Atherosclerosis: The amazing enzyme that helps protect your arteries

What does a silkworm have to do with a patient diagnosed with atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis - narrowing of the arteries - occurs when calcium, cellular waste products, cholesterol and other substances respond to inflammation by building up to form plaque on the inner lining of blood vessels.

So where does the silkworm come in?

Ill answer that with a question posed by an HSI member named William: What is your opinion of the enzyme SerraZyme?

Actually, SerraZyme is a product that contains serrapeptase; an enzyme produced in the body of silkworms. Without serrapeptase (which dissolves non-living tissue) the silkworm wouldnt be able to break down its cocoon and emerge as a moth. But serrapeptase has another appealing quality: Its an effective anti-inflammatory.

So combine inflammation reduction with the ability to dissolve non-living tissue (such as arterial plaque) and you have a potent natural agent that may help prevent and treat atherosclerosis as well as other conditions associated with inflammation.

Surgery cancelled

The late Dr Hans Nieper, was a prominent alternative medicine internist in Hannover, Germany, and a leader in researching serrapeptase as a treatment for arterial plaque.

Some years ago, Dr. Nieper began using ultrasound to examine the arteries of his patients who took serrapeptase to reduce plaque. He found that over 12 to 18 months of serrapeptase treatment (combined with magnesium oratate, bromelain, L-carnitine, vitamin B1, and selenium) blockages in hardened arteries were often significantly reduced.

Dr. Niepers files include many cases of patients with restored circulation and mobility: One woman avoided hand amputation, while two elderly men who had been scheduled for heart bypass surgery improved so dramatically that they were able to cancel their surgeries. More than 50 other patients reported positive results while taking the serrapeptase formula over a two-year period.

Turning down the heat

In Europe and Japan, clinical studies have shown that serrapeptase prompts anti-inflammatory activity, anti-oedemic activity (the lessening of fluid retention), and fibrinolytic activity (the dissolution of protein build-ups).

In a trial involving 174 patients, Japanese researchers tested serrapeptases ability to ease post-operative swelling. One day prior to surgery, 88 of the patients received three oral doses of 10 milligrams of serrapeptase. The evening following surgery, they received one dose. Over the next five days, they received three doses per day. The other 86 patients received placebos.

The researchers reported that the degree of swelling in the serrapeptase-treated patients was significantly less than the placebo-treated patients at every point of observation after operation up to the 5th day. None of the patients reported any adverse side effects.

Another study involved 66 patients undergoing surgery for torn ankle ligaments. Patients treated with serrapeptase experienced a 50 percent decrease in swelling just three days after surgery. The remaining patients (treated with bed rest, leg elevation, and application of ice in some cases) had no reduction in swelling over the same period.

One note of caution: You should be very careful using serrapeptase or any other anti-inflammatory after surgery until youre no longer at risk for post-operative bleeding. Anti-inflammatories can increase the risk of bleeding, so its best to avoid using them until your physician gives you the OK.

 
Hands and legs 

Researchers have also tested serrapeptases ability to ease inflammation disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and fluid retention conditions such as varicose veins.

At the SMS Medical College in Jaipur, India, researchers tested serrapeptase on 20 patients with carpal tunnel. Subjects were instructed to take 10 mg of serrapeptase twice a day for six weeks, then return for reassessment. Sixty-five percent of the patients showed significant improvements. No adverse side effects were reported.

Researchers in Federico, Italy tested serrapeptase on 20 patients with varicose veins. The patients took 10 mg of serrapeptase three times a day for 14 days. The supplement generated good to excellent improvement also in more than 60 percent of the subjects. It reduced pain in 63 percent of cases, fluid build-up in 56 percent, abnormal skin redness in 58 percent, and night time cramps in 53 percent.

Very few subjects in clinical trials have reported adverse side effects from serrapeptase. In the varicose vein study, one patient experienced diarrhoea, which was alleviated by temporarily decreasing the daily dosage. In other trials there have been at least two reported cases of pneumonia thought to be associated with serrapeptase intake.

Serrapeptase can be found through many Internet sources and at some health food stores. But because this natural enzyme may impact anticoagulant therapy and other medications, you should consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional before taking serrapeptase.