Could the lowly silkworm hold one of the keys to protecting you from heart disease?
According to a growing body of research, the answer is a resounding yes.
That's because silkworms produce a substance inside their intestines called serrapeptase, which is derived from healthy bacteria within the silkworm's intestines known as Serratia E15. Serratia E15 is the substance that is responsible for the transformation of the lowly silkworm into a moth. As you probably know, moths, like butterflies, emerge from cocoons. If the cocoon does not dissolve when it is time for moths and butterflies to emerge, this miraculous transformation cannot occur. In the case of the silkworm, Serratia E15 is the necessary ingredient that enables the moth to emerge. It does this by literally eating away the cocoon once it is time for the moth to emerge.
Serrapeptase acts in a similar way in the human body. And because it does so, according to more than 40 scientific studies, it holds great promise for a wide range of health conditions, including heart disease.
To fully understand Serrapeptase's health properties, you first need to know that it belongs to a special class of healing agents known as enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that are responsible for literally thousands of processes in your body. In fact, without enzymes not a single one of the multitudes of chemical actions and reactions that take place in your body on a daily basis could occur.
The vast majority of enzymes in your body are classified as proteolytic enzymes. Proteolytic enzymes govern all of your body's metabolic functions and regulate the functioning of your' body's various other proteins. Your body manufactures its own supply of proteolytic enzymes. Unfortunately, today many people are deficient in this special class of enzymes because of poor diet and unhealthy eating habits. One of the primary reasons for this deficiency is the so-called standard American diet, which contains large amounts of cooked and processed foods.
Your body is unable to properly digest and assimilate such foods without assistance from proteolytic enzymes. But as it calls upon its stores of these enzymes, it diminishes the amount of these enzymes that are available to oversee the many metabolic functions for which proteolytic enzymes are responsible. This, in turn, can over time result in numerous unhealthy consequences in your body. These include:
Clearly, an adequate supply of proteolytic enzymes is essential for maintaining good health.
What is also becoming clear to physicians and health researchers is that daily supplementation with serrapeptase acts as a potent form of self-care "health insurance" because of how this remarkable enzyme provides the same health benefits as those supplied by your body's own supply of proteolytic enzymes. For this reason, for the past 25 years nutritionally-oriented physicians throughout Europe and Asia have been recommending serrapeptase supplements to many of their patients, both to prevent illness and to help to reverse disease that is already present.
How Serrapeptase Works
As mentioned above, Serratia E15 is a harmless type of bacteria from which serrapeptase is derived, and is what makes it possible for silkworms to turn into moths. Research shows that Serratia E15 has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It also has an affinity for non-living tissues (known as avital tissue) inside the silkworm's intestines. Whenever it comes into contact with such tissues, it secretes enzymes to dissolve and destroy them, helping to keep the silkworm healthy. Despite the enzymes' strong dissolving properties, additional research has found that healthy living tissues inside the silkworm are not harmed when the enzymes are secreted.
When researchers discovered the role that Serratia E15 plays both within the silkworm's intestines and in dissolving the chrysalis, they began to study whether or not Serratia E15 might act as a health agent in humans. In order to begin their research, they first had to synthesize the active ingredients in the Serratia E15 enzymes. In doing so, they developed serrapeptase through a process of fermentation. Further clinical studies then revealed that serrapeptase not only acted in the same way that Serratia E15 enzymes do, but that the anti-inflammatory benefits that serrapeptase can provide to humans is superior to those provided by other proteolytic enzymes.
Serrapeptase is able to provide these benefits due to its ability to dissolve and digest non-living tissue in the body while simultaneously reversing all forms of chronic inflammation. This discovery resulted in serrapeptase becoming one of the most commonly prescribed natural healing agents for preventing and reversing inflammation in numerous Asian and European countries. In the United States, however, few people are aware of the many health benefits serrapeptase can provide.
The Dangers of Chronic Inflammation
After years of research, most physicians today realize protecting against chronic inflammation is vitally important to ensure good health. While inflammation is a natural healing mechanism that your body uses to heal wounds and to protect itself against invading, unhealthy microorganisms, when inflammation becomes chronic, it can set the stage for a wide variety of health problems to occur.
Left unchecked, chronic inflammation can cause damage to the bones, joints, cartilage and connective tissue of the body. The range of diseases linked to chronic inflammation runs the gamut from allergies, arthritis, and certain respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and sinusitis, to skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, to digestive disorders such as colitis and gastritis, and even heart disease, certain types of cancer, and multiple sclerosis.
In addition, chronic inflammation can cause poor circulation of the blood due to what as known as "sticky blood." This is a condition in which blood becomes thicker than normal and blood cells known as platelets clump together. When blood becomes thick and "sticky," the supply of oxygen and essential nutrients needed by your body's cells, tissues, and organs is diminished. This can lead to ongoing fatigue and cellular dysfunctions. Moreover, as platelets start to clump together, they have the potential to form clots, which can cause heart attacks and stroke. Therefore, preventing and reversing unhealthy inflammation is obviously of great importance to health. That's where serrapeptase comes in.
Serrapeptase to the Rescue
Research shows that serrapeptase works to reverse chronic inflammation in three ways. First, it reduces inflammation by thinning the fluids in the body that accumulate around injured tissues in the body. These fluids are one of the reasons that pain and swelling occurs. By thinning these fluids, serrapeptase makes it easier for the body to drain them away. This, in turn, speeds the process of tissue repair.
