Natto is an ancient Japanese food made from the Natto soybeans. Natto is soaked and fermented, which makes the soybeans quite sticky, and produces a springy or web effect between each bean. It can be an acquired taste because the fermenting process makes the smell of natto very strong, and to some not used to the dish, unpleasant. It also tends to produce bad breath, though a vigorous tooth brushing using removes the traces that one has been snacking on natto.
In certain parts of Japan natto holds great popularity. It may be eaten as a breakfast food, sometimes with a little sugar, or may be served over rice. Some prefer to add sauces to natto and rice, and may use different hot mustards, soy sauce, quail eggs or grated radishes as a topping. It is quite nutritious and low in calories. It has about 7-8 grams of protein per serving, and each serving only has about 90 calories.
Natto is also celebrated for its high amounts of vitamin K, which makes it an outlaw food for those taking warfarin (brand name Coumadin�). It also is high in a number of anti-oxidants, particularly selenium. Natto also contains a protein called nattokinase, which may be a natural blood thinner. Since natto allows the soybeans to ferment and grow bacteria, it is also a probiotic food. Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Apr;30(4):845-6.
Intake of fermented soybean (natto) increased locomotor activity in mice. Mamiya T, Nishimura A.
Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Meijo University Japan. [email protected]
We fed mice food granules containing fermented soybean (natto in Japanese) powder (hereafter "natto granules") for 14 d to investigate whether natto granules had any effects on mouse behavior. We noted an enhancement of locomotor activity in natto-granule-fed mice compared to control and soybean-pellet-fed mice. This enhanced locomotor activity was blocked by a low dose of haloperidol (1 microg/kg i.p.), a dopamine receptor antagonist, but not by methysergide, a serotonin 5-HT(1/2) receptor antagonist. The results suggest that the enhanced locomotor activity induced by continuous intake of natto granules in mice is sensitive to haloperidol.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I took it in pill form once and it made me ill. I personally don't think soy is good for us.
Thanks for the interesting YouTube video though. Learn something new everyday!
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
The pill form, nattokinase, is an enzyme in soy. It is so processed that it is not like eating soy. I am allergic to soy but can take nattokinase with no problem.
The pill form isn't a probiotic. I take it as a blood thinner. I have a propensity to clot and I can't take any of the emdications because my body can't detox them.
Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
quote: I took it in pill form once and it made me ill.
Was that Natto or Nattokinase you took? Nattokinase is a pure protein that acts similarly to heparin.
Yes, it's still a mystery if soy bean does more good than bad, and if the higher longevity in Japanese has something to do with Natto consumption.
In addition to acting as a blood thinner and probiotics, Natto may reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women: Intake of fermented soybeans, natto, is associated with reduced bone loss in postmenopausal women: Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Study.
Anyway, I am going to make some Natto and try it out.
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)