triglycerides into the normal range.

Art

Replied By Archie (California) on 03/10/2024

I had a higher Blood pressure than you have probably ever heard of. I started doing a lot of things to reduce it so all I take now is a low dose of bp med. Not sure what lowered it so much but here is a list of what I did. Quit drinking alcohol, started walking about 2 miles a day Started fasting once a week, Started eating approximatly 2 grams of cayanne pre day, Started lifting weights high reps. I also take Nattokinase, Serrapeptase, K2, D3. My high blood pressure was so high it scared me into doing all of the above. The reading that scared me was taken in the morning after a hot shower when it should be the lowest. My bp machine wouldn't ever register the first several times. so I relaxed for 5 minutes. When it finally registered, it was 245/190. Now it is around 130/70.

Replied By James Janda (AZ) on 05/24/2025

I seem to get side effects from nattokinase... though I may try it again at low doses to see what's what...

I have been taking lumbrokinase for a long time, it solved a bad DVT I had in 2 months... I am wondering if lumbrokinase would have the same or better effect on cholesterol as it is 30X stronger in fibrolynic activity...??

Replied By James J. (AZ) on 05/24/2025

I seem to get side effects from nattokinase... though I may try it again at low doses to see what's what...

I have been taking lumbrokinase for a long time, it solved a bad DVT I had in 2 months... I am wondering if lumbrokinase would have the same or better effect on cholesterol as it is 30X stronger in fibrolynic activity...??

Replied By Art (California) on 05/04/2024

Hi Bronna,

I have heard of DaVinci Nattokinase, but have not used it. The main point of the article was that 10, 800 FU was an effective dose of nattokinase for atherosclerosis. The DaVinci product requires two capsules per serving, but that delivers 20, 000 FU plus Serrapeptase and Rutin also.

I tried to stay close to the study dose and took 10, 000 FU per day. If you are going to try and follow the study dose, one capsule should be sufficient. I have not seen any studies using 20, 000 FU of nattokinase and wonder what they were basing that dose on. For me personally, I would not take that high of a dose since there are no studies to support it and 10, 800 FU of nattokinase has shown itself to be an effective dose for the purpose.

Art

Replied By NevadaSmith (Luzerne county, PA) on 08/29/2024

I've been taking 20,000 FUs of nattokinase once a day for over 4 months. I'm thinking of splitting the dose and taking it twice a day since I read that it's only active in the body for 8 hours.

Replied By Leonard (NC) on 12/29/2024

I take 10,000 fus of Nattokinase twice a day on empty and Turmeric with black pretty and Omega 3 fish oil and all of them have a blood thinner properties and my blood seems to still be to thick, But I am going to keep doing it, Because I know they have stents as I do and take no kinda blood thinners,

Replied By DonnaM (Ottawa Ontario, Canada) on 01/03/2025

Hi Bronna, I just found this review about the Divinci Laboratories Nattokinase product,

https://ca.iherb.com/pr/davinci-laboratories-nattokinase-plus-60-capsules/128090

It seems the label is very misleading. Could you or Art clarify this review? I was about to purchase it, but it seems it may have much less than the standard dose!?

Review: I was looking for a higher dose than the standard 2,000 FU level. So when I came to the DaVinci offering I thought it was 20,000FU in two capsules, thus 10,000FU per capsule. Perfect. There are studies reporting 10,800FU gives much better results than the standard recommended dose. Yes their prices are higher but obviously you are getting a larger dose per capsule. I figured it was more bioavailable due to the NSP-2 brand formulation. After I ordered I wondered why it had a "FU /g "rather than the normal "FU"?? Most sellers of Nattokinase only have "FU" after the potency. I researched on Google and found that very few sellers list it using so many FU per gram. Obviously a marketing tool to give the impression you are getting a higher dose supplement. So in reality each capsule of DaVinci Nattokinase PLUS only has 1,500 FU of Nattokinase. Yes upon reading the small print on the side of the bottle states clearly 2 capsules contain 20,000 fibrin units (FU) per gram. I rarely even read the side of the bottle. The back label has everything I need to know. This must confuse many people as I read many reviews online saying they were happy to find a Nattokinase at a higher dose. When in reality it is a smaller dose. I am sure Davinci Labs makes great quality products but in my opinion they should label using the standard potency units most of the industry uses so as to not confuse buyers. You have wasted my money. I take enough pills already and don't want to take another 7 capsules everyday just to get the Natto I want.

