Know More About Natto

Know More About Natto

Nattō is a Japanese dish made from steamed soybeans fermented with bacillus subtilis. Usually Japanese people eat it as breakfast. The color is brown and sticky, the aroma is very sharp. Some people who are not familiar with the aroma, must immediately refuse to eat it.

That said, 1000 years ago a knight named Minamoto Yoshiie. He found and tasted boiled soybeans scattered in straw and was fermented (sorry for the mess maybe). Then from the 1600s (the end of the Edo period), natto became a common menu in Japan at breakfast.

Although the shape and taste are super strange, natto contains many benefits. Rich in protein because it comes from selected soybeans, and contains probiotics which are good for digestion. Natto has very unique characteristics, strong aroma, salty taste, and the sticky texture and mucus can be stretched up to 6 meters. Wow, huh?

Natto contains pyrazine compounds. Pyrazine functions to make blood clots. Natto also contains a protease enzyme which can also reduce blood clotting by fibrinolysis directly from clotting, and inhibits plasma plasminogen activator protein inhibitors. This enzyme can also help to avoid thrombosis, such as during a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or stroke.

Natto is a very high source of vitamin K, and contains good calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Not only that, natto is also very good for skin health, helps maintain the moisture of the skin so it looks young and healthy.