Ask the doctor: Can I take nattokinase instead of warfarin?

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Ask the doctor

So far there are just two studies. A study of 12 adults in Japan showed that nattokinase capsules taken three times a day gradually increased the body's natural clot-busting ability in some of the volunteers; unfortunately, the results weren't reported for all of them. The second study tested a combination of nattokinase and pycnogenol (an extract of French maritime pine) in 101 people taking long air flights. The combination reduced deep-vein blood clots and leg swelling better than placebo tablets. But there is no way to tell if the nattokinase, the pycnogenol, or something else did the trick.

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