The Health Benefits of Natto

Do you like natto?

Do you know what natto is?

Natto is a Japanese food.

It's fermented soybeans.

It has a strong, somewhat unpleasant smell.

It is sticky and stringy.

However, it's so tasty and good for your health!

Actually, I didn't like it the first couple times I tried it because of the smell.

I love it now!

Natto is a great source of protein.

Also, it has the following health benefits:

- Anti-aging effect

Natto contains polyamine, which is necessary for cell division. Active cell division contributes to staying young.

- Relieves constipation

I am not constipated anyway, but I have a bowel movement after eating natto. The sliminess of natto and fibers help.

- Thrombolytic effect

Natto contains an enzyme called nattokinase. It has a thrombolytic and blood thinning effect. However, nattokinase is damaged by heat, so it's best to eat natto without heating to preserve the effectiveness of nattokinase.

- Prevention of osteoporosis

Natto contains not only calcium but also vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 has a blood clotting effect and also helps to deposit more calcium in bones.

It seems that natto contains both an ingredient that has a blood thinning effect (nattokinase), as well as an ingredient that has a blood clotting effect (vitamin K2), so I'm not sure how this affects your blood actually.

I recommend you to consult with a doctor if you have a blood issue.

Although natto is very nutritious, you shouldn't eat too much in one day (this is applicable to other foods as well).

The recommended limit you can enjoy safely is two packs per day.

If you eat too much natto in one day, then you might have taken in too much isoflavone (which could disturb the balance of female hormones, but a moderate amount of it helps in preventing osteoporosis) and too much selenium (which could cause nausea, diarrhea, etc. but a moderate amount of it has an antioxidant effect).

However, I have eaten three packs of natto in a day. It had been so rare for me to do so, and I haven't done that since I came to the U.S. I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to freak out if you exceed two packs without knowing it.

Below is a natto pasta recipe. This is very easy.


1. Ideally, it's better to defrost natto at room temperature, since nattokinase is damaged by heat.

So, take the packet(s) of natto out of the freezer a couple hours before cooking if possible.

If you use normal sized packet(s), an appropriate amount is one packet per person.

There are bigger packets that contain two servings in one packet. If you use that kind, you will need half the number of packets as the number of people.

2. Boil a pasta of your choice.

I often use whole wheat thin spaghetti since it cooks quickly.

3. If you were not able to defrost the natto beforehand, microwave the frozen natto.

If you did, continue to step 4.

I will do 15 seconds or so in the original styrofoam container, since it is hard to remove natto from the container when it's fully frozen.

If it's still difficult to remove, you can add more time.

After that, put the natto in a different bowl/plate that is not plastic/styrofoam.

Microwave it for 15 seconds or so.

Check if the natto is defrosted, if not, add more time. Do not overheat.

4. Mix the accompanying sauce with the natto if sauce comes with it. If not, add a little bit of soy sauce.

5. Place the natto on top of your pasta.

6. Mix them as you eat.

Natto is usually available in Japanese grocery stores and sometimes in Asian grocery stores.

Thanks for reading and have a great day :)