The “People's Health Promotion Campaign for the 21st Century (Healthy Japan 21)” was launched in 2000 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The purposes of this campaign are to reduce premature death, prolong optimal health, and improve the quality of life. Simply put, it focuses on longevity accompanied by optimal health. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases account for about 30% of causes of death in Japan, about 25% in the world. To lower mortality rates while in the prime of life, it is very important to prevent cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases.
A patient with cardiovascular disease may evade a fatal cardiovascular event, but eventually their quality and duration of life will be compromised.
Contemporary lifestyles choices are associated with an increased risk of thrombus formation and subsequent ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. It has recently been demonstrated that the etiology of travel induced thrombosis, also known as “economy class syndrome”, is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which may result in a pulmonary embolism. DVT may develop as a result of prolonged sitting in cramped quarters related to both air and auto travel. Additionally, common ailments such as stiff shoulder muscles and leg edema may be caused by insufficient peripheral circulation, caused by excess blood viscosity. The key to preventing DVT and insufficient peripheral circulation is to balance coagulation and fibrinolysis, to prevent thrombus formation and to enhance overall cardiovascular health and longevity. NKCP may be a critical component to achieve such balance.

NKCP was developed based on the traditional Japanese food, natto. Natto contains constituents that enhance the fibrinolysis system in favor of clot lysis. Naturally occurring proteolytic enzymes produced by Bacillus subtilis natto dissolve clots in a balanced manner, without causing excessive blood thinning. Recent research has shown that other additional constituents from Bacillus subtilis natto produce a substance that acts to inhibit blood coagulation, thereby complementing the known fibrinolytic activity to improve blood viscosity. Based on these insights, it is probable that consistent consumption of natto may lower the overall risk of thrombus formation. However, compliance of such a recommendation may be poor, due to natto's potentially objectionable odor and flavor. Additionally, natto consumption may be contraindicated for patients on anti-coagulant therapy due to its high vitamin K2 content. Furthermore, the proteolytic enzyme content may vary greatly in commercially available natto, resulting in inconsistent anti-coagulant activity.
NKCP was therefore developed to provide a raw material for food products which corrects the drawbacks of natto. NKCP is produced by fermenting the bacillus in a liquid medium containing soybean extract and then partially purifying the peptidase. The odor, bacterial body and vitamin K2 content are reduced to a negligible level. NKCP is designed to contain a constant amount of peptidase.