How to make meals with nattokinase
- jearungby
- Jun 25
- 10 min read
Natto is a traditional Japanese food made by fermenting whole soybeans with Bacillus subtilus. Natto can easily be fermented on other beans than soybeans. Natto is eaten in many Asian countries including China.
The fermentation results in the formation of a slimy consistency and a strong flavour and taste.
Natto has been eaten in Japan with cooked rice as a breakfast food, for around 2000 years. Natto has plenty of health benefits.
When the Bacillus subtilus bacteria grow on the cooked beans they produce a slimy coating. The high viscosity and the slimy texture along with the characteristic taste tell you, that the quality of the Natto is good. It has a distinctive smell, like medium mature cheese. Many find the taste unpleasant and smelly, while others relish it as a delicacy. The characteristic aroma is due to pyrazine.
Health benefits
Natto is healthy food containing a lot of protein (18% when grown on soya beans) and other nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, protein, potassium, vitamins B6, B2, E and K2.
Natto has recently received keen attention because of nattokinase, an enzyme produced by Bacillus natto that can dissolve blood clots. Pyrazine, the compound that gives natto its distinctive smell, prevents the formation of blood clots. Natto contains large amounts of vitamin K that is essential for good bone health.
The enzyme, nattokinase, is the active ingredient in natto. It goes from the gut to the blood. It has many beneficial properties such as:
· Cardiovascular benefits:
Nattokinase has fibrinolytic (breaks down blood clots and scar tissue), proteolytic and antithrombotic (prevents blood clots), antihypertensive (lowers blood pressure) and reduces lipids in the blood.
· Neuroprotective effect. Nattokinase protects nerve tissue.
· Increases libido. Annecdotes report improvement in erectile dysfunction, maybe because of improved blood flow.
· Probiotic properties.
· Antiviral effects.
Natto extracts contain proteases (enzymes) that prevent viral infections because the viral proteins are broken down by nattokinase. This applies to both the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 and from Covid-19 "vaccines" as well as other viruses, including certain types of herpes viruses.
Se scientific sources below.
How to get your daily Natto:
Nattokinase can be consumed either as a dietary supplement or as part of a meal.
The easy way:
Dietary supplements:
Daily dose in the form of dietary supplements: 100 mg = 2000 fibrinolytic units twice a day for adults (80 kg.) The dose can be increased to 200 mg = 4000 units 2 times a day but should not be combined with other blood thinners or start up treatment without the advice of your physician. According to cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough, MD, Nattokinase can complement middle strong and mild blood thinners (anticoagulative). Some poeple are allergic to Soy protein. Thus, they should avoid natto based on soy protein.
Since natto has been eaten as part of a meal for 2000 years, side effects are thought to be relatively rare. However, too much natto can cause headaches, which may be a sign of detoxification. Heating above 99 degrees will destroy the enzyme, which then becomes ineffective.
The cheap and tasty way:
Natto in meals:
You can make Natto yourself?
When buying natto starter culture, you can make your own natto and add it to your daily meals.
The old fashion way is to ferment Natto on soybeans. This is where most people resign, because the soybeans must be boiled for a long time (approx. 8 hours) before the pot is taken off the stove and the Natto culture is added.
Don’t despair. Natto can be grown on a variety of other beans, that only need 35 – 45 minutes of boiling and – in my opinion - with a tastier result.
Some love the cheesy taste, others hate it.
Once you have made a large production, smaller portions can be put into stews and salads. Se recipes further down.
How to make your own Natto
The production of natto takes approximately 2 days and the process is actually very simple. Natto can be made from most beans, but smaller beans are preferred, as the fermentation process will be able to reach the centre of the bean more easily. I prefer ecological green mung beans as they only need cooking for 35 - 45 minutes and they are tastier than the soybeans.
· The beans are washed and soaked in water for about 8 - 12 hours depending on the type of bean.
· Change the water before cooking.
· Then the beans are cooked or steamed until they are soft.
· After cooking, let the cooked beans stay in the pot, because the pot is naturally sterilized by the cooking process. This way, the chances of other kinds of cultures invading and disturbing the fermentation process is very low.
· Put the spoon in boiled (sterilize) water before stirring.
· Make sure the lit stays sterile.
· Wait 3 – 5 minutes after cooking for the temperature to be below 90 degrees (preferably 80 degrees). Use a thermometer. It is important to add the natto starter while the beans are still very hot, as the heat shock will revive the bacillus spores and kill any unwanted bacteria.
· The hot beans are then mixed with natto starter (1 g of natto starter approx. 1/4 teaspoon) and stir well.
