If you want to add some healthy food to your diet, then natto is your right choice. Natto is also known as nattokinase. This Japanese superfood has nutrients that can help lower cholesterol levels, and it will keep your bones and heart healthy. This traditional food is consumed as a Japanese breakfast with rice, fish, and miso soup. Natto, miso, tempeh, and tofu are all whole food forms of soybean.
Natto is fermented, which gives its health benefits. This food is made by soaking whole soybeans, then boiling or steaming them, and after this process, the bacteria Bacillus subtilis is added to this mixture. This food is known to be a rather acquired taste, probably due to its texture and smell. There are many people for who the ammonia smell may evoke a mixture of old socks and cheese.
The texture of natto resembles a sticky, stringy, and gooey small bean, which also adds to its unappealing nature. It is known that people have strong feelings towards natto – they tend to either love it or hate it. But this food has many health benefits.
Some studies say that nattokinase in natto is safe when it is eaten in the amount of food, but if you take it in supplement form, you should take it with caution.
6 Natto health benefits
Contents
Beautifies skin and purifies the blood
Natto has fiber, lecithin, and linoleic acid, which can help in the purification of blood and it can improve digestion. Also, it is rich in Vitamin PQQ, which you may not have heard about. This vitamin gained through diet is crucial for maintaining beautiful and healthy skin. Blood purification is necessary for healthy skin; when you consume natto, you will get both.
Provides probiotics
This is a very healthy food because the soybeans from which are made natto are not fermented. The processes of soybeans are not fermented because they can cause health problems such as thyroid and hormone dysfunction. But the fermentation process can help in the elimination of these problems.
Also, fermented soy has a significant amount of bacterial cultures, which are beneficial for health. Natto is a great home remedy for constipation because it can help your digestive system to act as a natural laxative.
Helps in weight loss
In 100 grams of natto, there are 5 grams of dietary fiber and 212 calories. This is a very good food which can help you if you want to lose weight. In 100 grams of natto, there are 11 grams of fat content, which is why you should not be worried about gaining weight because fats are required for your body for energy.
Provides iron and proteins
This is a very popular food among vegetarians and vegans because it allows them to get important nutrients normally obtained from meat and meat products, such as proteins and iron.
In 100 grams of natto, 17.7 milligrams of protein, which is included in all eight essential amino acids, which are 35% of the recommended daily intake. When you consume natto, you will get 8.6 milligrams of iron which is 48% of the recommended daily intake amount. Iron is required to transport oxygen to the lungs; protein can help build cells and muscles.
Provides Vitamin C
In 100 grams of natto, there are 13 milligrams of Vitamin C which is 22% of the daily recommended intake. This is an essential vitamin for our bodies and possesses antioxidant properties. It can protect you against the damage caused by free radicals, which can cause degenerative diseases (such as cystic fibrosis and macular degeneration) and cancer. Also, natto is rich in properties that can boost the immune system.
Strengthens bones and teeth
In 100 grams of natto, you will get 217 milligrams of calcium, 22% of the recommended daily intake. Also, there are 115 milligrams of magnesium which is 29% of the recommended daily intake. Calcium is important for strong bones and teeth, but magnesium is also essential for absorbing calcium.
Natto is rich in these minerals, making it one of the best bone-building foods. It can protect your body from bone–related diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and gout.
