The interest in Nino supplements is increasing due to a recent study showing a significant reduction in blood vessel blockages. Heart disease remains a major cause of global deaths, and finding preventive measures is crucial. Nino, the active ingredient in Natto, a traditional Japanese food, is believed to break down blockages in blood vessels, preventing heart attacks and strokes. Previous studies have shown positive effects on clotting and blood viscosity. However, the recent study generating excitement was retrospective and lacked a comparison group. Another randomized control trial found no change in blood vessel blockages with Nino supplements. Emphasis should be on a whole food diet and lifestyle changes rather than relying solely on supplements.
Key Insights:
- Interest in Nino supplements is surging based on a recent human study of over 1,000 people showing a significant reduction in blood vessel blockages by up to 95.4%.
- Heart disease still accounts for 32% of all global deaths and can be prevented.
- Nino is the active ingredient derived from nto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans.
- Nto consumption is associated with a decreased risk of total heart disease.
- Research shows that Nino decreases the clumping or aggregation of red blood cells, decreases blood viscosity in mice, and prevents blood vessel wall thickening.
- Human studies have shown that Nino supplements decrease clotting events and clotting factors in the blood.
- A retrospective study of over 10,000 participants found a significant reduction in cholesterol levels and blood vessel blockages after 12 months of Nino supplements, but the study lacked a comparison group and information on participants‘ other lifestyle changes and medications.
- Another randomized control trial involving 265 participants showed no change in blood vessel blockages after 3 years of Nino supplementation.
- Serapeptase supplements, another potential supplement for heart health, have yielded negative and controversial results, with reports of mild to moderate side effects.
- Instead of relying on supplements, following a whole food diet high in lean protein, unsaturated fats, and fiber, along with regular exercise, stress management, blood sugar control, blood pressure management, and cholesterol management, can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Transcript
Interest in Nino supplements is surging based on a recent human study of over 1,000 people showing a significant reduction in blood vessel blockages by up to 95.4%. The stakes are high; heart disease still accounts for 32% of all global deaths – deaths that can and should be prevented. And I know what you’re thinking because I was thinking the same – every few months, there’s a new headline about a supplement that’s the cure for heart disease. So, is Ninos any different, like an Omega-3 supplement, or is it a dud? Particularly if it’s paired with another supplement called cepes?
What I found, looking at studies on clots, blood viscosity, and mobility, is that this new study shocked me. But before getting into the weeds of the study, let’s back it up a second. Nines is the active ingredient from Nto, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It’s also a fantastic source of protein and vitamin K2. Nto consumption is believed to be a significant contributor to the longevity of the Japanese population, and a high intake of Nto is associated with a decreased risk of total heart disease. It’s thought to break down the blockages or plaque in our blood vessels, thereby preventing heart attacks and strokes. And there is some evidence for this in a single-cell study looking at red blood cells. Nines decreased the clumping or aggregation of those red blood cells and overall decreased viscosity in mice. It stopped the blood vessel walls from thickening when compared to the control group.
Moving to the human studies, in 2003, a trial looked at whether Nines could prevent clots from long-haul flights. So, one of the big risk factors when you go on a flight is developing a clot in the legs or the lungs. This small study of Nines did find a decrease in clotting events. To further back that up, a small study in 2009 showed that Nin supplements decreased clotting factors in the blood. But the excitement kicked into overdrive during August of last year, 2022, when a new study of over 1,000 patients showed a significant decrease in blood vessel blockages. The paper is titled „Effective management of atherosclerosis progress and hypolipidemia with Nyise: A clinical study with 1,162 participants.“
This study that generated all of that excitement is a retrospective study of 10,162 participants who received Nto supplements for 12 months. So, that’s a really crucial point; it’s a retrospective study. The authors scanned medical records, looking for anyone who got existing disease in their blood vessels and who newly started Nto supplements. That’s a big difference between randomized controlled trials. A randomized control trial is where one group would take the Nines and the other group would take the placebo, and you follow both groups up to see the true effect of Nino supplements. So, we can still glean fantastic information from retrospective studies, so long as the analysis is done correctly, but it’s not as robust as a randomized control trial. To be included in the study, participants needed to have marginal or mild hypolipidemia (high cholesterol blood levels) and/or evidence of mild atherosclerosis or blockages in their blood vessels. So, I really like this; it’s examining a diseased population. Remember, we’re trying to figure out if Nin supplements will reverse existing blood vessel blockages. Participants were recommended to take Nines as an alternative health treatment in an attempt to improve their cardiovascular health conditions, or who voluntarily took Nin as a health supplement to improve or maintain their cardiovascular health. That’s important as well – the participants had to have newly started Nyes. They couldn’t have been on Nyes before the study began. To be included in the trial, the participants had to have high levels of blood cholesterol and ultrasound reports on the coronary artery, which is in the neck, looking for atherosclerosis. For most participants, the dose used in the study was 10,800 fibrinolytic units, which is quite a high dose. The normal dose of Nino supplements is around 2,000 units.
