Lumbrokinase

Lumbrokinase is an enzyme sourced from Lumbricus rubellus, a species of earthworm. Sold in dietary supplement form, it's classified as a fibrinolytic enzyme (a substance that promotes the breakdown of blood clots). Supplementing with lumbrokinase is said to offer several health benefits, including better heart health.

Benefits and uses of Lumbrokinase are

So far, research on the health effects of lumbrokinase is fairly limited. Still, there's some evidence that lumbrokinase shows promise for the treatment of certain conditions. Here's a look at several findings on the potential health benefits of lumbrokinase:

• Heart Health : Lumbrokinase may aid in the treatment of angina, according to a preliminary study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2009. For the study, researchers assigned 10 patients with both heart disease and angina to one month of treatment with lumbrokinase (in addition to their standard care). By the study's end, anginal symptoms had improved in six of the 10 patients. Additionally, a preliminary study published in the Chinese journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica in 2006 found that lumbrokinase may shield heart health. In tests on rats, the study's authors determined that lumbrokinase may protect against myocardial ischemia (a condition marked by blockage of the coronary arteries and decreased blood flow to the heart).
• Stroke : Preliminary research indicates that lumbrokinase may help stave off stroke. In a 2008 study from the European Journal of Pharmacology, for example, tests on human cells determined that lumbrokinase may help guard against cerebral ischemia. (A condition marked by insufficient blood flow to the brain, cerebral ischemia can reduce the brain's oxygen supply and, in turn, lead to stroke.) The study found that lumbrokinase may combat cerebral ischemia in part by preventing the formation of blood clots. In addition, a small study published in Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation in 2000 found that lumbrokinase may be beneficial in the treatment of cerebral infarction (a type of stroke caused by a disturbance in blood flow to the brain). For the study, 31 people with cerebral infarction were treated with lumbrokinase, while another 20 patients were assigned to a control group. Results indicated that lumbrokinase may help treat cerebral infarction in part by decreasing fibrinogen (a protein involved in the formation of blood clots).
• Diabetes : An animal-based study published in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice in 2013 suggests that lumbrokinase may help fight diabetic nephropathy (a kidney condition caused in part by poor control of diabetes and blood pressure). In an experiment involving diabetic rats, scientists observed that treatment with lumbrokinase helped protect against diabetic nephropathy (possibly by affecting certain enzymes thought to play a role in the kidney damage associated with this condition).