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Natto is a fermented soya bean product which is popular in its homeland Japan but due to its unique flavor and texture it has not yet caught on in North America. The flavor is much like strong cheese with a stringy coating, kind of like okra, which gives it its texture.
This may not sound very appealing but if you have developed a taste for coffee, beer or cigarettes you know that developing a taste for anything is possible! The difference between natto and the other three is that natto has a surprising number of health benefits. Whereas the other three are not known for their health producing effects.
Here are ten reasons why you should learn to love natto.
It helps develop strong bones and teeth
In the past we were led to believe that calcium availability is the most important factor in having strong bones. The logic seemed to be that our bones are made up of mostly calcium therefor if there isn’t calcium available we would have weak bones.
Unfortunately this is not the case. The availability of calcium is only half the battle in maintaining strong bones and teeth. The other part if it is to transport the calcium into the bones.
There are two vitamins which are vital to this process. The first Vitamin D which our skin can produce with exposure to sunlight and is also added to milk in North America.
The other is vitamin K2. This means that if you do not have enough K2 all the calcium supplements you take will literally go down the drain.
Vitamin K2 helps proteins in your body to deposit calcium into your bones.
Natto is the highest known food source of vitamin K2 along with its high levels of calcium and magnesium. When eaten regularly it will have positive effects on your bones and teeth.
It helps to reduce blood clots which can cause heart attacks and strokes
The ability of our body to produce blood clots is a wonderful thing when you have injuries but if those clots are not broken down and remain in our systems then they can be dangerous. Blood clots in the cardiovascular system can lead to blocking important arteries which feed the heart and brain. Therefore it is important that those clots are broken down and the components reused in our systems when the work they needed to do is complete.
Natto has an enzyme in it which helps our systems to break down these leftover clots reducing our risk of having a cardiovascular incident (heart attack) or a stroke. This enzyme called nattokinase and it dissolves blood clots as well as arterial plaque which leads to narrowing of the arteries and high blood pressure.
It has positive effects on Alzheimer’s patients
Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease which robs sufferers of their ability to take care of themselves. The causes of it are still under investigation but the results on the brain are readily apparent.
Parts of the brain atrophy as a form of plaque develops within the brain. It is this plaque that seems to cause the damage to the brain which effects the short term memory and eventually longer term memory.
Not only is nattokinase a powerful enzyme for the breaking down of blood clots but it also helps to break down the amyloid fibrils (the plaque) which form in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. This can have a positive effect on those suffering from this debilitating disease.
It is high in B vitamins
This family of vitamins are known for their energy producing benefits. They help your body convert the food you eat into energy. They are building blocks of some hormones, help in production of red blood cells and improve cognition.
B vitamins are not made by humans and must be consumed in the diet, which in North America is sadly lacking in nutritional value.
Our diet is full of over processed factory farmed food which is grown for profit rather than nutritional value. Farmers are not paid for the vitamins and minerals in the food they produce but by weight and volume.
Besides that the food which is produced is then denatured through processing which destroys most of the food value it had in the first place.
Natto does not require high heat, drying or any other process which destroys the vitamin content of the food.
It is essentially soaked steamed and fermented under warm temperatures for 16-24 hours. Producing a product which has high nutritional value and is easy to digest.
The nutritional profile of natto includes several of the sought after B vitamins.
- Pantothenic acid
- Riboflavin
- Thiamin
- Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
Is a good source of iron
Iron is a valuable mineral which is used in the production of red blood cells. These cells transport oxygen to all the cells on your body. A lack of iron hinders the amount of red blood cells your body can make.
If you are low in iron then consuming foods which are high in iron is the best way of improving your iron count. Natto is a good source of iron and since it is a whole food it also contains the needed vitamins and enzymes to make it available to our bodies.
One serving of natto (100g) contains 48% of the RDI of iron. This makes it one of the best vegetable sources of iron available.
Is high in protein
Protein is another nutritional additive which is big today. Health advocates all promote protein shakes and other concentrated forms of protein. Most have been made from residues remaining after other commercial food products have been made (like whey from cheese making).
