A superfood to 'keep death away'

Japan's most polarising superfood?

The Japanese have long hailed natto as a superfood – but its ammonia-like smell and mucus-like consistency make the fermented soybean dish a turnoff for many.

BBC Future

• By Erika Hobart

28 July 2020

Every day without fail, my 65-year-old mother prepares a dish that many people would say looks, smells and tastes revolting.

Nattō is very stinky. You definitely notice the smell.

Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It has an ammonia-like smell and mucus-like consistency that makes it polarising, even among people who grow up with it. A 2017 survey by Nifty, a Japanese internet service provider, found that only about 62% of Japanese people actually enjoy nattō. It also revealed that 13% actively dislike the taste. Regardless, many eat it anyway because of the health benefits.

Nattō is a fermented soy-based food that’s often served with spring onion and raw egg (Credit: Hungryworks/Getty Images)

“Nattō is very stinky. You definitely notice the smell,” said Yuki Gomi, a Japanese chef who runs the cooking school Yuki’s Kitchen in London. “But I always have it in my fridge.” She says it’s a staple in her home, the same way that cheese and yoghurt is readily available in many Western households.

The Japanese have long hailed nattō as a superfood and believe that consumption is linked to improved blood flow and reduced risk of stroke – factors that are particularly appealing in a country that is home to one of the world’s oldest populations. My mother often boasts that nattō keeps her blood “sara sara” (silky). Japanese news site SoraNews24 has gone as far as to declare that "a pack of natto a day keeps the death away”. Hitoshi Shirakawa, professor of nutrition and food science at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Agricultural Science in Sendai, muses this is “probably true”.

He cites a long-term study published in the British Medical Journal earlier this year: researchers at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo found that men and women who ate fermented soy-based foods like nattō on a daily basis reduced their risk of dying from a stroke or heart attack by 10%. 

Japan is one of the world’s most elderly societies, with senior citizens accounting for more than 28% of the nation’s population (Credit: bee32/Getty Images)

“Fermented soybean foods are less likely to lose [nutritional] components during processing, which is considered to be one of the reasons for the clear association between nattō consumption and [a reduced] risk of cardiovascular diseases,” Shirakawa said. Those nutritional components include plenty of protein, iron and dietary fibre, which have positive effects on blood pressure and weight.

Nattō might even help people feel and look younger. One serving (roughly 40-50g) has the same levels of vitamin K as the daily requirement set by the Japanese government and may help prevent osteoporosis. Nattō is also packed with vitamin B6 and vitamin E, which Shirakawa says boosts cell turnover and slows skin aging.

You may also be interested in:
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But fermented soybeans were an integral part of the Japanese diet long before its nutritional benefits were understood. Dr Samuel Yamashita, professor of Japanese history at Pomona College in Claremont, California, says the food was first introduced to Japan from China during the Nara period (710-784AD).

“The historical record in Japan suggests that although nattō was introduced in the 700s, it became popular among both aristocrats and warriors in the Kamakura period (1192-1333) and became important, together with tofu, in the Buddhist-inspired vegetarian cuisine that emerged in the succeeding Muromachi period (1338-1573),” he said.

A set of nattō typically contains three small polystyrene foam containers, each with a single serve of the fermented soybeans (Credit: Yankane/Getty Images)

Yamashita says nattō evolved into a staple in the Japanese diet by the Edo period (1603-1867), when it appeared in cookbooks and started being prepared in the home. Soybeans were soaked in water, boiled or steamed, then blended with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. They were then wrapped in straw and left to ferment for about a day, depending on the season and temperature.

When you add nattō to your recipes, it manages to add both rich and mellow notes to the food

Today nattō involves far less preparation and is available in convenience stores and supermarkets throughout Japan. A set of nattō, typically containing three small polystyrene foam containers, costs about 100 to 300 yen (£0.75 to £2.25). Each container has a single serving of nattō and tiny packets of tare (a soy sauce blend) and karashi (hot mustard).

To prepare nattō, you simply stir the three items and then pour the sticky concoction over a bowl of steamed white rice. Other ingredients commonly used to spruce up the dish are chopped negi (spring onions) and raw egg. When you lift your chopsticks to eat the end result, each bite is trailed by sticky strings.

Nattō is commonly available in convenience stores and supermarkets throughout Japan (Credit: Recep-bg/Getty Images)

In Japan, it’s most common to eat nattō for breakfast. My mother isn’t particularly fond of the taste, but consumes a bowl each morning, solely for its nutritional benefits. Akemi Fukuta, a jewellery salesperson in Tokyo’s Ginza district, says she eats it several times a week because she finds it both healthy and delicious. Gomi likes to make nattō for her four-year-old daughter’s dinner and says it’s a godsend for busy mothers.