I will buy Swanson Nattozimes.

Replied By Derek (UK) on 02/15/2025

Also drink plenty water.

Replied By michelle (florida) on 02/10/2026

you are correct. same thing happened to me when researching natto. FU/g makes it look at a quick glance like it is a high dose. might want to look at nepranol it has 15,000 fu in one pill. has other things that help natto work.

Replied By Art (California) on 12/30/2024

Hi Leonard,

Low dose(81 mg)aspirin also has blood thinning and antiatherosclerotic activity and may be worth discussing with your doctor as a potential addition to your supplement regimen.

In the original study it definitely showed benefit.

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 01/03/2025

Hi Donna,

I'll let Bronna answer about the Da Vinci product because I am not familiar with it, but I don't like manufacturers who use what I consider deceptive or misleading claims to make their product sound more important than it actually is.

The Swanson product, Nattozimes is not nattokinase, so it may not perform the same as nattokinase which is what was used in the study. Here is a link to the companies description of Nattozimes :

https://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/Food/Detail/6662/223777/Nattozimes#:~:text=Nattozimes® is a proteolytic, cardiovascular support alternative to Nattokinase.

Here is a relevant quote from the link :

' Nattozimes® is a proteolytic system that is designed to provide activity equivalent to that expressed by nattokinase as an alternative for use in dietary supplements, and is a nutritional cardiovascular support alternative to Nattokinase. It has a high potency fibrinolytic activity comparable to Nattokinase, and provides nutritional systemic support for the cardiovascular system. This product works in the digestive system to support protein digestion to systemically support joints, muscles, circulation, heart, and immunity. '

When you look up Nattozimes on PubMed, there are zero studies retrieved, so that only leaves the companies own data to describe the effects of Nattozimes.

I am still taking nattokinase myself and it is still keeping my cholesterol, and triglycerides well into the normal range, but I recently increased my dose to 12, 000 FU/day which requires that I take 6 capsules of which I swallow three at a time because the capsules are small enough for me to do that.

Art

Replied By Al (Wash state) on 03/03/2026

Do you have a brand(s) you prefer. Would you share them?

Replied By Art (California) on 03/10/2025

Hi QED2025,

To the best of my knowledge, the study that I referenced in the original article was the highest dose study that has been done in humans for nattokinase.

Supplement studies tend to not be of the highest quality due financial limitations as well as limited study dollar availability. With the recent plan to cut NIH funding by the current president/administration, that situation is likely to get significantly worse in terms of funding for future studies if the federal court is not able to stop that plan from being implemented.

As far as higher dose nattokinase studies, there only seems to be anecdotal evidence to support such use.

It is worth noting that I was able to outperform the 12 month study results using 10, 000 FU of nattokinase for high cholesterol in less than 6 months as I wrote about here and was confirmed by my lipid panel results :

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/nattokinase-benefits-high-cholesterol-treatment.html

I attribute my better than the study results to the addition of two other cholesterol fighters, grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) and vitamin K2M7 as discussed in the above link. Both of these are purported to also fight atherosclerosis.

I used 10, 000 FU of nattokinase for about a year before my doctor told me that although my total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels are now all in the normal range, there is still room for improvement. So I switched to 12, 000 FU of nattokinase to see if it could further improve my lipid panel. I will be doing my next lipid panel in about three months and will update my results to the original nattokinase articles.

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 04/27/2025

Hi Steve,

I have used at least three brands and all three seemed to work for me. Here are links to 2 of the three brands :

