Nattokinase and the heart
Channel: York Cardiology
Date: 11/06/2023

Natto is a cheese- like food which is made of soybeans which have been fermented with a bacterium called Bacillus Subtilis. Natto has been consumed as a traditional food in Asian countries for several thousand years and Natto consumption is believed to be a significant contributor to the longevity of the japanese. 

For a long time, it was not very clear to scientists as to why Natto consumption was linked with good cardiovascular health. In 1987, there was a breakthrough when it was discovered that Natto contained a potent enzyme called Nattokinase and perhaps it was the Nattokinase in the Natto that was responsible for the benefits seen. Incidentally Natto is also a very good source of vitamin K2 and I have recently done a video on the benefits of Vit K2 on heart health. The dose of Nattokinase is measured in FU - fibrinolytic units. 50g of Natto has about 1500 FU of nattokinase in it.


There have been many experiments done to study the benefits of Nattokinase but most of these have been done in test-tubes and animals (rats). There have been very few studies done in human beings and this is why one has to be very careful in assuming that all the benefits that have been purported in lab studies could also apply to humans. In any case, I will share what we know about Nattokinase so far.