Some people, like Mayuko Suzuki, have an entirely different level of appreciation for the simple dish. She eats nattō two to three times a day and has made a career out of being a “nattō influencer”. Known on YouTube and Instagram as Nattō Musume (Nattō Girl), Suzuki promotes restaurants serving unusual nattō-inspired dishes and shares her own recipes containing the slimy soybeans. She regularly shares photos of dubious combinations like nattō pasta, nattō pizza and even nattō gelato.

“I like the unique taste that the fermentation brings,” she explained. “When you add nattō to your recipes, it manages to add both rich and mellow notes to the food.”

Nattō’s sticky, slimy texture is a natural result of the fermentation process (Credit: Kuppa_rock/Getty Images)

Given her enthusiasm, it’s no surprise that Suzuki has made three visits to Sendai-ya, an all-you-can-eat nattō restaurant in Tokyo. For about 900 yen (£6.75), customers can devour several variations on the dish, including edamame nattō, goma (sesame) nattō and wakame (seaweed) nattō. The business also sells an unlikely dessert: nattō doughnuts.

Sendai-ya president Itō Hidefumi is the third generation of his family to take over the business, which was established in the Yamanashi prefecture in 1961. He says Sendai-ya expanded to Japan’s capital as a response to customer demand. There are also several vending machines containing Sendai-ya’s nattō products in the city.

"It’s very rewarding to take over a family business that provides people with such a healthy product,” he said.

Despite its reputation as a superfood, however, nattō has failed to gain popularity outside of Japan. It has, however, attracted enough attention to end up in the Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden.

Variations on the dish include natto sushi and even natto doughnuts (Credit: Ma-no/Getty Images)

“The two things that most people find problematic with nattō are the sliminess and the smell,” said museum director Andreas Ahrens. “It does contain bacteria that’s also found in dirt, so it has that earthy kind of smell to it.”

What we find disgusting and delicious is very cultural

The Disgusting Food Museum features nattō alongside dishes like cuy (roasted guinea pigs from Peru) and casu marzu (maggot-infested cheese from Sardinia). The exhibit also includes American snacks like Pop-Tarts and Twinkies.

“What we find disgusting and delicious is very cultural,” Ahrens said. “It all depends on what we grew up with and what we are conditioned to like. Something like nattō is a very good example of that.”

Gomi understands that sentiment all too well. She remembers being hesitant to include a recipe for nattō maki (sushi rolls) in her 2013 book Sushi at Home: The Beginner’s Guide to Perfect, Simple Sushi. “I was scared that people wouldn’t like such stinky stuff. I was almost embarrassed,” she admitted.

Traditionally, the steamed soybeans were wrapped in rice straw to initiate the fermentation process (Credit: KPS/Getty Images)

But Gomi says that she’s since seen an uptick in students who come to her cooking classes and want to know more about nattō.

“More people are traveling to Japan and staying in ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) that serve nattō for breakfast,” she said. “They come back and tell me they had some strange, sticky stuff… some of them hate it. I don’t blame them. But some of them say they quite like it and want to know where they can buy it.”

Gomi says it makes her hopeful that her non-Japanese peers will come to appreciate nattō as much as she does.

“I'd love to see it more widely available in places like a farmer's market,” she said. “There is certainly a trend towards fermented food [and drink], such as kimchi, kefir and kombucha. It feels like nattō’s time is just around the corner.”

BBC Travel’s Well World is a global take on wellness that explores different ways that cultures the world over strive for a healthy lifestyle.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200727-japans-most-polarising-superfood

Is this why the Japanese live longer?

Middle-aged adults who regularly eat miso paste added to sushi and soups are 10% less likely to die young, study finds

Vanessa Chalmers

4 hrs ago 30 Jan 2020

Middle-aged adults who regularly eat miso paste added to sushi and soup may add years to life, according to Japanese researchers.

Almost 100,000 people in Japan were quizzed about their diet and then tracked for 15 years. 

Those who ate trendy fermented soy products - such as miso and natto - were 10 per cent less likely to die an early death.  

The researchers say this is likely to be because these products are high in beneficial compounds which help keep cholesterol stable, for example.  

Soy products in general, such as vegan favourite tofu, did not have an effect on mortality. 

Miso, which means 'fermented beans', is a paste added to sushi, soups and salad dressings. Natto is a dish consisting of fermented soybeans which are sticky and stringy.

Recently, soy has been increasing in popularity particularly among vegetarians in Western societies who are searching for protein sources. 