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Naturals-Nattokinase-2000-Capsules/dp/B005H18T3C/ref=sr_1_26?crid=2ZI3LCGZ3LHIE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jyPe7epu5UsKxnyi2ogDYZQRLzIzu7ftmyHs3M0e0atBm7q7fbMj4jqug1G7mVmNYVpHfmg6S8nRx8C2vFa6qnR9wJTmr3ig7novkjMDxSZjBtzKLabqkxSohox3mvOXtAtKvD3m3TxGpeavEvj6j31naX6ZVSvJEnmO587nKkOIGFHIbd8DbyJWncB92ZqkR2cfdzOQ3oJd77UhoZ9iPa9xfQ8NhFoB5p2OEvVtibdhdRkjqC5fqCgjpfkTNrsCDVGoX4H6owg2xe-IE1ppYi4FYaeYhxcCNpMlqa1aZNk.OMf3B4b8fLjfyUHXjZXctOY_VoNnjJtVtBKOQ4syb4w&dib_tag=se&keywords=nattokinase&qid=1745778338&rdc=1&sprefix=nattokinase,aps,203&sr=8-26

https://www.amazon.com/Horbaach-Nattokinase-Cardiovascular-Circulatory-Supplement/dp/B07HZ4NNG1/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2ZI3LCGZ3LHIE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jyPe7epu5UsKxnyi2ogDYZQRLzIzu7ftmyHs3M0e0atBm7q7fbMj4jqug1G7mVmNYVpHfmg6S8nRx8C2vFa6qnR9wJTmr3ig7novkjMDxSZjBtzKLabqkxSohox3mvOXtAtKvD3m3TxGpeavEvj6j31naX6ZVSvJEnmO587nKkOIGFHIbd8DbyJWncB92ZqkR2cfdzOQ3oJd77UhoZ9iPa9xfQ8NhFoB5p2OEvVtibdhdRkjqC5fqCgjpfkTNrsCDVGoX4H6owg2xe-IE1ppYi4FYaeYhxcCNpMlqa1aZNk.OMf3B4b8fLjfyUHXjZXctOY_VoNnjJtVtBKOQ4syb4w&dib_tag=se&keywords=nattokinase&qid=1745778338&sprefix=nattokinase,aps,203&sr=8-7

Art

Replied By LUNA (VA) on 10/09/2025

Hi Art

I started Nattokinase, Arthur Andrew Medical brand, 12,000 FUs/daily about 45 days ago. I was taking Theaflavin and Artichoke extract. I have dropped these last too and will start K2 & GSE as you suggest. Most likely I will wait about 6-7 months to do a blood test. My question is: Do I need to take these 3 supplements at the same time on an empty stomach or can the K2 & GSE be taken later during the day?. I also take Ubiquinol (100 mg) and Omega 3.

Thank you for all the wealth of information you provide.

Luna

Replied By LUNA (VA) on 07/28/2026

Hi Art

I came back to report my results after 10 months of Nattokinase 12,000 FU; Grape seed oil extract 400 mg (I missed the part where you stated 1200 mg); K2 200 mcg; CoQ10 100 mg; Artichoke Extract 600 mg ; & Omega 3 supplement, around 1800 mg depending on brand. I still have a long way to go. My naturopath wants me to add Red Yeast rice and discontinued K2. I am unsure about stopping K2. As for red yeast rice (600 mg) it comes with CoQ10 but it only provides 15 mg of it. I am reluctant about RYR. I might try it but only after I finish the Artichoke Extract bottle or some other supplement. Once more, I want to thank you for all you do for this community. Luna.

Parameter	Jul-25	Jul-26	Percentage Change
Total Cholesterol	352	285	-19%
Triglycerides	122	68	-44%
HDL Cholesterol	70	77	10%
LDL Cholesterol	255	191	-25%
Non-HDL Cholesterol	281	208	-26%

Replied By Art (California) on 05/24/2025

Hi James J.,

If lumbrokinase works for you and nattokinase gives you side effects, it might make more sense to keep using lumbrokinase. If it ain't broke....

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 10/09/2025

You're welcome, LUNA and thank you very much for saying so!

I generally take the nattokinase first thing in the morning about 2 hours before eating and the GSPE and K2M7 I take later in the day after I have eaten. I take the ubiquinol also with the GSPE and K2M7. I don't currently take any omega 3s.

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 03/04/2026

Hi Al,

I mentioned two supplements in replies section to the original post. I am currently testing Doctor's Best, a fairly popular brand. I also used Horbaach brand to good effect. It tested as fairly close to the listed FUs, but slightly shy of the listed amount in one review. Doctor's Best tested as higher than the listed amount in another review.

Art

Replied By Art (California) on 07/29/2026

Hi Luna,

Thank you very much for this update and I am glad to see that your numbers are moving in the right direction! Can you say what brand of Nattokinase you are using?