They are a way for the commercial food manufacturers to make money on a waste product. They are highly commercial products which need added colors, flavors and sweeteners to make them palatable. They add calories (mostly empty) to the diet and the worst part is that along with the unnatural ingredients comes toxic chemicals which are concentrated by the manufacturing process.
Samples of protein powders have been found to contain high levels of heavy metals in them as well as pesticide residues leftover from the original substrate which was used to refine the protein.
Rather than consuming another denatured “health” food try having a serving of natto. One serving contains 18 grams or so of protein in a food which is easily digested and assimilated. Not something which the commercialized protein powders can promote.
Is the highest known source of PQQ
What the heck is PQQ? PYRROLOQUINOLINE QUINONE or PQQ is a not really a vitamin or an enzyme but it has positive effects on the number and efficiency of your mitochondria. This gives you more energy on a cellular level.
Mitochondria are the power houses of the cells. They help to ensure the DNA is replicated properly when the cell duplicates itself and provides energy to power the cell. It also has positive effects on memory and sleep by reducing stress from too much cortisol.
Natto is a good source of PQQ with 61 ng/g making it a great addition to your health regimen.
Has a high probiotic count
Probiotics are all the rage now, and for good reason since they help to maintain your gut health and support the immune system. The research is just starting and it has a positive trend.
Probiotics seem to have positive effects on mood, gut health, cancer risk and cardiovascular health.
Of course you can get your probiotics in a pill but history has shown that this method may not be the best value for your money (or health).
It is much better if you can get your probiotics with your food. This is why the more probiotic rich foods you can consume the better. Now I don’t mean you should overdose on any one fermented food but instead have a wide variety of fermented foods throughout the day.
One of which is natto. It contains anywhere between 50,000,000 to 50,000,000,000 colony forming units (CFU’s) per serving.
Natto being a traditional Japanese breakfast could be one of the first fermented foods of the day. You could try it the traditional way with warm rice, an egg yolk, and some rice vinegar and mustard for flavoring.
If you are not feeling that adventurous you could have it in a smoothie or the way I like it simply with some kefir and mustard (fermented of course). This makes a power packed probiotic start to the day.
Is great for the kidneys
Anyone who has experienced passing a kidney stone will attest that the wrong place to have excess calcium is in the kidneys. Too much calcium in the kidneys can produce crystals which form in the ducts of the kidney and eventually stones which block proper kidney function. This slowly hinders the kidney’s ability to filter out toxins from the blood.
The worst part is that it happens slowly and the kidneys do not have any sense of pain, only when a stone is dislodged and starts to move towards the bladder does the pain start.
Something no one wants to feel.
Vitamin K2 helps to regulate where calcium is deposited in the body. It prevents calcium from being deposited on arterial walls and in the kidneys and promotes depositing it in the bones.
In clinical studies it was found that people with chronic kidney disease are also low in vitamin K2. Since we cannot make enough of this vital vitamin ourselves it seems logical that the reason for this deficiency is from a lack of it in our diets.
One sure way to ensure that you get enough vitamin K2 is to eat foods which contain it, and you guessed it natto is high in vitamin K2. It can supply 22% of the RDI of K2 in one 100g serving.
It also comes packaged up by nature to aid in the absorption of the K2.
It actually tastes good
Now there are some things which taste good to you the first time you have them. Like strawberries, cherries and ice cream, but some of the best flavors are ones which are cultivated.
Wine, coffee and cheese are good examples of this. It is not until you have developed a palette for good coffee that you can taste the variation in crema of different coffee beans and coffee making techniques.
You have probably done the same thing with coffee and alcohol. The first time you tried them you probably didn’t like them. In fact you most likely had to have some peer pressure to try it the first and several subsequent times until you learned to like the effects they had on your system.
The thing about natto is we are not used to it. Just like anything we are not used to it seems strange and unpleasant. But if you give it a chance and try it a few different ways you are sure to begin to tolerate and then enjoy it.
Natto is grown for the supplement market. Large amounts of it are needed to produce nattokinase supplements which are promoted for its plaque and blood clot busting ability. The natto is then processes and the nattokinase is isolated from the natto and concentrated into a pill.
Coffee gives you energy. Alcohol can improve your mood.
Well, natto can make you healthy so why not start developing a taste for it now?