What People Take Serrapeptase For
Serrapeptase is what people reach for when they are dealing with swelling, sinus congestion or the stubborn soreness that lingers after an injury or an operation, in one capsule a day taken on an empty stomach.
It is a proteolytic enzyme — an enzyme that breaks down protein — originally isolated from Serratia bacteria, and it has been used in that way for decades. NOW’s version carries 27 mg per capsule, which is 60,000 serratiopeptidase units of enzyme activity, in a vegetarian capsule with 60 in the bottle. What is and is not established about it deserves saying out loud, because this is a product where the detail matters more than usual and almost nobody publishes it.
What Is in Each Capsule
From NOW’s own panel, per capsule.
Serrapeptase, 27 mg, equivalent to 60,000 serratiopeptidase units. Both numbers matter and the second one is the one to compare on. Enzymes are measured by activity rather than weight, so a milligram figure on its own tells you very little; 60,000 units is the figure to hold against any other bottle.
Vegetarian throughout. A hypromellose capsule with microcrystalline cellulose and a maltodextrin and medium-chain triglyceride powder. Nothing animal-derived.
60 capsules in the bottle, and no daily reference value exists for an enzyme, which is why no percentage appears on the panel.
One a Day, Thirty Days, and a Sixty-Capsule Bottle
Here is the arithmetic, and it is the most useful thing we can give you.
NOW’s own instruction is one capsule daily on an empty stomach with a large glass of water, and not for continuous use beyond 30 days unless a doctor is supervising. The empty stomach is not a nicety — an enzyme taken with a meal goes to work on the meal.
So the bottle holds twice the longest unsupervised course. Sixty capsules at one a day is 60 days; the label stops at 30. That means one bottle is naturally two courses with a break between them, or one course for two people, and it means the sensible way to buy this is with a conversation about how long you intend to take it. We would rather tell you that than sell you a bottle you work through in one run.
Our pharmacist will set the length with you, and our doctor is at the pharmacy if you want the whole thing reviewed properly, which on this product is the better option.
Where the Evidence Stands, Plainly
We publish this because you deserve it before you spend 4,000 shillings, and because almost nobody selling this product will tell you.
No authorised health benefit exists for serrapeptase. Enzymes hold none in the European register, so anyone who tells you it reduces inflammation, clears your sinuses or dissolves scar tissue is telling you something that has never been assessed and approved. We are not going to tell you that.
And it has a regulatory history worth knowing. Serratiopeptidase was for decades a licensed medicine in several countries. Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority withdrew that status in 2011, concluding that “there is no substantive scientific evidence to support the classification of serratiopeptidase as a medicinal product” and that “new data from recent clinical trials has shown that it does not provide significant clinical benefit”. Japan’s long-standing brand came off the market in the same period.
The same authority also recorded a long history of use with minimal safety concerns, and that half matters too. This is not a product that was withdrawn because it hurt people. It was withdrawn because the benefit could not be shown. Those are completely different things, and a pharmacy is exactly the place the difference should be explained rather than glossed over.
So here is our honest position. People do take it, it has a long history, and if you want to try it we will sell it to you and help you take it correctly. What we will not do is attach a benefit to it that nobody has established.
Things With Recognised Claims Behind Them, If You Would Rather
If what actually brought you here is joint soreness, stiffness or recovery, there are nutrients with approved benefits and we would rather point you at them.
Vitamin C has an approved claim that is directly to the point: it contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage and bones. Collagen is what cartilage is largely made of, so this is the properly evidenced version of what most people hope an enzyme will do for a sore joint. An effervescent vitamin C at 1,000 mg clears the amount that claim is set at many times over, and costs a fraction of this bottle.
For joints specifically, a joint complex in vegetarian capsules and a glucosamine, MSM and chondroitin tablet are the two formats most people get on with, and our pharmacist will compare them with you honestly rather than steering you to the dearest one.
And if your real interest is the heart, a high-strength fish oil concentrate carries the approved benefit for normal heart function at a dose a single daily softgel reaches.
