Can Serrapeptase Help You?

Would you believe that serrapeptase is a supplement made with an enzyme found in bacteria in silkworms? Sounds like nonsense, right?! It’s true, though, and serrapeptase is said to help with inflammation, pain, infection and more. Bob’s Bones looks into it…

Can Serrapeptase Help You?
So, serrapeptase is an enzyme that breaks down proteins. Absurd though it might sound, it’s made by bacteria found in silkworms… It’s what lets emerging moths eat and digest their own cocoons! Larvae and moths aside, though, how does it help?

Possible Pain Relief
In a small but interesting study, serrapeptase has been shown to inhibit pain-inducing compounds. It seems that serrapeptase had a positive effect on inflammatory conditions in the ear, nose, and throat. Compared to those in the control group, subjects reported a reduction in pain and, indeed, in mucus production.

Anti-inflammatory?
Inflammation is a pretty important topic! It’s the bogeyman behind conditions such as arthritis, carpal-tunnel syndrome and trauma… You can read about it here. You can also learn about other ways to fight it here.

The reason this is relevant is that serrapeptase is often taken as a supplement to reduce inflammation. Studies show that it reduces pain, swelling and jaw spasms following dentistry procedures such as wisdom-tooth extractions. Other tests suggest serrapeptase has wider benefits, however, one of which may make antibiotics more effective…

Infection Prevention
When you first hear the word ‘biofilm’, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a movie that tells someone’s life story! But what is it really? Well, you can think of a biofilm as being a bit like bacteria behaving as Roman soldiers used to… They’d put their shields together on all sides to create a defensive barrier. When bacteria do the equivalent of this in your body, it makes it harder for your body’s defences – and for antibiotics – to attack.

That, of course, means that the bacteria get a better chance to breed and cause greater infection. Studies suggest, though, that serrapeptase helps stop – and break down – these biofilms. Indeed, further studies have shown that a combination of serrapeptase and antibiotics even help treat some infections that are resistant to antibiotics alone.

Chronic Respiratory Diseases
There’s something a bit confusing about the words ‘chronic’ and ‘acute’. A lot of people think they’re used to describe levels of severity… In other words, that chronic means a condition is worse than if it is acute, or vice versa. That’s not quite right…

In medical terms, a chronic condition is one that’s well-established; a long-developed syndrome. Acute conditions, however, are severe and sudden. This is important because the interventions one uses to cope with a chronic condition may differ from those used to treat an acute one.

In early tests, this may be the case with serrapeptase and chronic respiratory diseases… These include, by way of example, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure affecting the lungs. Serrapeptase appears to not only reduce lung inflammation but also to reduce mucus.

Supplements
Given that serrapeptase is made from an enzyme found in bacteria in a silkworm’s digestive system, there’s a certain irony here. It won’t do you much good if you take it orally and it has no coating… That’s because your own stomach will break it down before it can be absorbed by your intestines! To prevent this, be sure that any serrapeptase supplement you take is enteric-coated. Follow directions and do not exceed the stated dose.

Eating
Serrapeptase – also known as Serratio Peptidase – is a proteolytic enzyme. In other words, it digests proteins… Including those in the food that you eat! That means that, as a side effect, there’s a small chance of stomach upset or nausea if they’re taken with meals. You can help avoid this, though: take the supplement no less than two hours before eating, and at least half an hour after eating.

Water, Water, Everywhere
Doctors in Germany and Australia often prescribe serrapeptase in favour of common pharmaceutical drugs like ibuprofen. Aside from rare allergic skin reactions, current medical research reports virtually no signs of side effects from using the supplement.

If, however, too great a quantity of the enzymes are taken too quickly, serrapeptase can cause the body to detoxify. For this reason, it’s recommended that you drink plenty of water when taking it, allowing the body to flush out any accumulations of toxins.

Blood Clots
Finally, because serrapeptase thins blood, and has been used to treat blood clots, it absolutely must NOT be taken with anything else that thins blood. That includes not only medicines such as aspirin but also other supplements such as fish oil, garlic, turmeric, etc.

Back in Shape cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of any action or inaction based on its Info Sheets. If you have any doubts or concerns over medical and health issues, our best advice is always to pop in to see us, visit your GP or call NHS Direct on 111 to discuss your health.