Let’s now jump to the results. After 12 months of Nin supplements, a significant reduction in cholesterol levels was seen compared to before treatment started. But before we get too excited about those results, there’s a massive problem – we don’t know what the participants were doing in addition to the Nin supplements. Had they started other cholesterol-lowering medications? What other lifestyle changes had they made? Are they on blood pressure medications? How do we know that it’s the Nino supplements which are improving the blood cholesterol levels? The short answer is we don’t. It’s the same for the result showing that the size of the blood vessel plaque decreased by up to 36%. We don’t know whether that’s because of the Netto supplements or because of all the other changes that these participants may have made.
This study finishes by concluding that their data from this large clinical study suggests that Nin supplements are significantly effective in the management of atherosclerosis progression and hypolipidemia. When I first read the study, I was shocked. Is this what all of the fuss is about – a retrospective study that’s got incomplete information, possibly riddled with bias, and no comparison group? Well, luckily for us, there is another important Nin trial.
A Nyes trial published in 2021 was a double-blinded trial involving 265 individuals who either took Ntok Kyes at 2,000 units or a matching placebo. The primary outcome was the rate of change in blood vessel blockages as measured by carotid ultrasound, which is exactly the same compared to the previous study we looked at. However, this trial ran for 3 years and is a randomized control trial, not like the previous retrospective study, which only ran for one year. When we have a look at the results after 3 years of treatment, there was no change in blood vessel blockages between the Nines group and placebo. Additionally, there was no effect on blood pressure or other blood markers. That trial is the latest, largest, and longest duration randomized control trial on Nino supplements that I could find, and there was no benefit seen.
Now, the criticism for that trial was that it used a lower dose of 2,000 units. So, it would be interesting to repeat that study at the higher 10,000 unit dose to see if there was any effect. But as of right now, there’s no evidence from randomized control trials showing that we can reduce blood vessel blockages using Nino supplements. But I want to be absolutely clear – the food Nto can absolutely be part of a healthy diet. It’s a fantastic source of protein, fiber, and vitamins, including vitamin K2. So, less emphasis on supplements, please, and more emphasis on a whole food diet.
Now, let’s have a look at serapeptase. It’s thought to have anti-inflammatory and fibrinolytic effects. But, to cut to the chase, there have been negative and controversial results, as well as some reports of mild to moderate side effects that cannot be overlooked. Therefore, more research is needed to confirm whether there’s therapeutic potential of cepas supplements.
So, instead of relying on supplements, here are eight steps to virtually guarantee that you’ll never have a heart attack:
– Follow a whole food diet that can include Nto
– Include high protein (lean protein) and unsaturated fats in your diet
– Add in high fiber foods and cut out sugary foods, processed foods, fatty meat, butter, and salt
– Exercise (mixture of resistance and cardiovascular exercises)
– Maintain a healthy weight
– Manage stress through meditation and mindfulness
– Keep blood sugar levels low (if necessary, consult a doctor)
– Manage blood pressure (consult a doctor if necessary)
– Manage cholesterol levels, including considering cholesterol-lowering medications if needed.
All of these steps are discussed in more detail in the next video.