© Getty Miso paste.But Asian populations have typically eaten soy since ancient times. 

People in Japan - who typically live up to 84 years in comparison to the UK's 81 years - often begin their day with a hot bowl of miso soup to kick start their digestion.

The team led by National Cancer Centre, Japan investigated links between several types of soy products and death from any cause and from cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and injury. 

Data on 42,750 men and 50,165 women aged 45-74 years was collected from a study based in 11 of Japan's public health centre areas.

What else do the Japanese eat to boost life expectancy?

It’s widely known that the Japanese live long and healthy lives and experts believe it's down to their immaculate diet.

1. Fish 

© Getty Fish.

Fish are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, responsible for maintaining a healthy heart. But not only do they keep the blood flowing, but they also benefit the brain, eyes and reduce inflammation. Fish are rich in selenium, which is vital for our antioxidant defences and immune system, and B vitamins that help to keep our brain chemistry in balance.

2. Seaweed

© Getty Seaweed.

Seaweed is rich in minerals, including iodine, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium and dozens of other trace minerals we need for our immune system, antioxidant defences and heart health.

3. Matcha tea

© Getty Matcha tea.

Matcha is a traditional powdered green tea made from the fresh leaf tips of the tea plant. Green tea – matcha in particular – is high in a specific type of flavanols called catechins. These substances are thought to boost our body’s antioxidant defences. 

 4. Pickled vegetables

© Getty Pickled vegetables.

Traditionally fermented pickled vegetables are a great source of natural probiotics. They can favour digestive health, help to digest and absorb the nutrients in the food we eat, which then benefits all areas of our health.

Participants filled in detailed questionnaires about their dietary habits, lifestyle, and health status, according to the findings published their findings in the British Medical Journal today.

Deaths were identified from residential registries and death certificates over a follow-up period of nearly 15 years.

The researchers found that a higher intake of fermented soy was linked to a significantly lower risk of all cause mortality at 10 per cent.

Total soy intake, including products like tofu, soy milk, okara, did not affect mortality.

5. Natto

© Getty Natto.

People who ate natto also had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, than those who did not eat natto.

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made by fermenting soybeans with a fungus called bacillus subtilis natto.

No links were found between soy intake and cancer-related deaths.  

Results persisted even after further adjusting for the intake of vegetables, which was higher among those consuming larger portions of natto.

The authors point out that fermented soy products are richer in fibre, potassium and bioactive components such as isoflavone than their non-fermented counterparts.

Soy fibre has been shown to reduce cholesterol and keep weight stable, while isoflavone compounds may reduce blood pressure. 

However further research could investigate the exact mechanisms on the body.

In a linked editorial, experts said evidence such as this is increasingly suggesting that fermented soy products have health benefits. 

© Getty Natto snack.Kayo Kurotani and Hidemi Takimoto, of National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, wrote: 'Increasing evidence has suggested that fermented soy products are associated with health benefits. 

'Whether people eat those products depends on their food culture, but some countries already include soy and fermented soy products in their dietary guidelines.'

This is an observational study, so can't establish cause, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that some of the observed risk may be due to other unmeasured factors

For example, miso soup contained a high amount of salt in 1995 and 1998, when the surveys were conducted, before salt reduction measures came into place.

It could be that fermented miso is protecting those in the study from the health risks of salt.

https://www.msn.com/en-my/health/nutrition/is-this-why-the-japanese-live-longer-middle-aged-adults-who-regularly-eat-miso-paste-added-to-sushi-and-soups-are-10percent-less-likely-to-die-young-study-finds/ar-BBZsVRI?ocid=ientp

Extracts ....

Do You Want to Radically Improve Your Health?


Then replace soda and other sugary drinks with clean, pure water.

Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to improve your health and lower your risk of cancer along with all the other diseases and long-term chronic health conditions mentioned above.

Fortunately, it is also the variable most easily influenced by healthy eating and exercise.

Dr Mercola: http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2012/09/10-diseases-linked-to-soda.html

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With all of the attention surrounding diabetes these days, you’ve probably heard of a condition called metabolic syndrome—a collection of risk factors that are linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. These risk factors include high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, raised fasting glucose levels and a waist circumference measurement of 35 inches or more (think “beer gut”). If you have three of these five risk factors, then you may have metabolic syndrome, which puts you at increased risk of more serious complications.

Insulin resistance is the cornerstone of metabolic syndrome. Your pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which is necessary for the absorption and utilization of sugar in your diet. However, when you have insulin resistance, your body doesn’t respond as accurately to insulin, which causes the pancreas to produce more insulin.

This is where the merry-go-round starts, because the more insulin you have in the bloodstream, the greater your risk for type 2 diabetes.