Is Serrapeptase Right for You?
- Please talk to us first if you take a blood thinner. NOW name blood-thinning medication specifically on their own label, and so do we. Bring your prescription to the counter and let our pharmacist see the whole list, and tell your surgeon or dentist you are taking it if you have a procedure booked.
- Adults only, and please speak to us if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Both are NOW’s own instructions for this product, and we will keep to them.
- Agree the length before you start. Thirty days is the longest unsupervised course on the label and the bottle holds sixty capsules, so settle with our pharmacist how you intend to use it.
- Take it on an empty stomach. An enzyme swallowed with food works on the food. First thing in the morning with a big glass of water, well before breakfast, is what the label asks for.
- If you came here hoping for a specific medical result, please have the conversation with our doctor before you buy rather than after, because he can tell you what is actually known and whether something else would serve you better.
Where to Buy NOW Serrapeptase in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At one capsule a day for no more than 30 days a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A proteolytic enzyme like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your NOW Serrapeptase from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will check it against your prescription list, especially any blood thinner, and agree with you how long the course should run. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do people take serrapeptase for?
Swelling, sinus congestion, and the soreness that lingers after an injury or an operation. That is what people reach for it for and we would rather say so plainly than dress it up. What we will not do is promise it, because no health benefit for serrapeptase has ever been authorised.
How much is in each capsule?
27 mg of serrapeptase, which is 60,000 serratiopeptidase units of enzyme activity. The units figure is the one to compare on, because enzymes are measured by what they do rather than what they weigh.
How do I take it?
One capsule a day on an empty stomach with a large glass of water — first thing in the morning, well before breakfast. An enzyme taken with a meal goes to work on the meal instead, which is why the empty stomach matters more here than on most supplements.
How long can I take it for?
Thirty days is the longest NOW recommend without a doctor supervising it, and the bottle holds 60 capsules. So one bottle is naturally two courses with a break between them. Please agree the length with our pharmacist before you start rather than working through it in one run.
Can I take it with my medicines?
Bring your prescription list to the counter first. NOW name blood-thinning medication specifically, and our pharmacist should see your whole list before you start. Tell your surgeon or dentist you are taking it if you have a procedure booked, and keep taking what you have been prescribed.
Is there good evidence that it works?
We will give you the straight answer. No authorised health benefit exists for serrapeptase, and in 2011 Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority removed its status as a medicine, concluding that recent clinical trial data showed it “does not provide significant clinical benefit”. The same authority recorded a long history of use with minimal safety concerns. So it was taken off the medicines list for lack of proven benefit rather than for harm — two very different things, and you should know both before you buy.
Then why do you still sell it?
Because people ask for it by name, it has decades of use behind it, and if you want to try it we would rather you bought it from somewhere that tells you the dose, the duration and the interactions. What we will not do is attach a benefit to it that nobody has established.
Is there anything with an approved claim for sore joints?
Yes, and it is worth hearing. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage and bones, which is the properly evidenced version of what most people hope an enzyme will do. An effervescent vitamin C tablet clears that amount many times over at a fraction of the price, and a vegetarian joint complex is the other option our pharmacist will compare with you.
Will it clear my sinuses or my chest?
That was one of the uses it was once licensed for and it is one of the uses the trial data failed to support, so no, we are not going to tell you it will. If you have had congestion for more than a week or so, or any fever with it, please see our doctor instead of buying an enzyme.
Is it suitable for vegetarians?
Yes. A hypromellose capsule with microcrystalline cellulose and a maltodextrin and medium-chain triglyceride powder. Nothing animal-derived.
Can I give it to a child?
No. NOW’s label is adults only, and it is not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding either. Please ask us what would suit instead.
Where can I buy NOW Serrapeptase in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown at the top of this listing. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. At one capsule a day the 60-capsule bottle holds two 30-day courses, so tell us how you intend to use it and our pharmacist will set the schedule with you.
