- Natto
- Vitamin K2
Natto Vitamin K2
Natto vitamin K2 = the vitamin K2 found in natto (menaquinone-7 (MK-7)).
Vitamin K2 is an important nutrient for our bodies and Japanese fermented soybeans are one of the foods that you can eat in order to add this extremely beneficial nutrient to your diet.
Through my research I've been able to learn more about the vitamin K2 found in natto and the benefits it provides.
Here are the questions I set out to answer:
- Why is natto vitamin K2 important?
- How does natto have vitamin K2?
- How much vitamin K2 does natto have?
- What other foods contain vitamin K2?
By answering these questions I hope to help you better understand the importance of this nutrient found in these sticky, stringy beans, and why natto is a Japanese superfood.
Disclaimer: All the information in this article is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. If you wish to read in more detail about the vitamin K2 found in natto, you can follow the links in the "Sources" section in this article.
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Why is natto vitamin K2 important?
Natto vitamin K2 is an important nutrient for our heart, our blood vessels, and our bones.
According to the article "What is Vitamin K2" found on the Japan NattoKinase Association website (1), vitamin K2 lowers the risk of heart disease, encourages healthy blood coagulation, inhibits the calcium deposition on blood vessels, and encourages bone formation.
To put it simply, our heart, blood vessels and bones love vitamin K2.
This vitamin is a micronutrient powerhouse that gives credibility to natto being a Japanese superfood.
But how does natto come to have vitamin K2?
How does natto have vitamin K2?
There are two types of Vitamin K - K1 and K2.
Vitamin K1 is found in foods such as vegetables and seaweeds (1), while K2 is produced by bacteria or contained in animal-derived foods (2) and found in foods such as natto, beef, cheese and kimchi to name just a few.
By adding the bacterium Bacillus subtilis natto to boiled soybeans and fermenting them at a constant temperature of 40˚C for up to 24 hours, vitamin K2 and the other nutritious enzymes found in natto are created.
Out of all the foods in the world rich in vitamin K2, Japanese fermented soybeans possess the highest amount.
How much vitamin K2 does natto have?
In Japan, fermented soybeans are typically sold in styrofoam containers in packages of three.
On average, each container generally contains 40 - 50g of natto.
In one styrofoam pack of these sticky, stringy beans there is 20 μg of vitamin K1 and about 380 μg of vitamin K2 (2).
Whether it's at breakfast, at lunch, or at dinner a person in Japan typically eats one package of natto goodness with their meal.
Combined with other healthy and nutritious foods, many people in Japan (including myself) feel that one package of sticky, stringy beans a day is sufficient.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
Natto is a probiotic, and consuming too much of this fermented goodness on a daily basis could over-activate your gut.
Start out by eating it a few times a week and see how your body reacts.
If you don't notice any changes to your system then you can add an additional day and see how you react.
Work up to the amount of days in a week that you want to eat natto and enjoy the nutritious goodness these sticky, stringy beans have to offer.
These traditional ideas are a delicious way to enjoy some natto goodness as you continue to eat it more often.
If you'd like to change things up, try out these unique ideas.
Natto does have the highest amount of vitamin K2, but it isn't the only food that contains this beneficial nutrient.
Simply Natto: Natto Lingo
納豆菌
(nattokin)
"naw-toe-keen"
- Bacillus subtilis natto
朝ご飯
(asagohan)
"ah-saw-go-hawn"
- breakfast
昼ご飯
(hirugohan)
"he-roo-go-hawn"
(roll the "r" a little)
- lunch
夕ご飯
(yuugohan)
"you-go-hawn"
- dinner
What other foods contain vitamin K2?
Here's a list of other foods (3) containing vitamin K2 so you can get this beneficial nutrient on days when you're not eating natto.
Vitamin K2 (MK-4):
- Beef
- Chicken
- Liver
- Ham
- Cheese
- Eggs
Vitamin K2 (MK-7: same as natto)
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Muenster cheese
The Bottom Line:
Natto vitamin K2 is good for your heart, your blood vessels, and your bones.
Thanks to the bacterium Bacillus subtilis natto, these sticky, stringy beans possess the highest amount of vitamin K2, as well as other beneficial enzymes like nattokinase.
Read about this enzyme and how it turns natto into the micronutrient powerhouse that it is.
Keep up with the latest Natto Goodness by following Simply Natto on social media
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