Sticky, pungent, fermented soybean product with an acquired taste. Contains nattokinase (a fibrinolytic enzyme that dissolves fibrin — the protein scaffold of blood clots), menaquinone-7 (MK-7, the most bioavailable form of Vitamin K2), and 18g complete protein per cup. The fermentation produces the compounds not present in unfermented soybeans.
Available at Japanese and Korean grocery stores. Less common at mainstream stores. The most challenging food in the database for palatability — the acquired taste is real. Worth persisting with for the nattokinase.
Nattokinase is the critical mechanism. In clinical trials, oral nattokinase dissolves fibrin (blood clot material) in the bloodstream with fewer side effects than pharmaceutical thrombolytics. A 2015 clinical study found oral nattokinase significantly reduced cardiovascular event risk and arterial plaque in a 26-week trial. For Black Americans who have 2x the stroke rate of white Americans and higher rates of peripheral artery disease, a food that specifically addresses clot formation is directly relevant. Vitamin K2 (MK-7) is the form of vitamin K that activates matrix GLA protein to remove calcium from arteries — a direct mechanism against arterial calcification and stiffness, which is the underlying process in treatment-resistant hypertension. The calcium-magnesium-K2 combination in natto is the most complete bone-building + arterial protection package in any single food.
Sold refrigerated (or frozen) at Japanese and Asian grocery stores in small styrofoam packages. Eat with rice, mix with soy sauce + mustard + scallions (traditional Japanese preparation). The smell and texture are challenging initially — start with small amounts mixed into rice or grain bowls where the texture is disguised. The sticky quality is from polyglutamic acid, a prebiotic compound.
Free, no account needed to ask.