Introducing the Benefits of Natto, a Japanese Staple

This video, titled "The Mysterious World of Bacillus Natto: Natto: The Power of Life. How Bacillus Natto and Lactic Acid Bacteria Help Eachother!" (【納豆】納豆菌の不思議な世界「なっとう　いのちの力」 納豆菌と乳酸菌は助け合っていた!?), was uploaded by "Natto Channel" (納豆ちゃんねる).
It introduces the benefits and mysteries of natto.

Natto, a fermented food made from soybeans, is a commonly eaten food in Japan.
It has a unique consistency and aroma, and is one of the most popular items on the Japanese breakfast menu, known for its high nutritional value and health benefits.
This video explains in detail the relationship between natto and lactic acid bacteria, while showing images of the entire growth process of bacillus natto.
This article introduces the relationship between natto and lactic acid bacteria alongside the video.

The Health Benefits of Natto

Photo：Wara natto (straw natto)

Natto is made by soaking soybeans, a crop deeply rooted in Japanese food culture, in water, steaming them, spraying them with bacillus natto, and fermenting and maturing them.
Bacillus natto, an essential ingredient of natto, is a bacterium called hay bacillus.
Bacillus natto is a sub-type of hay bacillus that lives abundantly in rice straw, and a single straw of Japanese rice contains almost 10 million bacillus natto bacteria.
The sticky, thread-like substance of natto is the shell of bacillus natto, called a spore.
Bacillus natto is a strong bacterium that can withstand temperatures between -100°C and 100°C and can survive even stomach acid and make it to the intestines.

Natto is rich in nutrients and also contains vitamins B2 and K2.
The benefits of these vitamins include: skin beautification, stimulating growth in children, fatigue relief, improved liver function and immunity, bone strengthening, and the combating of bad bacteria.
Nattokinase, an amino acid, is also an enzyme that helps dissolve blood clots in the blood and promotes blood thinning.
Nattokinase is heat-sensitive, and its activity decreases rapidly at temperatures above 50°C (122°F) when there is a lot of water in the body.

However, it is also considered one of the strongest bacterium because the temperature at which it is completely killed or sterilized is 120°C (248°F).
Bacillus natto germinates and grows from spores when placed in a suitable environment.
Growing in lines, bacillus natto produces mysterious patterns as well.
The mysterious patterns can be seen via microscope at 2:15 in the video.

The Relationship Between Bacillus Natto and Lactic Acid Bacteria

Photo：Lactic acid bacteria

A variety of bacteria coexist in the intestines.
For example, there are E. coli bacteria, which are often harmful to the human body and also multiply at a rapid rate.
When bacillus natto and E. coli are placed in the same humidity and temperature environment, the speed of growth of bacillus natto is much faster than that of E. coli, as shown at 4:54 in the video.

Lactic acid bacteria are less active in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.
This is because lactic acid bacteria do not have the catalase enzyme to decompose hydrogen peroxide.
Bacillus natto on the other hand, has this catalase enzyme.
Therefore, when natto extract is added to lactic acid bacteria, the lactic acid bacteria are activated and cultivated intensely, thereby enhancing the regulatory effect on the intestinal environment.
A clip showing the relationship between lactic acid bacteria, which are also good bacteria, and bacillus natto is shown at 6:18 in the video.

Summary of Bacillus Natto, the Super Bacteria Promoting Health in the Japanese People

The above video, "The Mysterious World of Bacillus Natto: Natto: The Power of Life. How Bacillus Natto and Lactic Acid Bacteria Help Eachother!", introduces the mysterious bacillus natto that plays an important role in the health of the Japanese people.

It also shows the amazing power of bacillus natto.
A variety of natto products are available for sale in Japan and can be easily purchased at convenience stores and supermarkets.
If you've never tried natto, consider giving this healthy food a try!