Serrazyme: How The Silkworm Could Hold The Key To Treating Conditions As Diverse As Bronchitis And Atherosclerosis

For centuries silk has represented wealth, luxury and beauty. What is less well-known is the link between silk and our health, courtesy of the silk worm. Scientists have isolated a powerful enzyme, called serrapeptase, from this industrious little creature which is proving revolutionary in treating a wide range of conditions - from atherosclerosis (thickening of the arteries), rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, to benign breast disease, psoriasis and bronchitis.

Serrapeptase, is also an effective and gentle painkiller, offering a natural and safe alternative to NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as ibuprofen and aspirin, which are frequently used to manage various inflammatory diseases. While they may offer temporary, symptomatic relief from pain, swelling and inflammation, NSAIDs can have dangerous side-effects - causing serious gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastric ulcers.

Now, the silkworm enzyme has been developed into an exciting new product called SerraZyme, using a complex fermentation process. And it is being routinely used as a treatment in Asia and in some European countries as an anti-inflammatory, particularly in managing chronic sinusitis and respiratory conditions. It has also proved invaluable in speeding up the healing process for sprained muscles, torn ligaments, and other traumatic injuries, oedema (swelling), as well as post-operative inflammation!

How the silkworm's extraordinary life cycle prompted research that led to SerraZyme
The short but productive life cycle of the silkworm is fascinating - after hatching, the worm grows quickly to 10,000 times its original size, after 26 days on a diet rich in mulberry leaves. It is at this stage that the silkworm produces its valuable silken threads to make its cocoon, where its incredible 21-day metamorphosis into a moth takes place.

Serrapeptase is an enzyme naturally present in the silkworm's intestine. It is a vital biochemical in the life cycle of the worm because it allows the young moth to dissolve and escape its silky cocoon.

Once scientists realised that a single enzyme was responsible for the breakdown of the protein fibres that make up the tough, protective silkworm cocoon, they recognised the potential for using it to dissolve certain protein tissues which have been linked to various diseases and inflammatory conditions.

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme - it breaks down protein. This means it is able to act on pathogenic (disease causing) tissue, such as blood clots, cysts, arterial plaque and the substances produced naturally by the body as part of its inflammatory response. Formulated for commercial use as SerraZyme, numerous studies are now revealing its benefits for treating a host of medical conditions.

Pain and swelling following surgery reduced by half with serrapeptase!
In a double-blind study conducted at the German state hospital in Ulm, researchers investigated serrapeptase's effect on post-operative swelling and pain. Three randomised groups of 66 patients were selected, each suffering from a fresh rupture of the lateral ligament of the ankle, which had already been treated surgically prior to the study.

The group receiving serrapeptase experienced a 50 per cent decrease in swelling in just three days following surgery. This reduction in swelling was also accompanied by a rapid reduction in pain. In contrast, the two control groups who were given conventional treatment for swelling - elevation of the leg, bed rest, and applications of ice - experienced no reduction in their swelling during this time.1

In another double-blind study, 70 patients suffering from cystic breast disease, were randomly divided into groups and given either serrapeptase or a placebo. 85.7 per cent of those taking serrapeptase reported a marked improvement in breast pain and swelling with no adverse reactions.2

...And Serrapeptase's extraordinary healing abilities don't end here
A third double-blind study, involved 193 participants with various acute ear, nose and throat conditions. Within just four days of treatment, those taking two 5mg tablets of serrapeptase experienced significant improvements in their symptoms (especially those patients suffering from laryngitis, catarrhal rhinopharyngitis and sinusitis), whereas those taking a placebo witnessed no such regression in their symptoms. The doctors assessing the efficacy of treatment noted that it was 'excellent' or 'good' for 97.3 per cent of patients treated with serrapeptase, compared with only 21.9 per cent of those treated with a placebo.3

In a similar study, this time involving patients with chronic bronchitis, those treated with serrapeptase showed excellent results compared to those taking a placebo. Improvements were observed in loosening sputum, frequency of cough and expectoration.4

Researchers in Germany have also used serrapeptase to successfully treat atherosclerosis, and have found that the enzyme digests atherosclerotic plaque without harming healthy cells lining the arterial wall. The renowned late German physician, Dr Hans Nieper, used serrapeptase to treat arterial blockage in his coronary patients. He found that in addition to dissolving blood clots, it causes varicose veins to shrink or diminish.

1. Esch PM, Gerngross H, Fabian A, Fortachr Med,107(4):67.8,71-2 1989 Feb 10)
2. (Kee WH, Tan SL; Lee V, Salmon YM .Singapore Med J, 30(I) :48-54 1989 Feb)
3. M, izukoshi, D. et al. Igaku Ayrni 109:50-62.1979
4. Mazzione, A. et al. Med Res. 18 (5):379-388, 1990