· Then ferment at 40°C (104°F). for 12 hours, or longer if a stronger taste is preferred. The Scandinavian (easy)way is to place the pot, with the lid on, wrapped in a duvet for 20 hours just like rice porridge. Alternatively, place the pot or containers in an oven at 40°C for 8 to 12 hours. You can also use a thermo-box and regulate the temperature with hot water bottles.
· If the consistency is slimy (se photo), the culture is ready. It can then be put into smaller sterilized containers and stored in the fridge for a long time. The culture can also be frozen (max minus 30 degrees).
· Natto can live for several weeks in the refrigerator, slowly getting stronger. After 3 – 6 weeks the culture must be renewed by adding it to a new portion of cooked beans. This way, you always have a culture, part of which can be used for different dishes.
Natto starter and where to buy Natto
From their homepage: “The Natto culture contains Bacillus subtilus var. natto in high quantities and is free of pathogenic bacteria, such as salmonella. The natto starter is made from GMO-free ingredients, is gluten and dairy free, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The production facilities are regularly inspected by the FAVV, the local health authority. We offer natto starter culture of the highest quality.”
Natto in daily meals.
Natto has a slight umami and bitter taste. The principle in fine kitchen is to make sure every dish includes the 5 basic tastes qualities: Bitter, sweet, salt, sour and umami. This way any dish becomes tasty.
Natto mango tabouleh.
This salad is inspired by the Lebanese kitchen.
A dish for 4 – 5 people.
Ingredients:
· Four spoons of freshly made Natto.
· Cold pressed virgin olive oil, 3 - 4 spoons.
· 1 onion (red or white), chopped to small pieces.
· A handful of spring onions finely chopped to small pieces.
· 4 sweet middle size tomatoes finely chopped to small pieces.
· Half of a grated unripe mango finely chopped. Can be replaced by finely chopped cucumber.
· 2 handfuls of parsley finely chopped. Can be replaced by fresh coriander or mint leaves.
· 3 cloves of pressed garlic
· Salt, black pepper, curcumin powder, ground black or brown cumin and a touch of chili according to taste.
· The juice and grated peel from an ecological lemon.
· Mix all ingredients a bowl, stir well and serve with chicken, beef or all kinds of stews.
Natto can be incorporated in other kinds of salad and other meals. Join our workshop in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, to get more dishes and learn more about how to use healhy herbs and cultures in daily life to keep long lasting good health. Prices from 1580 euros for 5 days and 6 nights.
Natto in stews
Natto can be added to different kinds of stews or placed underneath 2 fried eggs with a few roasted vegetables, if you have a busy day. The dose or amount of Natto per person is 1 spoon per day, when the Natto is recently made. For every week in refrigerator use half the dose.
Remember, that the Natto gets stronger (more concentrated) with time. Accordingly, the dose must go down. If you freeze small portions of Natto below 30 degrees Celsius (-22°F), it will slow down the fermentation and the dose is easier to control.
If you eat too much Natto, you will get headache and sometimes increased bowel movements.
The stews, e.g. chili con carne, must only be added natto when the temperature is below 90 degrees Celsius (194°F), as the effect of the enzymes in natto are temperature sensitive. The stew, once Natto is added, must not be heated on the stove above 90 degrees Celsius or in the microwave because the enzymes will be inactivated.
If you are too busy to make natto yourself, it can be bought in specialist shops with an Asian or Japanese audience.
Research:
Below is a selection of important studies documenting the effect of nattokinase.
These studies can be divided into in vitro studies (in test tubes), in vivo studies (in the body) and review articles. In vitro studies generally do not take into account a possible breakdown of the product in the stomach acid. Since in vivo studies take place in humans or animals, they will always weigh more heavily. However, in vitro studies should always be performed before in vivo studies for reasons of safety for living beings. Review articles are studies that review many different studies on the same topic.
In vitro studies:
Research has shown that nattokinase has a degrading effect on the spike protein from COVID-19 virus or the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a well-conducted in vitro study from July 2021 (1), Oba et al found that natto extract completely prevented infection with both SARS-CoV-2 and bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1). They also discovered that glycoprotein D of BHV-1 was degraded into smaller pieces detected by Western blot analysis and that recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) was degraded if added to the natto extract. Even the receptor binding domains of mutated spike proteins were degraded. This is a very promising result, as we know that mutations occur in the coronavirus. We also know that off-target proteins are formed in a number of individuals who have received Pfizer's COVID-19 "vaccine".