Along with insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of metabolic syndrome. Endothelial dysfunction is characterized by narrowed blood vessels, inflammation and pro-thrombotic properties. In fact, it is one of the first signs of atherosclerosis and impending cardiovascular disease.

When the endothelial lining becomes damaged, NO production suffers, making all the blood vessels susceptible to inflammation, clotting and other negative effects.

While there’s little doubt that antioxidants play an important part in protecting the heart, a team of researchers recently examined the effect of one particular type of antioxidant—grape polyphenols—on the reduction of metabolic syndrome risk factors, especially the cardiovascular ones.²
Grapes contain numerous antioxidant polyphenols—anthocyanins, flavonols and resveratrol, to name a few. Resveratrol, in particular, has been shown to be extremely heart healthy by reducing LDL cholesterol and inflammation.^3-4 As many wine lovers know, red wine is high in resveratrol, and when consumed in moderation (one to two glasses per day), has some impressive heart-protective properties.

Go for the GrapeBecause metabolic syndrome has so many different factors, no simple pharmaceutical solutions exist to treat it. The best solution doctors can offer is to adjust certain lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. This, of course, is sound advice.

Everyone should be eating a clean diet and exercising anyway, but those with metabolic syndrome could see dramatic changes in their condition with these two changes alone. However, considering the proven health benefits of grape polyphenols, it’s great news indeed that this nutrient can now be added to your arsenal in the war against metabolic syndrome and its health effects.

A good way to make grape polyphenols a part of your daily regimen—particularly if you have metabolic syndrome or if you are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease—is to simply make red grapes a regular part of your diet. Eat them as is, or add them to salads and smoothies. And, as mentioned earlier, red wine is a good option to boost your polyphenol intake. Just be sure not to overindulge—drink no more than one or two glasses a day.

However, to achieve real therapeutic benefit, you may want to think about taking grape polyphenols in supplement form. Fortunately, polyphenols like resveratrol and grape seed extract are readily available at most health food stores and vitamin retailers.

http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2012/12/grape-polyphenols-reduce-metabolic.html

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Increased blood level of homocysteine is a strong risk factor for the development of Alzheimer disease and dementia31. Three B vitamins, folic acid, B6, and B12, can help lower your homocysteine levels. Fortified cereal, other grains, and leafy green vegetables are good sources of B vitamins.

eMedExpert.com  http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-boost-brain-power.html

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Omega-3 and Turmeric

The results from the third diet (Omega-3 and turmeric) were astounding. DHA has been shown in other studies to repair cell membrane damage but scientists discovered that the healing capabilities of omega-3 fatty acids include the ability to protect nerves after an accident or injury and to prevent cell death.

This total cellular protection is crucial to successful nerve injury recovery.

Curcumin’s role in recovery includes relieving and reducing inflammation, thereby preventing further nerve damage and speeding recovery. Curcumin is such a potent antioxidant that it has been shown to rebuild brain cells and aid in stroke prevention.

http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2012/10/spinal-cord-injury-omega-3-and-turmeric.html

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Vitamin K2 and Natto

In the meantime, since nearly 100 percent of people don't get sufficient amounts of vitamin K2 from their diet to reap its health benefits, you can assume you need to bump up your vitamin K2 levels by modifying your diet or taking a high-quality supplement.

As for dietary sources, eating lots of green vegetables, especially kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, will increase your vitamin K1 levels naturally. For vitamin K2, cheese and especially cheese curd is an excellent source. The starter ferment for both regular cheese and curd cheese contains bacteria -- lactococci and proprionic acids bacteria -- which both produce K2.

You can also obtain all the K2 you'll need (about 200 micrograms) by eating 15 grams of natto daily, which is half an ounce. It's a small amount and very inexpensive, but many Westerners do not enjoy the taste and texture.

If you don't care for the taste of natto, the next best thing is a high-quality K2 supplement. Remember you must always take your vitamin K supplement with fat since it is fat-soluble and won't be absorbed without it.

Although the exact dosing is yet to be determined, Dr. Vermeer recommends between 45 mcg and 185 mcg daily for adults. You must use caution on the higher doses if you take anticoagulants, but if you are generally healthy and not on these types of medications, I suggest 150 mcg daily.

http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2011/11/importance-of-vitamin-k.html

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These natural therapies knocked the cancer out

The doctor cured the boy's tumors with a combination of natural therapies, including:

• Hyperthermia: a gentle therapy that gives the patient an artificial fever to "bake" the cancer cells to death. Cancer cells "can't take the heat," but normal cells can.
• Oxygen therapy: Cancer cells die by the millions when they get a blast of oxygen.
• Laetrile and vitamin C by IV: These non-toxic therapies kill cancer cells and also quench free radicals. They are far more powerful when administered by IV than when taken by mouth.
• A strictly organic diet to give the body the nutrition it needs
• Detoxification therapies to get rid of the poisons that can cause cancer

Source:  The Amish Cancer Secret

http://www.cancerdefeated.com/amish-secret/index.php?

