COVID-19 spike proteins aren't harmful and don't require a 'detox'

The claim

A detox cannot cleanse your body of the COVID-19 spike protein, despite a Facebook reel (archived here) with over 500,000 views claiming the contrary. 

The detox contains nattokinase and bromelain, which, according to the video, can "accelerate the clearance" of the spike protein. It also includes curcumin, which allegedly reduces inflammation and "spike protein damage."

"People ought to get going on this because these syndromes, as we're finding out are bad, look at these cardiac arrests, major blood clots, people going down, is because the spike protein is not being cleared out of the body," the person in the video says.

The Facebook account, aimed at parents concerned about toxins in children, is seemingly using the video to promote a product that contains the three supplements. 

However, the product is unnecessary as the COVID-19 spike proteins are not harmful and do not linger in the body. 

In fact

According to Ali Mirazimi, adjunct professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Karolinska Institutet and senior expert scientist at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, there is no need to take a detox for the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Today, there are extremely few side effects linked to the vaccine," he told Logically Facts.

The novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) contains spike proteins that help the virus enter and infect cells. COVID-19 vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology that instructs the body to create harmless replicas of the spike protein to generate immunity against COVID-19. 

Spike proteins induced by mRNA vaccines have not been found to be harmful nor cause heart damage, as Logically Facts has previously explained. This is a common anti-vax claim that generally hinges on misinterpreted data. 

The mRNA disintegrates and leaves the body in a few days, and the spike protein is estimated to remain in the body for a few weeks. This means there is no need for a detox to remove the spike protein.

"mRNA is a sensitive molecule that is broken down in our cells and body. It is extremely unlikely that the mRNA vaccine will remain in the body," Mirazimi said.

"There is no credible evidence of persistent spike protein in vaccinated people's bodies," Jonathan Laxton, assistant professor of General Internal Medicine at the University of Manitoba, told Logically Facts. "Most claims I have seen take research on early detection of spike protein and then extrapolating that evidence inappropriately."

He said that some studies have detected circulating spike protein up to several weeks post-vaccination and persistence in lymph nodes for several months; this is actually beneficial for creating an immune response.

"No credible studies have linked patient symptoms to 'persistent spike protein,'" Laxton added.

An $89.90 "cure"?

The three detox ingredients — nattokinase, an enzyme from fermented soybeans, bromelain, a group of enzymes found in pineapple, and the turmeric extract curcumin — do not have a proven clinical effect as a treatment of side effects to COVID-19 vaccines, according to Mirazimi and Laxton.

A 2022 study, which has previously been cited in conjunction with detox claims, did find that nattokinase could break down spike protein. However, the study was done in cells in the lab, not on humans. The study also intended to examine the possibility of nattokinase as a complement to COVID-19 vaccines and not as a "detox."

"The situation is much the same for bromelain and curcumin," Laxton said. "Lab studies show that enzymes can affect spike protein, but no human tests demonstrate this effect. This is a frequent problem encountered when developing drugs; something that works in a lab does not always work in the human body."

The person in the video appears to be the cardiologist Peter McCullough, whose false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines have led the American Board of Internal Medicine to recommend his board certification be revoked. McCullough is known for pushing an unproven spike protein detoxification protocol containing nattokinase, bromelain, and curcumin, which was first promoted in the fall of 2023. McCullough is also chief scientific officer of The Wellness Company and has personally designed its supplement Ultimate Spike Detox, which costs $89.99 per bottle, based on his protocol. 

"For a doctor to claim effectiveness without this evidence is very problematic. It is even more problematic for a doctor to sell the supplement directly to consumers," said Laxton. He highlighted the code of ethics from the American Medical Association concerning the sale of health-related products, which states that physicians should only offer products "whose claims of benefit are based on peer-reviewed literature or other sources of scientific review of efficacy that are unbiased, sound, systematic, and reliable."

"These claims do not meet this expectation," Laxton added. "Risks include bleeding with bromelain and curcumin, especially if you are on another blood thinner. The other risk is wasting finances on an ineffective cure."

The verdict

The mRNA in the COVID-19 vaccine disintegrates, as does the spike protein, which means a spike protein detox is unnecessary. The detox also hinges on the idea that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful, which has been disproven. Therefore, we have rated the claim as false.