Why we selected this company:

Allergy Research Group (ARG) is one of the very first allergy oriented, hypoallergenic nutritional supplement companies and was founded in 1979 by Stephen Levine, Ph.D., a biochemist from UC Berkeley. For almost 30 years, Dr. Levine has dedicated himself to the latest research and the passionate pursuit of cutting-edge nutritional supplements.

Dr. Levine and Allergy Research Group were one of the first to introduce truly hypoallergenic products to the market, and developed the very first Buffered Vitamin C product. Dr. Levine's antioxidant research is legendary in that it created a unique, broad spectrum integration of the data with a very expanded perspective, which is still one of the most sophisticated antioxidant presentations even today. This work eventually lead to Dr. Levine’s groundbreaking textbook Antioxidant Adaptation, which he co-authored with Dr. Parris Kidd in 1985. For almost thirty years, Allergy Research Group has been known for the highest quality, most hypoallergenic, and most cutting-edge nutritional supplements available, and supplies products to physicians and healthcare practitioners around the world.

A History of Quality
Since 1979, Allergy Research Group has used only the purest raw materials available, and has implemented strict quality control procedures in every stage of production including inspection of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and storing. For many years they have used the same manufacturers to produce their capsules and tablets to ensure consistency. In their facility in Alameda, California they bottle, label and ship their finished products. Allergy Research Group is currently licensed by the California Department of Health Services, Food and Drug Branch. Our registration number is 0021150.

GMP Standards
ARG’s products are manufactured under the recognized principals of current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) proposed by the FDA. The GMP standards are applied to a wide variety of procedures associated with the manufacturing of dietary supplements, including approval of raw materials, production and process controls, laboratory testing, and product packaging, labeling and distribution.

Independent Third Party Laboratories
In addition to their in-house quality control department, they use independent analytical laboratories to test raw materials as well as finished products. They are assayed for identity, purity and potency. Their products are confirmed to contain not less than 100% of the contents listed on every label. Microbial and heavy metals analysis are also conducted on all applicable products.

Procedures of Analysis
They utilize a number of advanced methods of analysis, including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy, capillary electrophoresis (CE), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and atomic absorption (AA), along with biochemistry and wet chemistry techniques.

Why we selected this product:

Effects of nattokinase on blood pressure: a randomized, controlled trial.

Kim JY, Gum SN, Paik JK, Lim HH, Kim KC, Ogasawara K, Inoue K, Park S, Jang Y, Lee JH.

Yonsei University Research Institute of Science for Aging, Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Yonsei University, and Department of Family Medicine, Mizmedi Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of nattokinase supplementation on blood pressure in subjects with pre-hypertension or stage 1 hypertension. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 86 participants ranging from 20 to 80 years of age with an initial untreated systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 130 to 159 mmHg received nattokinase (2,000 FU/capsule) or a placebo capsule for 8 weeks. Seventy-three subjects completed the protocol. Compared with the control group, the net changes in SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were -5.55 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI], -10.5 to -0.57 mmHg; p<0.05) and -2.84 mmHg (CI, -5.33 to -0.33 mmHg; p<0.05), respectively, after the 8-week intervention. The corresponding net change in renin activity was -1.17 ng/mL/h for the nattokinase group compared with the control group (p<0.05). In conclusion, nattokinase supplementation resulted in a reduction in SBP and DBP. These findings suggest that increased intake of nattokinase may play an important role in preventing and treating hypertension.

Hypertens Res. 2008 Aug;31(8):1583-8.
PMID: 18971533 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Benefits for the body:
Research has shown nattokinase to support healthy coagulation of blood within normal levels and enhance fibrinolytic activity.

Interesting facts:
Allergy Research Group tested recently introduced products and few meet the standards of Dr. Sumi, the discoverer of nattokinase, and Dr. Holsworth, the leading U.S. researcher of nattokinase. Allergy Research Group offers only the patented NSK-SD® formulation with no Vitamin K2, the only form that has been tested for safety. Each batch is tested to ensure potency.

NSK-SD® is a trademark of Japan BioScience Laboratory.

A report published in the August 1, 2006 issue of the journal Circulation revealed that fibrinogen levels add to the value of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, a marker of inflammation) levels to predict cardiovascular events. Fibrinogen is a protein that is involved in blood clot formation, which, when elevated, is associated with an increase in vascular and nonvascular mortality.

For the current study, Harvard researchers evaluated data from women enrolled in the Women’s Health Study, a placebo-controlled trial of the effect of low dose aspirin and vitamin E on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer in women aged 45 and older. Participants completed questionnaires from 1992 to 1995 to provide information on demographics, medical history, and other factors. Blood samples from 27,742 women were analyzed upon enrollment for CRP and fibrinogen. The participants were followed through February, 2005, during which time cardiovascular events were recorded.

Over the approximate ten year follow-up there were 898 cardiovascular events. Not surprisingly, both fibrinogen and CRP were associated with the risk of cardiovascular incidents. When women whose fibrinogen levels were in the top one-fifth of participants were compared to those in the lowest fifth they were found to have a 35 percent greater risk (adjusted for established risk factors) of experiencing a cardiovascular event. Similar analysis of CRP levels found a 68 percent greater risk among women whose levels were highest. Having an elevated level of both fibrinogen and CRP was associated with the greatest cardiovascular risk. Women whose fibrinogen levels were greater than 393 milligrams per deciliter and whose CRP levels were higher than 3 milligrams per liter had 3.45 times the risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event than those whose fibrinogen was lower than 329 milligrams per deciliter and whose CRP was under 1 milligrams per liter.

“Although both fibrinogen and hs-CRP were positively correlated, their combined effect provided cardiovascular disease risk information that was greater than that provided by either biomarker separately, potentially reflecting different pathophysiological processes in the development of atherothrombotic events,” the authors conclude. They remark that increased adipose tissue is associated both with a prothrombotic and proinflammatory state, which may be reflected in both higher fibrinogen and CRP levels.
[The aforementioned report was taken from Life Extension – www.lef.org]

Supplemental Facts:
Formulated exclusively for
Allergy Research Group®
Alameda, CA 94502

Product of Japan.

Contraindicated in any condition associated with bleeding.

Note: This formula changed slightly, February 2007, and no longer includes 10 IU of vitamin E. The softgels are smaller and lighter in color than previous batches. The Nattokinase content remains the same.

Ingredients:
Serving Size: 1 Softgel
Servings Per Container: 60

Amount Per Serving
Nattokinase NSK-SD® (soy)
2000 FU (100mg) *

* Daily Value not established

Contains:
Soybean Oil, Gelatin, Glycerin, Soybean Lecithin, Glycerin Fatty Acid Ester, Beeswax

WARNINGS:
May be taken with or without food.

Take with 8-10 ounces of water.

If taken with anticoagulant drugs, use under medical supervision.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  If in doubt consult with a licensed naturopathic physician before use.  Physician’s at Genesis Health Systems can be reached at 480.284.8155 and we are happy to consult with you about this product and helping you achieve optimal health.