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Today, we know its cancer-curing effects are from its numerous anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds. Cabbage speeds up estrogen metabolism, which is thought to help block breast cancer and suppress growth of polyps, a prelude to colon cancer. According to research, eating cabbage more than once a week cut men's colon cancer odds by as much as 66 percent. As little as two daily tablespoons of cooked cabbage protected subjects against stomach cancer. Cabbage also contains powerful anti-ulcer compounds; its juice has shown to help heal ulcers in humans.
- Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz

http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2012/12/stop-stomach-ulcers-with-miracle-remedy.html

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 Supercharge Your Health With Seven Medicinal Herbs & Spices

Ginger – Over 50 antioxidants have been found in ginger. It helps increase circulation, calms digestive problems. Ginger has also been used to treat food poisoning, shown to lower cholesterol, treat arthritis, reduce inflammation, and can be used to help increase insulin sensivity in diabetics.

http://healthticket.blogspot.com/2013/08/supercharge-your-health-with-seven.html

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The research team was highly impressed with their results. Those who took the pomegranate extract showed a significant decrease in a specific, important marker linked to cell damage.

That marker, known as 8-Oxo-DG, can have detrimental effects such as:

• Lessened brain function
• Weakening of muscles
• Impaired kidney function
• Decrease in liver productivity
• Aging of the skin

Sergio Streitenberger, lead researcher at ProbelteBio, believes the study “demonstrates that the regular consumption of this pomegranate extract can slow down the process of DNA oxidation.”

The pomegranate’s ability to decrease 8-Oxo-DG suggests that it wields significant power as an anti-aging super food.

Pomegranate Benefits The Elixir of Youth Hidden in...

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Is Soy Good or Bad for Your Health?

Soy or soybeans are a legume native to Asia and for thousands of years have been included in Asian diets with evidence showing soybeans were grown as far back as 9,000 BC in China reports Melissa Hargroves a Registered Dietition for HealthLine.

Posted by Elaine Iseri on Nov 28th, 2018 // Comments off

As a legume, soy is a plant based protein and is widely consumed for that purpose and many processed foods have it as an ingredient.

Although it’s a popular food, there are many controversies surrounding it as to its benefits — is it healthy or bad for you? There are arguments for both sides.

Melissa lists the different types of soy.

Whole soy products include the whole soybean or edamame (immature, green soybeans) which are a favorite high-protein appetizer. Whole soybeans are used to make soy milk and tofu as well.

For people who wish to avoid milk, soy milk is a good substitute.

Tofu is great for vegetarian diets as it provides a good source of plant-based protein.

Fermented soy products are made using traditional methods. They include soy sauce, tempeh, miso and natto.

Soy sauce is a liquid condiment used to flavor or marinate foods. Tempeh is a source of protein used in vegetarian diets like tofu though not as popular. Miso is a traditional paste used to season soups and other dishes.

Soy-based processed foods include vegan meat substitutes, yogurts and cheeses, as well as soy flour, texturized vegetable protein and soybean oil and all are use in many packaged foods.

Soy supplements such as soy protein isolate is a highly processed derivative of soy and made into a protein powder and used in protein bars and shakes. Other soy supplements are available in capsule form such as soy isoflavones and soy lecithin.

The Benefits of soy are that they are high in nutritional content of protein, fat, fiber, 9 vitamins, 7 minerals, prebiotic fiber, and beneficial phytochemicals, all beneficial for the proper function of the human body.

Studies have shown other soy benefits such as lowering of bad cholesterol, improving fertility outcomes, protecting effect against BPA (a chemical found in plastic), and reducing menopause symptoms.

Negative effects of soy have been found in animal studies on the possible effect on breast cancer, on thyroid function and on male hormones, however human studies suggest otherwise.

Also 90% of soy grown in the US is genetically modified and there’s a lot of debate on the safety of GMO soy affecting increase risk of cancer and birth defects. So eat organic soy if you want to avoid GMOs.

Overall, studies have shown that the benefits of soy in the diet outweigh any potential risks, so eat whole or fermented soy foods in moderation.

https://www.modernreaders.com/news/2018/11/28/is-soy-good-or-bad-for-your-health.html