Before you just cross K2M7 off of your list, it is worth mentioning that in the original study, there was a subgroup who received K2 that got better improved results. Another consideration is that K2M7 has multiple other health benefits worth considering such as :

Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is one of the more interesting vitamins because it doesn't simply help the body absorb calcium—it helps direct calcium to where it belongs (bones and teeth) and away from where it can cause harm (arteries and soft tissues). Although bone and cardiovascular health have the strongest evidence, research has expanded into many other areas.

1. Bone Health (Strongest Evidence)

Vitamin K2 activates two important proteins:

• Osteocalcin – binds calcium into bone
• Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) – prevents calcium deposition in soft tissues

Potential benefits include:

• Increased bone mineral density
• Reduced fracture risk (especially in postmenopausal women)
• Improved bone quality, not just bone density
• Better calcium utilization
• Enhanced effects when combined with vitamin D and magnesium

This is why vitamin D, magnesium, and K2 are often considered complementary.

---

2. Cardiovascular Health (Strong Evidence)

This is one of the most studied areas.

Vitamin K2 activates MGP, which inhibits vascular calcification.

Potential benefits:

• Slower progression of arterial calcification
• Improved arterial flexibility
• Lower arterial stiffness
• Better endothelial function
• Reduced coronary artery calcification
• Lower cardiovascular mortality in observational studies
• Possible reduction in hypertension over time

People with the highest K2 intake generally have lower rates of cardiovascular disease than those consuming very little K2.

---

3. Dental Health

Vitamin K2 activates osteocalcin in teeth as well.

Potential benefits:

• Improved tooth mineralization
• Stronger enamel
• Better jawbone health
• Reduced risk of tooth loss
• Supports healing after dental procedures

---

4. Calcium Balance Throughout the Body

K2 helps determine where calcium is deposited.

It may help reduce calcium accumulation in:

• arteries
• heart valves
• kidneys
• cartilage
• joints
• other soft tissues

---

5. Kidney Health

Evidence is still emerging.

Potential benefits include:

• Reduced vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease
• Reduced calcification associated with dialysis
• Improved activation of MGP in kidney patients
• Possible slowing of calcification progression

Whether K2 slows decline in kidney function itself remains uncertain.

---

6. Diabetes and Metabolic Health

Some studies suggest K2 may:

• Improve insulin sensitivity
• Improve glucose metabolism
• Reduce insulin resistance
• Improve pancreatic beta-cell function
• Lower inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome

The evidence is promising but not definitive.

---

7. Brain Health

Research is growing.

Potential mechanisms include:

• Reduced neuroinflammation
• Better mitochondrial function
• Support for sphingolipid metabolism (important for nerve membranes)
• Reduced oxidative stress
• Possible protection against neuronal injury

Observational studies have linked lower vitamin K status with poorer cognitive performance, but interventional evidence remains limited.

---

8. Parkinson's Disease

Research is early but interesting.

Potential mechanisms:

• Improved mitochondrial function
• Reduced oxidative stress
• Possible reduction in ferroptosis
• Support for neuronal survival
• Reduced inflammatory signaling

Animal and cell studies are encouraging, but human evidence is still limited.

---

9. Alzheimer's Disease

Possible mechanisms include:

• Reduced oxidative stress
• Improved mitochondrial function
• Better neuronal membrane integrity
• Reduced neuroinflammation
• Possible effects on amyloid toxicity

Human clinical evidence remains limited.

---

10. Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Vitamin K2 appears capable of lowering inflammatory signaling.

Potential reductions have been reported in:

• CRP
• IL-6
• TNF-α
• NF-κB activation

These effects are generally modest but may contribute to its broader benefits.

---

11. Mitochondrial Function

One fascinating area of research is K2's role in electron transport.

Some experimental work suggests vitamin K2 may:

• Act as an electron carrier under certain conditions
• Improve mitochondrial efficiency
• Support ATP production
• Reduce oxidative damage

This has generated interest in neurodegenerative diseases.

---

12. Muscle Function

Indirect benefits include:

• Better muscle performance through healthier bones
• Reduced falls in older adults (possibly due to combined effects on bone and muscle)
• Possible improvements in muscle metabolism

Evidence here is moderate.