When the natto extract was heated to 100 degrees Celsius, it lost its ability to break down both types of glycoproteins from SARS-CoV-2 and BHV-1, which were then able to infect the cells.
The study also showed that the active ingredient in nattokinase is an enzyme called serine protease. Thus the conclusion from the study is that nattokinase is able to breake down the infectious proteins from viruses by means of proteolysis and hereby prevent infection and the harms of certain glycoproteins, such as the spike protein.
Another in vitro study by Tanikawa et al from 2022 (2) has shown that the breakdown of spike proteins into smaller units has a clear correlation with the given dose in a temporal context. In this study, spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 and then nattokinase were added to a liquid with cells
Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the spike protein on the surface of the cells was degraded when nattokinase was added. Hereby, the results from the study suggest that nattokinase represents a potential for breaking down spike protein and thereby preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as damages caused by the COVID-19 vaccine spike proteins.
In vivo studies:
In this prospective cohort study from Japan by Nozue et al. the authors chose to investigate whether consumption of fermented soy products had a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disorders (CVD) and the incidence of total cancer. The authors included 79,648 participants (42,788 women and 36,860 men) aged 45 – 74 years, with no history of myocardial infarction (blood clot in the heart), stroke (blood clot in the brain) or cancer. Participants completed a dietary intake questionnaire. The result showed significantly fewer cases of cardiovascular and stroke among women who consumed fermented soy products including natto and isoflavones. Unfortunately, similarly significant results could not be demonstrated for men. No significant results were found for the reduction of cancers either.
Overview articles
In the following, reference is made to an overview study on nattokinase.
Because cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of death in the world, studies of foods and food items with preventive and beneficial treatment effects on the circulation are of great interest. Regular consumption of nattokinase has been shown to have a beneficial effect on a number of cardiovascular factors such as fibrinolytic effect when breaking down blood clots and scar tissue in the walls of blood vessels, antihypertensive effect (lowering of blood pressure), anti-arteriosclerotic effect (prevention of "calcified" blood vessels), reduction of lipid levels in the blood, blood thinning and nerve tissue protective effects. Through these mentioned effects, a reduction of cardiovascular-based mortality has been shown (4.)
References on Nattokinase:
1. Natto extract, a Japanese fermented soybean food, directly inhibits viral infections including SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Oba M, Rongduo W, Saito A, et al. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2021;570:21–25. - PMC - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34271432/
2. Degradative effect of nattokinase on spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Tanikawa T, Kiba Y, Yu J, et al. Molecules. 2022;27:5405. - PMC -PubMedhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36080170/
3. Fermented soy products intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and total cancer incidence: The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective study. Nozue et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-020-00732-1
4. Nattokinase: A Promising Alternative in Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases. Chen et al. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6043915/
5. Clinical rationale for SARS-CoV-2 base spike protein detoxification in post COVID-19 and vaccine injury syndromes. McCullough PA, Wynn C, Procter BC. https://jpands.org/vol28no3/mccullough.pdf J Am Physicians Surg. 2023;28:90–93.
5. Microbial nattokinase: from synthesis to potential application. Sheng Y, Yang J, Wang C, Sun X, Yan L. Food Funct. 2023;14:2568–2585. - PubMedhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36857725/
6. Nattokinase: production and application. Dabbagh F, Negahdaripour M, Berenjian A, et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2014;98:9199–9206. -PubMedhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25348469/
7. A single-dose of oral nattokinase potentiates thrombolysis and anti-coagulation profiles. Kurosawa Y, Nirengi S, Homma T, Esaki K, Ohta M, Clark JF, Hamaoka T. Sci Rep. 2015;5:11601. - PMC - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26109079/
8. Comparative Cardioprotective Effectiveness: NOACs vs. Nattokinase—Bridging Basic Research to Clinical Findings. Muric M, Nicolic M, Todorovic A, Jakovljevic V, Vucicevic K. https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/8/956?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
9. Automated microscopic measurement of fibrinaloid microclots and their degradation by nattokinase, the main natto protease. Grixti JM, Theron WT, Salcedo-Sora JE, Pretorius E, Kell DB.https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.06.588397v1
10. Clinical Approach to Post-acute Sequelae After COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination. Hulscher N, Procter BC, Wynn C, McCullough PA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38024037/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
11. Nattokinase, a Subtilisin-like Alkaline-Serine Protease, Reduces Mutacin Activity by Inactivating the Competence-Stimulating Peptide in Streptococcus mutans. Kimijima M, Narisawa N, Hori E, Mandokoro K, Ito T, Ota Y,Sashida M, Kawai Y, Takenaga F https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11054032/
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