Lumbrokinase is a new product which shows promise in dissolving clots without the risk of hemorrhage. Clinical studies have shown that stroke patients on Lumbrokinase within one month following a stroke showed almost complete recovery. Boluoke, the trade name for Lumbrokinase, is safe, effective and available OTC.
Lumbrokinase also referred to as: earthworm powder, fibrinolytic enzymes, earthworm powder enzymes (EPE), e-PPA, Boluoke. The earthworm whose scientific name is Lumbricus rubellus has been used for centuries in the Far East as a traditional medicine. The earthworm’s ability to break down fibrin was reported by Fredericq and Krukenberg in the 1920’s. Since then, some Japanese scholar like Mihara Hisashi succeeded in extracting fibrin dissolving enzyme from Lumbricus rubellus, and also found that this enzyme consists of six proteolytic enzymes, which are collectively named Lumbrokinase. Lumbrokinase also overcame the adverse effects of bleeding by having a uniquely high affinity for fibrin.
This preparation may have a significant effect in the prevention and treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Boluoke can be applied widely in the treatment of myocardiac infarction, vascular sudden deafness, retinal artery and vein occlusion induced blindness, and pulmonary infarction. It is a good adjunctive treatment for patients who are on or have had EDTA chelation therapy or hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
As Boluoke is easily taken, has few side effects and no hemorrhage risk, it can be used as long-term anticoagulant agent to apply in accessory treatment and complicating disease prevention after some clinical operations, such as catheterization procedures. Since Boluoke has no gastrointestinal reaction, it can be used as a substitute for patients who are unable to tolerate aspirin.
Boluoke is also used in the prevention and treatment of hypercoagulability associated with some chronic diseases, for example: diabetes mellitus, pulmonary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, malignant tumor, systemic lupus erythematosus, polycythemia vera, thrombocythemia, glomerulonephritis, hemolytic anemia, liver disease and preeclampsia. Being an unique oral anticoagulant and thrombolytic drug that possesses urokinase and t-PA activities, Boluoke can be applied in a combined treatment for thrombosis disease with other anticoagulant medicine.
For acute conditions: 2 capsules tid 30 minutes before meals for 3-4 weeks or as advised by your health care professional. For maintenance and prevention: 1 capsule 1-3 times per day 30 minutes before meals.
Since 1990, affiliated Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical College, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital and No.2 Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical College have studied the clinical manifestations and the clotting characteristics of 453 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease by randomized double-blinded method. The results indicated that the total effective rate is 93% and the significant response rate is 73%.
Organized by Chinese Medical Society, a collaborative group of 16 hospitals has performed a phase III clinical trial of Boluoke capsule in treating ischemic cerebrovascular disease from June 1992 to December 1993. Totally, 1560 patients were studied according to “the censorship and approval regulations of new drugs “to further verify the clinical efficacy and investigate the adverse effects. The total effective rate is 88% and the significant response rate is 68 %. These results all showed that Boluoke capsule is a promising new anti-thrombotic drug with no obvious toxic or adverse effects, worthy of extensive application.
Nattokinase
Recently a new enzyme with potent fibrinolytic activity that rivals pharmaceutical agents has been discovered and shows great potential in providing support for hypercoagulative states. This all natural enzyme, Nattokinase, is derived from fermented soy and the bacteria Bacillus natto. Already, backed by research, Nattokinase shows promise in supporting areas such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, angina, venous stasis, thrombosis, emboli, atherosclerosis, fibromyalgia/chronic Fatigue, claudication, retinal pathology, hemorrhoid, varicose veins, soft tissue rheumatisms, muscle spasm, poor healing, chronic inflammation and pain, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, tissue oxygen deprivation, infertility, and other gynecology conditions (e.g. endometriosis, uterine fibroids). Nattokinase is inexpensive and available from Allergy Research Group.
Various products containing nattokinase have different Fibrin Units (FU) of activity per capsule or tablet. The recommended maintenance dose is 1000 F.U. bid and the therapeutic dose is 2000 FU bid.
Serrapeptase
Serrapeptase, also known as Serratia peptidase, is a proteolytic enzyme isolated from the non-pathogenic enterobacteria Serratia E15. When consumed in unprotected tablets or capsules, the enzyme is destroyed by acid in the stomach. However, enterically-coated tablets enable the enzyme to pass through the stomach unchanged, and be absorbed in the intestine.
Clinical studies show that serrapeptase induces fibrinolytic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edemic (prevents swelling and fluid retention) activity in a number of tissues, and that its anti-inflammatory effects are superior to other proteolytic enzymes.
Besides reducing inflammation, one of serrapeptase’s most profound benefits is reduction of pain, due to its ability to block the release of pain-inducing amines from inflamed tissues. Physicians throughout Europe and Asia have recognized the anti-inflammatory and pain-blocking benefits of this naturally occurring substance and are using it in treatment as an alternative to salicylates, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs.