---

13. Frailty and Healthy Aging

Higher vitamin K status has been associated with:

• Better physical function
• Improved mobility
• Lower frailty scores
• Better grip strength
• Greater independence in older adults

---

14. Immune Function

Vitamin K2 may influence:

• Immune cell signaling
• Inflammatory regulation
• Resolution of inflammation

This remains an active area of research.

---

15. Liver Health

Possible benefits include:

• Reduced liver inflammation
• Better metabolic regulation
• Potential reduction in liver fibrosis (mainly experimental evidence)

---

16. Cancer Research

This area remains investigational.

Studies have explored K2 in relation to:

• Liver cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Leukemia
• Lung cancer

Potential mechanisms include:

• Promotion of apoptosis (programmed cell death)
• Slowing cell proliferation
• Effects on differentiation
• Reduced inflammatory signaling

Some clinical studies, particularly in liver cancer, have suggested benefit, but overall evidence is not strong enough to recommend K2 as a cancer treatment.

---

17. Skin Health

Possible benefits include:

• Reduced calcification of skin tissues
• Improved wound healing
• Support for skin elasticity
• Reduced oxidative stress

Evidence is limited.

---

18. Eye Health

Research suggests possible roles in:

• Retinal health
• Mitochondrial protection
• Reduced oxidative injury

Human evidence is still sparse.

---

19. Lung Health

Possible mechanisms include:

• Prevention of elastic fiber calcification
• Reduced vascular calcification within the lungs
• Anti-inflammatory effects

This remains largely experimental.

---

20. Longevity

Because K2 influences several hallmarks of aging—particularly vascular calcification, bone integrity, inflammation, and mitochondrial function—it is being studied as part of healthy aging strategies. There is no evidence that it directly extends lifespan in humans, but adequate K2 intake may contribute to a healthier lifespan by reducing risks of fractures and cardiovascular disease.

Among vitamins, K2 has one of the strongest mechanistic rationales for supporting bone and cardiovascular health, with additional promising—but generally less conclusive—research in metabolic health, kidney disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. For someone already taking vitamin D and magnesium, adding an appropriate dose of K2 is often considered a logical complement, provided there are no contraindications such as warfarin therapy.

On the other hand Red Yeast Rice (RYR) has the active component monacolin K which is essentially a statin drug and that is why it can lower cholesterol and it can have similar negative effects as statins such as muscle pain, muscle weakness, elevated liver enzymes, headache, digestive upset and lowering CoQ10 levels. Not everyone gets these side effects, but some do. RYR does have other positive health effects besides lowering cholesterol, but not as many as K2M7. The extra CoQ10 is absolutely needed with RYR. If you are 35 or older, Ubiquinol will be the better form of CoQ10 to use because the conversion from CoQ10 into the active form, Ubiquinol starts declining in efficiency starting in your 20's. I'm not saying not to use RYR, but I think you should be aware of exactly what it is before you start it and perhaps your naturopath has already explained this to you.

Your plan sounds reasonable, but you might ask your naturopath specifically why she or he is saying no K2, given its known healthful effects?

Art

Replied By LUNA (VA) on 07/30/2026

Hi Art

Once again thank you so much for the post about K2 - I did not stop it yet. I am taking it with D3 in separate pills. I will ask the ND why stopping it and will bring this list of benefits with me. I am taking Nattovena by Arthur Andrew, 3 pills a day on an empty stomach = 12,000 FU. Forgot to mention that I was also using Lecithin (I read one of your posts about it), Flax Seeds, Pomegranates added to my morning yogurt and beet powder. I was using Lecithin granules but I found them in powder format (Bulk Supplement brand in Amazon). I do prefer the granules. My ND put me on the Whole 30 diet - no sugar, no wheat, no gluten, no milk. It is hard to tell exactly what is working with so many supplements. The plan is to bring the numbers down and then reduce the amount of supplements. As for Omega 3, I was reading that we should not be taking more than 2,000 mg but this is a subject I need to investigate a little bit more. I don't eat enough natural Omega 3, this is why I supplement. I am not completely vegan but I just have seasons when certain foods aren't appealing (IE: poultry, seafood, fish, red meats).

Thank you Art! And thank everybody cooperating and sharing their experiences.

LUNA

Replied By Art (California) on 07/30/2026

You're welcome, Luna!

Please let us know what your naturopath's reason is for dropping K2.

Art