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Jan 25, 2021 · A brief history. There are various theories as to how and where Nattō first saw light. The general idea usually is about cooked soybeans wrapped in straw fermenting naturally. People gave it a try, enjoyed it, and ended up fermenting beans on purpose. One such story is linked to Mito City in Ibaraki Prefecture.
- Overview
- What is natto?
- It is rich in several nutrients
- Natto improves your digestion
- It contributes to stronger bones
- It promotes heart health
- Natto may strengthen your immune system
- Other potential benefits
- Should you eat natto?
- How to make homemade natto
Natto is a traditional Japanese dish consisting of fermented soybeans and characterized by a slimy, sticky and stringy texture. It has many nutritional benefits.
While few people in the Western world have heard of natto, it’s very popular in Japan.
This fermented food has a unique consistency and surprising smell. In fact, many say it’s an acquired taste. However, you shouldn’t be deterred by this.
Natto is incredibly nutritious and linked to various health benefits, which range from stronger bones to a healthier heart and immune system.
Natto is easily recognizable by its distinctive, somewhat pungent smell, while its flavor is commonly described as nutty.
In Japan, natto is typically topped with soy sauce, mustard, chives or other seasonings and served with cooked rice.
Traditionally, natto was made by wrapping boiled soybeans in rice straw, which naturally contains the bacteria Bacillus subtilis on its surface (1).
Doing so allowed the bacteria to ferment the sugars present in the beans, eventually producing natto.
However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the B. subtilis bacteria was identified and isolated by scientists, which modernized this preparation method (2).
Nowadays, the rice straw has been replaced with styrofoam boxes in which B. subtilis can be directly added to boiled soybeans to start the fermentation process.
Natto is super nutritious. It contains good levels of many nutrients that are important for optimal health. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion provides the following (3, 4):
•Calories: 211
•Fat: 11 grams
•Carbs: 13 grams
•Fiber: 5 grams
•Protein: 19 grams
Your gut contains trillions of microorganisms — more than 10 times the total number of cells found in your body (11).
Having the right type of bacteria in your gut creates a healthy gut flora, which is linked to numerous health benefits like improved digestion (12, 13, 14).
The probiotics in natto can act as your gut’s first line of defense against toxins and harmful bacteria.
Researchers report that probiotics can help reduce gas, constipation, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and bloating, in addition to symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (15, 16, 17).
In addition, soybeans naturally contain antinutrients, which can make it more difficult for your body to digest them. Antinutrients can also reduce the amount of nutrients your body absorbs from foods and may cause bloating or nausea in some people (18).
Interestingly, natto fermentation helps reduce the levels of antinutrients that are naturally found in soybeans, facilitating their digestion (6, 19).
Natto is rich in several nutrients that contribute to healthy bones.
To start, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of natto provides 17% of the daily value (DV) of calcium, the main mineral found in your bones (20). In addition, natto is one of the rare plant sources of vitamin K2.
Vitamin K2 plays an essential role in bone health by activating bone-building proteins that help bring calcium into your bones and keep it there (21, 22).
It should not be confused with vitamin K1, which plays an important role in blood clotting. For reference, natto contains both vitamins K1 and K2 (3, 20).
Studies show vitamin K2 supplements can slow age-related loss in bone mineral density and may reduce the risk of certain types of fractures (23, 24, 25).
Nonetheless, some of the studies on vitamin K2 and bone health used very high supplement dosages. While eating natto can raise your vitamin K2 levels, it’s not yet known whether eating natto alone would provide the same level of benefits (26).
Natto may also contribute to a healthier heart.
That’s partly because it contains fiber, which can help reduce cholesterol levels (27, 28).
Furthermore, natto fermentation produces nattokinase, a type of enzyme that helps dissolve blood clots. It seems to be especially concentrated in the “stringy portion” of natto (29, 30, 31).
Moreover, Japanese researchers report that natto may help lower blood pressure by inactivating angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), which helps control blood pressure.
In fact, several studies show that nattokinase supplements reduced blood pressure by around 3–5.5 mmHg in participants with initial blood pressure values of 130/90 mmHg or higher (32, 33).
Finally, in addition to strengthening your bones, the vitamin K2 in natto may help prevent calcium deposits from accumulating in your arteries, although research is mixed (34, 35, 36).
Natto contains several nutrients that may help strengthen your immune system.
To begin with, probiotic-rich foods such as natto contribute to a healthy gut flora. In turn, a healthy gut flora helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and may even boost your production of natural antibodies (40, 41, 42).
Moreover, probiotics further reduce the risk of infection and may help you recover faster if you do get sick (43, 44).
In one study, elderly people were provided 2 billion CFU of B. subtilis — the probiotic strain found in natto — or a placebo. Those given the probiotic strain were 55% less likely to suffer from a respiratory infection over the four-month study period (45).
What’s more, a probiotic-rich diet may also reduce the likelihood of needing antibiotics to recover from an infection by around 33% (46).
In addition to its high probiotic content, natto is rich in vitamin C, iron, zinc, selenium and copper, all of which play important roles in immune function (47, 48).
Regularly eating natto may provide several other benefits:
•May reduce the risk of cancer: Natto contains soy isoflavones and vitamin K2, both of which may be linked to a lower risk of cancer (49, 50).
•May help you lose weight: Natto contains good amounts of probiotics and fiber, both of which may play a role in preventing weight gain and optimizing weight loss (51, 52).
That said, it’s important to note that the amount of studies directly linking natto to these benefits remains small.
Overall, more studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made.
Summary:
Natto consumption is generally safe for most people.
Nevertheless, natto contains vitamin K1, which plays a role in blood-clotting. For this reason, individuals already taking blood-thinning medication should seek advice from their doctor before adding natto to their diets.
In addition, natto is made from soybeans, which are considered a goitrogen (53).
This means it may interfere with the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, especially in individuals with an already poorly functioning thyroid.
This is unlikely to pose a problem for healthy individuals. However, those with impaired thyroid function may want to limit their intake.
Summary:
Natto can be found in most Asian supermarkets, but it can also be made at home.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
•1.5 pounds (0.7 kg) of soybeans
•Water
•Natto starter or a package of store-bought natto
•A large cooking pot
Nattō ( 納豆) is a traditional Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto. [1] . It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. [2] . It is served with karashi mustard, soy or tare sauce, and sometimes Japanese bunching onion.
Feb 16, 2022 · Natto. The (In)Famous Fermented Soybeans. ⏱ 5 minutes. Natto is a traditional Japanese food rich in proteins and made from fermented soybeans. This very popular dish is said to have been first consumed in Japan more than 1,000 years ago.
May 13, 2022 · Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It’s characterized by its unique smell and stringy, sticky consistency, and is one of Japan’s most popular breakfast dishes. It is also one of the few processed foods where the whole soybean can be eaten as they are.
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Apr 3, 2023 · Natto: The Fermented Bean Dish You Should Try At Least Once. Masa44/Getty Images. By Nikita Ephanov / April 2, 2023 7:00 pm EST. Soybean products are found in many forms — be it tofu, soy milk,...
May 4, 2020 · According to reports in Japan Today, natto is currently more popular than ever in Japan, seeing a jump of 20% in consumption from last year. There are even – completely unsubstantiated – rumours that the natto fermented soybeans may be beneficial against coronavirus, after reports that the areas of Japan that consumed the most natto had the ...