The total dose of serrapeptase per day is between 10 and 30mg on an empty stomach, preferably in three divided doses. The cost should not be prohibitive, as might be expected from looking at some of the newer products on the market.
Fibrinolytic Enzymes can help with the following
Phlebitis / Thrombophlebitis
As an example of the abiltiy of fibrinolytic enzymes to help prevent problems with veins, consider the following study.
Treatment with pinokinase (Flite Tabs; 300mg 2 hours before flights and 300mg 6 hours later) plus an in-flight exercise and hydration program, prevented deep vein thombosis (DVT), superficial thrombosis (ST) and post-flight edema, but had no effect on in-flight edema, in a study of 204 adults at risk for developing venous thromboses who flew on 7 to 8 hour flights.
Pinokinase is a proprietary blend of Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract) and nattokinase (an enzyme extracted from the food product, natto, made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus natto). [Angiology 2003;54:T1-9]
Atherosclerosis
Excessive plaque results in partial or complete blockage of the blood’s flow through an artery, resulting in arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and an ensuing stroke or heart attack. The evidence to support serrapeptase’s role in preventing plaque build-up is anecdotal, but Hans Nieper’s research has indicated that the protein-dissolving action of serrapeptase will gradually break down atherosclerotic plaques.
Sinusitis
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, serrapeptase has been shown in clinical studies to benefit chronic sinusitis sufferers. In this condition, the mucus in patients’ nasal cavities is thickened and hypersecreted. This thickening causes mucus to be expelled less frequently.
Japanese researchers have evaluated the effects of serratiopeptidase (30 mg/day orally for four weeks) on the elasticity and viscosity of the nasal mucus in adult patients with chronic sinusitis. Serratiopeptidase reduced the viscosity of the mucus, improving the elimination of bronchopulmonary secretions. [Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 1988;244(6): pp.355-9]
Other clinical trials support serrapeptase’s ability to relieve the problems associated with chronic sinusitis. In one study, 140 patients with acute or chronic ear, nose and throat pathologies were evaluated with either a placebo or the active serratia peptidase. Patients taking the serrapeptase experienced a significant reduction in severity of pain, amount of secretion, purulence of secretions, difficulty in swallowing, nasal dysphonia, nasal obstruction, anosmia, and body temperature after three to four days and at the end of treatment. Patients suffering from laryngitis, catarrhal rhinopharyngitis and sinusitis who were treated with serrapeptase experienced a significant and rapid improvement of symptoms after 3-4 days. Physicians assessed efficacy of treatment as excellent or good for 97% of patients treated with serrapeptase compared with only 22% of those treated with a placebo.
Laryngitis
See the link between Sinusitis and Fibrinolytic Enzymes.
Chronic Inflammation
In Germany and other European countries, serrapeptase is a common treatment for inflammatory and traumatic swellings, and much of the research that exists on this substance is of European origin. One double-blind study was conducted to determine the effect of serrapeptase on post-operative swelling and pain. The patients receiving serrapeptase had reduced swelling and became more rapidly pain-free than the controls. By the tenth postoperative day the pain had disappeared completely in the treated group. [Fortschr Med. 1989;107(4): pp.67-8, 71-2]
Nephrotic Syndrome (NS)
Nattokinase is a naturally occurring agent with a good track record which can thin the blood if excess clotting is an issue for a particular NS patient.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Some fibrinolytic enzyme products contain other enzymes as well, giving them anti-inflammatory, fibrinolytic, immune modulating and blood cleansing effects. Vitalzym is one such product.
Fibrocystic Breasts
Serrapeptase has been used in the successful treatment of fibrocystic breasts. In a double-blind study, 70 patients complaining of breast engorgement randomly were divided into a treatment group and a placebo group. Serrapeptase was superior to the placebo for improvement of breast pain, breast swelling and induration (firmness). 85.7% of the patients receiving serrapeptase reported moderate to marked improvement. No adverse reactions to serrapeptase were reported and the researchers concluded that “serrapeptase is a safe and effective method for the treatment of breast engorgement.” [Singapore Med J. 1989;30(1): pp.48-54]
Key
| May do some good |
| Likely to help |
| Highly recommended |
Glossary
Hemorrhage
Profuse blood flow.
Stroke
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel that supplies the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, complete or partial loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain. The most common manifestation is some degree of paralysis, but small strokes may occur without symptoms. Usually caused by arteriosclerosis, it often results in brain damage.
Over-The-Counter
A drug or medication that can legally be bought without a doctor's prescription being required.
Fibrinolytic
Fibrinolytic activity: Clot removal.
Enzymes
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Proteolytic
Commonly: Proteolytic (protein-digesting) Enzymes. Enzymes that are able to break down certain proteins, yet do not attack the beneficial proteins that make up the normal cells of the body. These proteolytic enzymes are said to have great value in fighting cancer as well as many other diseases. If the body were always capable of producing adequate proteolytic enzymes, it is possible that cancer would not develop. In theory, cancer cells have a type of protein coating that is destroyed by these proteolytic enzymes. When this protein is destroyed, the body's white cells are able to attack the cancer cells and destroy them.
