History of Natto and Its Relatives (1405-2012 - SoyInfo Center

Osteoporosis International. March 11. [Epub ahead of print].
[38 ref. Eng]
• Summary: “A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community
dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual
natto intake was signifi cantly associated with higher bone
mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for
undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was
insignifi cant, showing the natto-bone association to be
primarily mediated by vitamin K.”
“Conclusion: Habitual intake of natto was associated
with a benefi cial effect on bone health in elderly men, and
this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of
natto, although the lack of information on dietary nutrient
intake, including vitamin K1 and K2, prevented us from
further examining the association.” Address: Department of
Public Health, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2
Oono-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
1915. SoyaScan Notes.2011. Updated USDA database on the
isofl avone levels in foods, commercial ingredients, soybeans
and soyfoods (Overview). April 23. Compiled by William
Shurtleff of Soyinfo Center. [1 ref]
• Summary: The link is now http://www.ars. usda.gov/
SP2UserFiles/ Place/12354500/ Data/isofl av/ Isofl av_
R2.pdf. “Legumes and legume products” starts on p. 16. Start
by going to page 24, which is where the soy section begins.
Then you can do a PDF search for fermented soyfoods such
as: Tempeh, miso, soy sauce, natto, or Sufu (fermented
tofu)–and you will see that they are NOT lower in total (or
specifi c isofl avones) than nonfermented soyfoods such as:
Tofu, soymilk, soybeans (immature), soybeans (mature), etc.
1916. Nichi Bei Weekly.2011. Northern California Soy &
Tofu Festival: Come discover the joy of soy. June 2-8. p. 5-7.
Cover story.
• Summary: This issue announces the fi rst Northern
California Soy & Tofu Festival to be held on June 11, in
San Francisco Japantown, Peace Plaza, 11 am–4 pm. It is
sponsored by the Nichi Bei Foundation and many large
corporate sponsors. Gold sponsor: Pacifi c Gas and Electric
Company. Silver sponsors: Kikkoman, Union Bank.
The main article on page 6 is titled “Soy to the world:
Small businesses explore varied tastes, textures,” by Akiko
Minaga (Nichi Bei Weekly Contributor). It discusses
Megumi Natto, Hodo Soy Beanery, San Jose Tofu, and
Sacramento Tofu.
A second article by her (on the same page) titled “Soy,
the magic bean: The many benefi ts of soy” discusses tofu,
soymilk, beauty treatments, soy clothing, soy ink, etc.
A sidebar is titled “Tofu: A brief 2,000 year history,” by
William Shurtleff of Soyinfo Center.
Photos show: (1) Chester Nozaki and his wife, Amy,
owners of San Jose Tofu. (2) Alvin and Dorothy Kunishi,
owners of Sacramento Tofu. (3) Min Tsai, owner of Hodo
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 586
Soy Beanery. Address: P.O. Box 15693, San Francisco,
California 94115. Phone: (415) 673-1009.
1917. Shurtleff, William. 2011. Comparison of the
macrobiotic diet and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s whole foods,
plant-based diet (Editorial). SoyaScan Notes. July 2.
• Summary: Meat: The macrobiotic diet allows consumption
of fi sh, shellfi sh, and other seafoods, whereas the Esselstyn
diet (which is designed to prevent and reverse coronary
artery disease / heart disease) allows no animal products.
Dairy: The Esselstyn diet prohibits consumption of
dairy products; the macrobiotic diet discourages their
consumption. Note: Actually nothing is prohibited by
macrobiotics; as taught by George Ohsawa, it is broad,
fl exible, and nondogmatic.
Refi ned carbohydrates, such as white sugar, white rice,
and white fl our: Both diets discourage their use except that
the Esselstyn diet uses white sugar in a small percentage
of desserts. For example, in the book Prevent and Reverse
Heart Disease (2007), the recipe for Birthday Cake (p. 276)
calls for “1 cup (or less) sugar.” Chocolate Red Devil Cake
(p. 278) calls for “1 cup sugar.” Luscious Lemon Cake (p.
280) calls for “3/4 cup (or less) brown sugar plus granulated
sugar sprinkled over the cake.”
Salt: The salt content of macrobiotic diets (like
the traditional Japanese diet) is high, provided by such
condiments as miso, soy sauce (tamari), and gomashio,
whereas the Esselstyn diet aims to use as little salt as
possible–since many of the patients have cardiovascular
disease and hypertension. “If you still miss salt, try adding
a little Bragg Liquid Aminos” (a salt alternative) or small
amounts of “South River Sweet White Miso or low-sodium
tamari. Try to limit sodium consumption to 2,000 mg a
day.” A table shows the amount of sodium in salt and four
condiments (p. 122).
Soyfoods: Macrobiotic diets uses soyfoods abundantly;
in addition to miso and tamari, they enjoy tempeh, natto, and
small amounts of tofu. The Esselstyn diet advises: “Eat soy
products cautiously. Many are highly processed and high in
fat” (p. 121).
Fruits: Macrobiotic diets use fruits sparingly, since most
are classifi ed as very “yin.” However apples (the most yang
fruit) are used quite freely. The Esselstyn diet encourages the
use of all fresh, whole fruits except avocadoes (which are
high in fat).
Grain vs. vegetables. Macrobiotic diets are based on the
central idea of a primary food (such as brown rice or other
whole grains) and secondary foods (such as vegetables).
The Esselstyn diet encourages the use of all fresh, whole
vegetables. One might say that the center of the Esselstyn
diet is fresh fruits and vegetables.
Macrobiotic diets strongly discourages consumption of
foods which are members of the nightshade family–potatoes,
tomatoes, and eggplants. The Esselstyn diet encourages the