Natto: a super superfood

【What is natto】

Natto is a traditional Japanese dish that is made by fermenting soybeans; it is characterized by its stringy, slimy texture(similar to okra) with a distinct odor, and nutty flavor. Although having a strong odor, it's nutty flavor is very subtle and it easily takes to added flavors.

In Japan natto is typically enjoyed with tare(a sauce usually consisting of soy sauce, bonito dashi, sake, and mirin), Japanese mustard, green onions, and served over rice as a rice bowl. Over the years this has changed, and now is widely accepted to be served in a broad variety of recipes. Check out some easy recipes here!

【Nutritional value of natto】

Natto THE superfood of Japan, is a food that contains a large amount of nutrients, protein, vitamins, and dietary fiber, just to name a few, that are important to maintain a healthy body.

Below is a breakdown of the main nutrients that one serving(50g - 1¾oz) of natto contains.

【One serving of natto 50g(1¾oz)（Yoshi Natto ¼pack）nutrition contents】

The nutrients listed in the figure above are the nutrients that natto contains a higher content than other food products. It is also rich in other nutrients such as Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, potassium, calcium, and folic acid.

【Health Benefits of Natto】

Improved Digestion

The dietary tract of humans have trillions of micro-organisms/bacteria to help you digest your food. Having the right type of bacteria in your gut is linked to numerous health benefits, from improved digestion, and immune system to help with several bowel related diseases and gastrointestinal symptoms such as gas, constipation, diarrhea, and bloating.

To build a healthy gut flora it is essential to take probiotics, which most probiotic-rich foods and supplements contain 5-10 billion colony-forming units(CFUs, a unit of measure that estimates the number of healthy bacteria) per serving, whereas natto can contain up to 1 billion CFU in only 1 gram.

Added to this, because natto is made from soy, it is also rich in prebiotics. The human body can not digest prebiotics, but they are important food for probiotics, and help the growth of beneficial bacteria which in turn helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal environment.

It is important to note that ingested probiotics do not affect the gut flora long term, and are likely return to pre-probiotic condition within one to three weeks. So it is essential to keep eating probiotic-rich foods to maintain a healthy gut!

Healthier Heart

Natto contains fiber and as mentioned above high levels of probiotics, both which contribute to lower cholesterol levels. Additionally the fermentation process of natto produces an enzyme called natto-kinase, which has the highest anti-clotting activity compared to other enzymes, as well as vitamin K1 which also has an important role in blood-clotting; this helps to prevent strokes and heart attacks, and improves blood flow.

Furthermore, although there is not enough clinical research done(only a few clinical trials) to prove the following effects, it is believed that natto-kinase helps with

• lowering blood pressure

• decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels

• reduce calcium deposits and plaque size that causes hardening of arteries

Unlike Bacillus Natto, natto-kinase start to breaking down at around 50℃/ 122℉, so to ensure the full health benefits of natto, it is best to be eaten without cooking.

Boosts Brain Functions

Natto is loaded with compounds such as vitamin B1, B2, and K2, which help slow aging of the brain, and help reduce complications of the nervous system. Along with this, as stated above, natto is an extremely probiotic-rich food which along with all the other health benefits will help reduce stress, improve memory, and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, autism, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Although there has not been enough clinical testing, it is believed that the consumption of natto-kinase helps control elements that characterize Alzheimer's disease. It is also known to unravel protein fibrils associated with Alzheimer's as well.

Lastly, as natto is a soy product, it contains plenty of lecithin, which is a substance that helps improves memory, rejuvenates the brain and aids in combating the early stages of senility. Another substance from soy are isoflavones which help regulate the release of hormones.

Improve your immune system

As natto is a probiotic-rich food, it contributes to a healthy gut flora, which in turn contributes to suppression of the growth of harmful bacteria, and can boost the production of natural antibodies. Furthermore probiotics reduce the risk of infections, needing antibiotics for recovery from infections, and to boost recovery times if you do get sick. In addition to this natto is also a good source of vitamin C, iron, zinc, selenium and copper, all which aid in a stronger immune system.

As well as soy saponin in soy beans is an important ingredient for white blood cells that make up the bulk of your immune system; also, along with soy saponin polyglutamic acid in soy beans helps with the removal of toxic substances from the body.

Stronger Bones

Natto has many nutrients that build healthy bones. Although it does not contain as much calcium as milk, one serving(50g) contains 11% of the recommended daily intake; calcium is the main mineral, the core building block of your bones. On top of this as mentioned above, natto is one of the few plant sources for vitamin K2; it aids in the activation of bone-building proteins which help your bones absorb calcium, and prevents calcium from being leached from bones. This process helps to slow the age-related loss in bone density, and osteoporosis.

Other Health Benefits

-Helps to maintain healthy, smooth skin: natto is rich in Vitamin E, and PQQ

-Known to lower the risk of cancers: natto is rich in Soy isoflavones and vitamin K2, both which may be linked to lower risks of liver, prostate, digestive and breast cancer.

-May help in weight loss: natto is a good source of probiotics and fiber, which help in optimizing gastrointestinal health.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive health benefits of natto, it is believed that the long healthy life expectancy of Japanese people are the result of their regular consumption of natto; due to the lack of clinical data on the health benefits of natto, it has not yet been 100% ascertained that these are directly corelated, but there are many studies currently underway to analyze the true benefits of natto.

【When NOT to eat natto】

Although natto is generally safe to eat for most people, because it contains both natto-kinase and vitamin K1(not the same as vitamin K2) both of which have blood-thinning properties, if you are taking blood-thinning medication(E.G. Warfarin, Heparin, Fondaparinux, Rivaroxaban, etc.), it is recommended to talk to your family doctor before adding natto to your diet.

**In one serving(50g/1¾oz) of natto there is on average 435㎍ of vitamin K and 1500FU of natto-kinase