Ischemia
Localized tissue anemia due to obstruction of the inflow of arterial blood.
Retina
A 10-layered, frail nervous tissue membrane of the eye, parallel with the optic nerve. It receives images of outer objects and carries sight signals through the optic nerve to the brain.
Pulmonary
Pertaining to the lungs.
EDTA
(Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid): An organic molecule used in chelation therapy.
Chelation
Chelation therapy uses EDTA or other supplements that carry heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic, as well as other foreign substances, from the body. In the process of chelation, a larger protein molecule surrounds or encloses a mineral atom. The purpose of chelation is to increase the flow of blood to the vital organs and tissues of the body by reducing calcium deposits in the arteries and blood vessels.
Anticoagulant
A substance that prevents or delays blood clots (coagulation).
Gastrointestinal
Pertaining to the stomach, small and large intestines, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.
Chronic
Usually Chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Diabetes Mellitus
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Malignant
Dangerous. mainly used to describe a cancerous growth -- when used this way, it means the growth is cancerous and predisposed to spreading.
Glomerulonephritis
Inflammation of glomerulus. The glomerulus is part of a nephron, which in turn is the basic functional (working) unit of a kidney. Millions of nephrons acting together filter the blood to produce urine.
Hemolytic Anemia
Anemia caused by excessive destruction of red blood cells.
Preeclampsia
A toxic condition developing in the last 4 or 5 months of pregnancy that is characterized by a sudden rise in blood pressure, excessive weight gain, generalized edema (especially hands, ankles, feet and face), albuminuria, severe headache, and visual disturbances. It used to be called toxemia of pregnancy. Some rise in blood pressure is normal during pregnancy, but in preeclampsia the rise is dramatic and is accompanied by other changes. The most notable of these are high concentrations of protein in the urine and a tendency to swell up, especially in the face and hands. This can cause women with preeclampsia to put on several pounds in a few days.
Thrombosis
Formation of blood clots causing vascular obstruction.
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
TID
Three times a day.
Bacteria
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Cardiovascular
Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels.
Angina
Angina pectoris. Severe, restricting chest pain with sensations of suffocation caused by temporary reduction of oxygen to the heart muscle through narrowed diseased coronary arteries.
Atherosclerosis
Common form of arteriosclerosis associated with the formation of atheromas which are deposits of yellow plaques containing cholesterol, lipids, and lipophages within the intima and inner media of arteries. This results in a narrowing of the arteries, which reduces the blood and oxygen flow to the heart and brain as well as to other parts of the body and can lead to a heart attack, stroke, or loss of function or gangrene of other tissues.
Fibromyalgia
(FMS): Originally named fibrositis, it is a mysteriously debilitating syndrome that attacks women more often than men. It is not physically damaging to the body in any way, but is characterized by the constant presence of widespread pain that often moves about the body. Fibromyalgia can be so severe that it is often incapacitating.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is a disorder of unknown cause that lasts for prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), "Yuppy Flu" and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems.
Claudication
Often Intermittent claudication: Condition caused by interruptions of blood supply to the muscles, characterized by limping and pain chiefly in the calf muscles: symptom characterized by pain during walking.
Varicose Veins
Twisted, widened veins with incompetent valves.
Spasm
Involuntary contraction of one or more muscle groups.
Hypertension
High blood pressure. Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure because it adds to the workload of the heart, causing it to enlarge and, over time, to weaken; in addition, it may damage the walls of the arteries.
Endometriosis
A condition whereby endometrial tissue builds up in parts of the uterus where it does not belong or areas outside of the uterus, forming 'ectopic implants'. Unlike the normal tissue lining the uterus, ectopic tissue has no place to shed in response to a decline in estrogen and progesterone. This results in debris and blood accumulating at the site of the implant leading to inflammation, scarring and adhesions that ultimately cause symptoms and complications. Symptoms typically occur in a cyclic fashion with menstrual periods, the most common being pelvic pain and cramping before and during periods; pain during intercourse; inability to conceive; fatigue; painful urination during periods; gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and nausea.
Uterine Fibroids
Fibroids are the most frequently seen tumors of the female reproductive system. Also known as uterine myomas, leiomyomas, or fibromas, they are firm, compact tumors that are made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that develop in the uterus. In more than 99% of cases they are benign (non-cancerous). They may range in size from the size of a pea to the size of a softball or small grapefruit. Some women never have symptoms, the most common of which are: heavy or prolonged menstrual periods; abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods; pelvic pain; frequent urination; low back pain; pain during intercourse; a firm mass, often located near the middle of the pelvis, which can be felt by a physician.
Allergy
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
BID
Twice per day.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Anti-inflammatory
Reducing inflammation by acting on body mechanisms, without directly acting on the cause of inflammation, e.g., glucocorticoids, aspirin.
NSAID
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Milligram
(mg): 1/1,000 of a gram by weight.