False claim that nattokinase dissolves COVID-19 spike protein in your body | Fact check

Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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The claim: Nattokinase dissolves the spike protein found on the COVID-19 virus

A July 14 Instagram post (direct link) includes a quote from a controversial cardiologist known for spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

The video's caption quotes Dr. Peter McCullough as saying a supplement called nattokinase “is the only enzyme we’re aware of right now that dissolves the spike protein.”

McCullough says in the video that the spike protein “is loaded in the body with the COVID-19 infection and definitely with the vaccines.”

The post was liked more than 2,000 times in five days.

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Our rating: False

Experts have consistently said there is no evidence spike proteins from the vaccines pose any danger to the public or that nattokinase dissolves those proteins in the body. Public health officials have taken action against those making false claims about the supplement in advertisements.

Expert: Claim ‘in defiance of evidence’

Nattokinase is an enzyme found in natto, a meal made from fermented soybeans that is popular in Japan. It is not authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or by Health Canada as a COVID-19 treatment.

The post claims the supplement is effective at counteracting the COVID-19 spike protein, which is how the virus enters healthy cells and is the first step in infection. Experts say those proteins found in the vaccines are harmless.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, said claims of nattokinase dissolving spike proteins are “in defiance of evidence.”

The Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to companies and people promoting nattokinase as a COVID-19 treatment. Health Canada spokesperson Anne Genier said the agency is investigating complaints it has received about advertisements for the supplement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Instagram post identified itself as a paid partnership between Rebel News and The Wellness Company Canada. One of the products for sale on the company’s website is Spike Support, a supplement that contains nattokinase and retails for roughly $66 in the U.S.

McCullough, a cardiologist who has previously promoted COVID-19 misinformation, is listed as the organization’s chief scientific officer. USA TODAY reached out to him for comment through the research foundation that bears his name but did not immediately receive a response.

Fact check: No, thousands of doctors weren't indicted for pandemic-related crimes

Study conducted in lab, not human body

A Feb. 21 essay McCullogh posted to Substack about nattokinase’s effect on the spike protein included a reference to a study by 10 researchers in Japan. That study, published in August 2022, found the enzyme “exhibits potential” for inhibiting COVID-19 infection by degrading that protein.

But the study was conducted in vitro, not in the body, and looked only at those spike proteins from an infection, not an mRNA vaccination. USA TODAY reached out to its lead author, researcher Takashi Tanikawa, but did not immediately receive a response.

Experts consistently say the results produced by studies in labs are not always the same as those observed in clinical trials in people.

USA TODAY reached out to Rebel News for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

AFP also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim nattokinase dissolves COVID-19 spike protein | Fact check