Nattokinase vs Natto: What’s the Difference?

Natto and nattokinase are closely related, but they are not the same thing.

Natto is a traditional Japanese fermented soybean food.

Nattokinase is an enzyme associated with the fermentation process used to produce natto.

Understanding the distinction is important when comparing fermented foods with standardized enzyme ingredients and dietary supplements.

What Is Natto?

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans.

Its production commonly involves fermentation with bacteria associated with Bacillus subtilis var. natto.

The fermentation process produces the characteristic texture, aroma and composition of natto.

Because natto is a whole fermented food, it contains a complex mixture of:

• soybean-derived nutrients
• fermentation products
• proteins
• carbohydrates
• fats
• vitamins and minerals
• microorganisms and microbial products
• enzymes

Nattokinase is associated with this fermented-food environment, but natto itself is much more than nattokinase.

What Is Nattokinase?

Nattokinase is a proteolytic enzyme associated with natto fermentation.

Commercial nattokinase ingredients are produced so that enzyme activity can be characterized, standardized and incorporated into finished products.

This creates an important distinction:

Natto = fermented food

Nattokinase = enzyme preparation

The terms should therefore not be used interchangeably.

Is Nattokinase Extracted From Natto?

Commercial manufacturing processes can vary.

Nattokinase is associated with the bacterial fermentation used to produce natto, but commercial enzyme production may involve controlled fermentation and downstream processing specifically designed to produce an enzyme ingredient.

Depending on the manufacturer, processing can include:

• controlled fermentation
• separation or recovery
• concentration
• purification
• stabilization
• drying
• standardization
• analytical testing

The exact manufacturing process should be determined from the ingredient manufacturer’s documentation.

It should not be assumed that every nattokinase supplement is simply dried natto.

Whole Food vs Standardized Enzyme

This is one of the major differences between natto and nattokinase.

Natto is consumed as a whole fermented food.

A commercial nattokinase ingredient is generally evaluated as an enzyme preparation.

That means nattokinase products can be characterized according to measured enzyme activity.

For nattokinase, this activity is commonly expressed in:

FU — Fibrinolytic Units

Does Natto Have FU?

Nattokinase activity can be measured analytically, but the composition of a traditional food such as natto can vary.

Commercial nattokinase ingredients can be standardized to a specified activity concentration, such as an amount of FU per gram.

This allows manufacturers and professional buyers to evaluate a defined enzyme activity specification.

A serving of traditional natto should therefore not automatically be assumed to provide the same standardized FU as a commercial nattokinase ingredient.

Nattokinase FU vs Food Weight

Because nattokinase is an enzyme, the weight of an ingredient does not necessarily describe its activity.

For commercial nattokinase preparations:

Milligrams measure weight.

FU measure fibrinolytic enzyme activity under the applicable assay conditions.

Natto, on the other hand, is a complex food and is generally consumed according to food serving size rather than standardized enzyme activity.

Why Is Natto Traditionally Made With Soybeans?

Soybeans provide the traditional substrate for natto fermentation.

During fermentation, bacteria act upon the soybean substrate and produce numerous biochemical changes.

This process contributes to natto’s distinctive properties and produces enzymes associated with the fermented material.

Commercial enzyme manufacturing can use controlled processes designed specifically around enzyme production and standardization.

Is Nattokinase the Only Component of Natto?

No.

Natto contains numerous nutritional and fermentation-derived components.

Nattokinase represents one enzyme associated with the fermentation process.

Therefore, scientific findings concerning nattokinase should not automatically be attributed to every component of natto, and findings concerning whole natto should not automatically be attributed solely to nattokinase.

This distinction is important when interpreting research.

Can Nattokinase Be Soy-Free?

The answer depends on the specific finished ingredient and its documentation.

Because nattokinase is traditionally associated with soybean fermentation, the term “soy-free” should not simply be assumed from the name of an enzyme preparation.

Manufacturing and downstream processing can affect the characteristics of a finished ingredient.

If a nattokinase ingredient or finished product is represented as soy-free, that claim should be evaluated using the manufacturer’s specifications and applicable allergen documentation.

Natto Research vs Nattokinase Research

When reading scientific literature, identify what researchers actually studied.

Was the research conducted on:

whole natto?

a particular nattokinase ingredient?

an isolated enzyme preparation?

a finished dietary supplement?

These are not necessarily equivalent interventions.

Research involving one should not automatically be presented as evidence for another.

This distinction is particularly important when evaluating commercial product claims.

Why Professional Buyers Should Understand the Difference

Practitioners, formulators and professional buyers evaluating nattokinase products may want information that is not normally provided when purchasing a fermented food.

This can include:

• ingredient identity
• manufacturer
• fermentation process
• activity specification
• FU per gram
• FU per serving
• analytical method
• lot-specific testing
• Certificate of Analysis
• microbiological specifications
• contaminant testing
• allergen documentation
• storage requirements

These characteristics help describe a standardized enzyme ingredient.

Natto vs Nattokinase at a Glance

NATTO

Traditional fermented food

Typically made from soybeans

Contains numerous nutrients and fermentation products

Consumed as a food

Composition can vary

Not synonymous with isolated or standardized nattokinase

NATTOKINASE

Enzyme associated with natto fermentation

Produced through microbial fermentation

Commercial ingredients can undergo downstream processing

Can be standardized according to enzyme activity

Activity is commonly expressed in FU

Used as an ingredient in dietary supplements

The Bottom Line

Natto and nattokinase are related, but they are not interchangeable.

Natto is a fermented soybean food.

Nattokinase is an enzyme associated with the fermentation process used to produce natto.

Commercial nattokinase ingredients can be standardized and tested according to enzyme activity, commonly expressed in Fibrinolytic Units.

Understanding the distinction makes it easier to interpret product labels, manufacturing information and scientific research accurately.

Continue Learning

Nattokinase Science & Education

How Is Nattokinase Made? Fermentation Explained

What Does FU Mean in Nattokinase?

How Is Nattokinase Potency Tested?

Disclaimer

This information is provided for educational purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.