Serrapeptase also helps to reduce and eliminate pain caused by inflammation in another way. During the inflammatory process, chemical substances called bradykinin are released. Bradykinin cause pain in the body. Research has shown that serrapeptase inhibits the release of bradykinin.
Finally, just as Serratia E15 digests and dissolves avital tissues inside of the silkworm, serrapeptase is able to digest and dissolve dead and damaged tissues related to inflammation, as well as waste by-products that are created as part of the inflammatory process, all without harming healthy, living tissues. Best of all, serrapeptase performs all of these functions without causing any of the side effects associated with pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Because of its safe and potent anti-inflammatory properties, ongoing research shows that serrapeptase can help to relieve the symptoms of many conditions caused or exacerbated by chronic inflammation. These include:
In addition to protecting against all of the above conditions, serrapeptase has also been shown to provide significant benefits as a safeguard against heart disease.
Healthy Heart Insurance
One of the original leading proponents of serrapeptase was the late Dr. Hans A. Nieper of Hanover, Germany. Dr. Nieper was internationally renowned for his expertise as an integrative physician and was considered one of the world's most famous specialists in the fields of heart disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Because of his expertise, Dr. Nieper's patients included many well-known celebrities and politicians, including Anthony Quinn, John Wayne, President Ronald Reagan and Princess Caroline of Monaco.
One of the areas in which Dr. Nieper felt serrapeptase offered great promise was as a natural healing to protect against heart disease. Dr. Nieper devoted much of his time researching the effectiveness of serrapeptase for reversing the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Based on his research, he dubbed serrapeptase "the miracle enzyme." One area of particular interest to Dr. Nieper was the value serrapeptase had in protecting against heart attack and stroke. His research showed that serrapeptase had the ability to both protect against and reverse artherosclerosis, which is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries and is a major cause of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and other types of heart disease.
In his experiments, Dr. Nieper discovered that serrapeptase was capable of dissolving and digesting the substances that cause plaque formation on the arterial walls, such as cholesterol, cellular wastes, calcium, various fats, and fibrin, a clotting agent. Just as importantly, Dr. Nieper found that serrapeptase did this without causing harm to the cells and tissues lining the arterial walls.
In recent years, a growing number of scientists and physicians have come to realize that one of the primary causes for the deposits of harmful, plaque-forming substances inside arterial walls is chronic, low-grade inflammation. This means that serrapeptase packs a one-two punch against the main causes of heart disease.
As we have already discussed, this amazing enzyme acts to safely and effectively reverse chronic inflammation. Because of Dr. Nieper's work, we also know that it goes right to work to dissolve and digest the harmful substances that cause plaque buildup. In addition, unlike cholesterol-blocking drugs, serrapeptase is able to clean away dead tissue and harmful substances from the arteries without interfering with the body's natural synthesis of cholesterol. This is important, since a certain amount of cholesterol is actually necessary for the proper functioning of many ongoing processes in the body. Serrapeptase also does not cause any of the many dangerous side effects that have been linked to conventional heart and blood pressure medications.
According to Dr. Nieper, serrapeptase was especially effective in clearing away plaque-forming debris in the carotid arteries. The carotid arteries run along both sides of the neck and transport blood and oxygen from the heart to the brain. In his biography, The Curious Man, Dr. Nieper pointed out the difficulties involved in dealing with carotid arteries that narrow due to plaque buildup. "Very often," he explained, "surgeons are reluctant or unable to open partially closed carotid arteries. They fear that resulting debris [caused by surgery] could be pushed further into the smaller connecting arteries and result in stroke and possibly death."
Dr. Nieper found that serrapeptase offered a safe and effective alternative to such risky surgical procedures. "In cases of severe arterial narrowing," he reported, "I have used serrapeptase with excellent, even life-saving results. Only three tablets a day over a period of twelve to eighteen months are adequate to produce results. Many of my patients have shown significantly improved blood flow through their previously constricted areteries, as confirmed by ultrasound examination."
Based on such results, Dr. Nieper also stated that serrapeptase acted more quickly to remove arterial plaque than EDTA chelation therapy, a procedure commonly used by many alternative physicians to remove plaque and restore overall cardiovascular function.
Dr. Napier also discovered that serrapeptase is able to dissolve dangerous blood clots, and to restore the overall health of the body's arteries and veins. He even reported that it could help to shrink varicose veins.
Conclusion
Based on the above information, you may wish to add serrapeptase to your daily health regimen. If you choose to do so, here are some guidelines for its use:
Although a daily value for serrapeptase has currently not been established, 10 mg (equivalent to 20,000 IU) of serrapeptase, taken once a day on an empty stomach, is recommended by most physicians familiar with serrapeptase for preventive purposes.
For people suffering from chronic inflammation and/or other health problems for which serrapeptase has shown benefit, a higher dose may be more appropriate.
Serrapeptase is best taken at least 30 minutes before eating, or at least two hours after a meal.
Do not take serrapeptase more than once a day. In addition, although there is currently no evidence that serrapeptase interferes with medical drugs, be sure to inform your Health Coach if you are on medication and decide to try serrapeptase so that he or she can help guide you in creating a daily health regimen that best meets your health care needs.
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