What is the recommended dose of Serrapeptase?

- **Look for:** Enteric-coated (ESSENTIAL, non-coated is useless); SPU activity stated (10,000-60,000 SPU); from Serratia marcescens fermentation - **Avoid:** Non-enteric-coated capsules/tablets (s...

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Graded against 178,763 supplements and 757 reviewed supplement and medication pairs, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, NIH DSLD

Serrapeptase

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AVELOR SUMMARY

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme originally isolated from Serratia marcescens bacteria in silkworm intestines, the enzyme silkworms use to dissolve their cocoons. It's marketed for inflammation, pain, and "clearing arterial plaque," but our research shows the evidence is surprisingly weak for most claims. It's approved in Japan and Europe as a prescription anti-inflammatory, yet a 2013 systematic review found the quality of evidence was "low" across all indications. The most supported use is post-surgical swelling reduction, where it modestly outperforms placebo. The "arterial plaque dissolving" claim is unsupported by ANY human evidence and is one of the most egregious supplement marketing myths.

WHAT IT DOES

Serrapeptase is a metalloprotease (zinc-containing enzyme) that cleaves peptide bonds in proteins, particularly in dead/damaged tissue and inflammatory exudates. Proposed mechanisms: (1) degradation of fibrin clots and inflammatory exudates at injury sites (reducing swelling); (2) thinning of mucus secretions (mucolytic, breaks disulfide bonds in mucin glycoproteins); (3) inhibition of bradykinin release (pain reduction); (4) facilitation of antibiotic penetration into tissues by degrading biofilms (shown in vitro for some infections). The enzyme does NOT distinguish between types of protein, it's a non-specific protease that works on accessible damaged tissue and secretions.

OPTIMAL DOSAGE

Look for: Enteric-coated (ESSENTIAL, non-coated is useless); SPU activity stated (10,000-60,000 SPU); from Serratia marcescens fermentation
Avoid: Non-enteric-coated capsules/tablets (stomach acid destroys enzyme); products not stating enzyme activity in SPU; products claiming to "dissolve arterial plaque" (unsupported)
Minimum effective dose: 10,000 SPU/day (10mg)
Third-party tested brands: Doctor's Best, NOW Foods, Arthur Andrew Medical

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Independently graded against 178,763 indexed supplements and 757 reviewed supplement and medication pairs, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, and NIH DSLD | Last updated:

Not medical advice. Based on published clinical research and systematic reviews.

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