Nattokinase

Cabral references newly released in-vitro research showing nattokinase degraded 84% of amyloid-based clots within 2 hours. He is explicit that this is in-vitro only and that human studies still need to be done. No study citation, journal, or authors are provided.

Asked directly to compare the three, Cabral says lumbrokinase "has more of an anti-fibrinogen or fibrinolytic effect and is more powerful," and is "stronger if you are looking specifically for cardiovascular fibrin," but he prefers nattokinase and serrapeptase because "I like the studies on nattokinase, I like the studies on serrapeptase, they're more well-rounded, where lumbrokinase is more specific to the fibrinogen." In the same answer he places serrapeptase with solid tumors, scar tissue and cysts, and nattokinase with fibrin buildup and hardened arteries, and notes his formula also contains vitamin K2 to move calcium from arteries to bones.

Across every video Cabral names one primary risk: both enzymes act as natural blood thinners, so "if you're on an anticoagulant or blood thinner, please check with your doctor first before using them." In the serrapeptase deep dive he states "the biggest side effect, and we do watch for this, is anybody on blood thinners or worried about blood thinning effects has to be careful with this," adding "there's always side effects to even natural things as well" and advising a doctor conversation especially before using a higher dose. He otherwise claims "almost no downside" and "no issues with side effects" in his clients, and he does not discuss surgery, procedures, or bleeding-disorder precautions anywhere in these transcripts.

Cabral names timing as the third big reason people fail to get results: taking proteolytic enzymes with or after a meal makes them work on food rather than systemically. His instruction is to take them first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes (elsewhere 30 to 60 minutes) before the first meal, optionally split as a second dose before bed. He explains the same enzyme taken away from food "will move into the bloodstream," whereas with food it stays in the gut.

Cabral argues plaque is not caused by cholesterol: "cholesterol goes to the site of the injury" to patch endothelial tissue damaged by microplastics, toxins, or inflammation from seed oils, so "it's what's beneath that, that's the inflammation." His resulting protocol logic is to use serrapeptase to reduce the inflammatory cause while nattokinase dissolves the existing plaque, over a 6-month to 1-year horizon, after which he suggests re-checking arterial plaque. No citations are given for this mechanistic model.

In a direct comparison Cabral scores the two enzymes category by category: for blood clots "they both work, but nattokinase is better"; for blood pressure "nattokinase wins because it's reducing more fibrin"; for overall inflammation "that's an easy one, that's serrapeptase"; and for arterial plaque "hands down, you have to use both." His stated conclusion is that the choice is a false one, calling them "cousins or brothers" that "should work together," and saying he has used them together in practice for over 20 years. This framing is also the rationale for the combination product he sells.

Cabral calls nattokinase "the blood cleaner" and describes its mechanism as eating up fibrin in the blood and arteries, where fibrin buildup both creates plaque and forms blood clots. He states nattokinase "can remove, destroy, disintegrate blood clots as well," and that it works on its own once taken daily to "actually dissolve the plaque in the arteries." No specific study is cited for the clot-dissolution claim; he says only that "all of these things are already published in the scientific literature."

Taken fasted first thing in the morning, the proteolytic enzymes pass into the small and large intestine and break down biofilms that shelter parasites, overgrown bacteria and yeast. Cabral adds that biofilms have been shown to sequester heavy metals, so disrupting them aids elimination. He recommends pairing with an overnight intermittent fast. Described as 'interesting newer research' without citations.

Cabral proposes that by clearing vessels, nattokinase improves oxygen transport throughout the body, which he links to longer healthspan plus less brain fog, less fatigue, better mood and overall vitality. This is presented as his belief with a general claim that 'the research backs it up' — no specific studies, mechanisms beyond fibrinolysis, or quantitative data are provided.

Cabral claims research supports nattokinase — especially combined with serrapeptase on an empty stomach — for opening airways by decreasing inflammation, clearing old necrotic tissue, and removing fibrin blocking nasal and respiratory passages. He connects this to poor sleep and CPAP dependence from inflamed airways. No specific studies are cited.

Nattokinase circulates in the bloodstream and enzymatically dissolves fibrin, the protein mesh that forms clots and contributes to arterial blockage. Its potency is literally measured in 'fibrinolytic units' — units of fibrin-degrading capacity. Cabral frames daily use as a preventive safety measure against clot-driven sudden cardiac death, noting ~50% of people who have a heart attack do not survive it.

Cabral sells the product he recommends: "Proteolytic Enzymes by Equi.life," containing nattokinase, serrapeptase, proteases and rutin, directed to cabral.com/enzymes or stephencabral.com/proteolytic in every video reviewed. He tells listeners the dosing thresholds he gives (10,000 FU nattokinase, 15,000+ SPU serrapeptase) are exactly what is on his own label and to "compare it to the one that you're using." He repeatedly adds that buyers may use any brand they trust, but he also reports that after airing the nattokinase study his stock of roughly 500 bottles "were gone the same exact day," which makes the commercial incentive behind the study promotion explicit.

