The Benefits of Natto in Supporting Heart Health: A Soy-based Fermented Food that Looks and Tastes a Little like Cheese

There’s a specialized enzyme in natto call nattokinase that’s shown promise for supporting healthy circulation. It was also found to support the body’s normal blood-clotting mechanisms, which could be curcial to preventing blood clots and strokes.

In a recent visit to my naturopathic health practioner, I overheard a conversation about why one particular individual was “sold” on natto because, she said, Japan has one of the highest consumption rates of natto and also one of the lowest disease rates in the world. That hardly sounded like scientific evidence enough to be “sold” on the benefits of natto, but it piqued my interest enough to do some research into what natto is and what, if any, ties it has to disease rates. What I learned was intriguing, not so much as to disease rates in Japan, but particularly as to how natto relates to heart health.

Natto is little more than cooked soybeans that have been fermented. The fermentation process breaks down the soybeans’ complex proteins and forms a sticky, cheese-like substance that’s easier to digest. I am not fond of the taste, but I could get used to it. It’s been said if you like blue cheese, you’ll like natto. For me, that’s a stretch. But, if a product really has proven medicinal benefits, I can overlook the taste – or at least get used to it.

According to the website of one Kazuo Shiroki, natto has been a traditional Japanese staple for centuries and is, in fact, recognized in Japan for its prevention of heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. Springboard for Health reports that in 1980, Dr. Hiroyuki Sumi discovered that natto contains the nattokinase enzyme. Although other soy products contain enzymes, natto’s fermentation process makes it the only soy-based food that contains the specific nattokinase enzyme. It’s that enzyme that’s said to be so beneficial to heart health.

Specifically, Dr. Sumi was testing more than 170 different foods for their ability to promote healthy circulation. What he found was that nattokinase (the name he chose for this particular enzyme in natto) performed the best of all the foods tested.

The human body produces several compounds that cause blood to clot, but one of the most important is fibrin. Fibrin also determines the thickness of one’s blood throughout the entire circulatory system. Blood clots tend to occur in blood vessels damaged by arterosclerosis or in vessels with a sluggish blood flow. When a clot forms in a vein, a portion of the clot may break off and become lodged in the arteries of the heart, the lung, the kidney or capillaries to the brain – unless the clot is dissolved or removed.

There is just one primary enzyme, called plasmin, that breaks down fibrin and prevents clots. Dr. Sumi found that the properties of nattokinase bore a close resemblance to plasmin in its ability to break down fibrin. It also enhances the body’s own production of plasmin. Thus, nattokinase may be a natural supplement in terms of cardiovascular health.

It’s said that plasmin production declines as the body ages. However, there are no plasmin supplements. Thus, Dr. Sumi’s research is of particular interest to naturopathic health practioners who believe nattokinase can act as a plasmin replacement.

As a result of Dr. Sumi’s research, it has been determined that consuming natto is a benefit to heart health because the nattokinase enzyme acts as a support for normal circulation and blood thickness. It supports the body’s production of plasmin, which reduces the clot-producing fibrin, and it’s said to help maintain normal blood pressure levels.

Thus far, however, the FDA has not evaluated the research on nattokinase, and consumers would do well to follow their healthcare provider’s recommendations before supplementing their diet with nattokinase, if the purpose is for improved heath heart health.

Sources:

Kazuo Shiroki; http://www.gaia21.net/natto/natto.htm

Springboard for Health; http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/health_nattokinase.html