Cabral's stated label targets are 10,000 fibrin units (FU) of nattokinase and a minimum of 15,000 serrapeptase units (SPU), suggesting 15,000 to 20,000 SPU as a starting range and saying that for serrapeptase "honestly, sky's the limit." He warns the most common failure is underdosing, since "most nattokinase supplements are only 4,000 to 5,000" units, which he says is not enough to be effective. He also wants a protease and rutin in the same formula.

Answering a listener asking about serrapeptase for high blood pressure, Cabral says he uses the combined serrapeptase plus nattokinase formula "for any vascular based issues" because "people don't know which one they have, that's why we combine both." He suggests 16 weeks at two capsules on waking and two before bed can be very helpful, while emphasizing hypertension has underlying root causes including excess fibrinogen and arterial hardening, and that cortisol, heavy metals, magnesium-to-calcium and sodium-to-potassium balance should be tested. No study is cited for the blood pressure effect.

Cabral recommends that anyone over 45 or 50 use proteolytic enzymes daily, two capsules on waking, for at least 12 months, then optionally drop to one each morning. He frames this as what he recommends "to my personal clients, my family as well," and says he takes it himself each morning now that he is in his later 40s because heart disease is the number one killer in men. For serrapeptase used for other conditions he gives a shorter minimum of three to four months, continuing to six months or so.

Cabral reports that in his Boston office he ran live and dried blood microscopy on clients for about eight years at 10,000x to 100,000x magnification, and could see fibrin/fibrinogen accumulating in the blood, which he says "looks like hair, literally hair in the blood." Clients showing this pattern were all put on nattokinase, and he says he could re-examine their blood 6 to 8 weeks later and show them a reduction in fibrin. This is an uncontrolled clinical observation with no published data offered; live blood analysis itself is not a validated diagnostic.

Cabral states that 'unless you're on blood thinners, there's almost no downside' to nattokinase and serrapeptase. This is the single contraindication he names. Because nattokinase is fibrinolytic (clot-dissolving), combining it with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication carries additive bleeding risk. Anyone on such medication, or facing surgery, should consult a physician before use.

Cabral's practice uses a combined proteolytic enzyme formula rather than isolated nattokinase: 10,000 units nattokinase + 18,000+ units serrapeptase + proteases + rutin. He argues these work better together — nattokinase and rutin for arterial anti-inflammatory effect and fibrin removal, serrapeptase for joints, inflammation and recovery. Note: he sells this product (Equal Life brand, stephencabral.com/enzymes), a commercial conflict of interest.

Cabral identifies 10,000 units of nattokinase as the clinical dosage. His personal protocol is two capsules taken with water 30 minutes before breakfast, on an empty stomach, so the enzymes clear the stomach and are absorbed systemically before food. Empty-stomach timing is emphasized as essential — with food, the enzymes act on digestion rather than being absorbed systemically.

Dr. Stephen Cabral cites clinical studies showing nattokinase reduced atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries by 36.6% over 6-12 months, compared with 11.5% reduction from statins. He presents this as the strongest clinical case for daily use. No specific study, journal, author, or sample size is named in this video.

Cabral states nattokinase "helped to lower triglycerides just as well as statins" and lowered oxidized LDL, while unlike simvastatin it "actually helped to elevate HDL levels," which he calls the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory cholesterol that removes oxidized cholesterol. He adds his own blood-work target of keeping triglycerides between 50 and 75, which is his practice preference and not attributed to the study. In the comparison video he softens the HDL claim to "it might even improve HDL."

Cabral repeatedly cites a head-to-head result of roughly 36.6% reduction in arterial plaque/atherosclerosis on nattokinase versus about 11.5% on statins, framing this as "300% better" or "three times more effective." In the statins video he describes it as a randomized controlled, double-blind study of "1,68" (likely 1,068) people over 26 weeks where "the patient didn't know what they were getting, the doctor didn't know." This conflicts with his own description elsewhere of the same finding as a 12-month prospective trial in 1,062 participants, and no journal, author or year is ever given in either telling.

Cabral names the study behind his plaque claim as "Effective management of atherosclerosis progress in hyperlipidemia with nattokinase, a clinical study with 1,062 participants" (he reads the number as "1,62"), describing it as a 12-month prospective clinical trial of nattokinase at 10,000 FU/day against a control arm of simvastatin 20 mg/day. Reported results: "up to 36% regression in carotid plaque area and 21% reduction in carotid intima-media thickness," plus reductions in total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides and a "modest rise in HDL." He states it was "well tolerated, no serious adverse events reported" and that nattokinase "showed comparable lipid lowering effects to simvastatin and superior plaque regression." He gives no journal, author or publication year, saying only "I will link up the PubMed study."