Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I want to take your pain formula that contains nattokinase, but I am already taking another product that contains vitamin K from natto. Would I be getting too much vitamin K if I were to take both of these products?” — Bonnie F., Houston, TX

A. Dear Bonnie, I am so very glad you asked this question, because there is a lot of confusion out there about natto, nattokinase, and natto K-2, or menaquinone. Natto is a food in Japan that is made from fermented soybeans. It is extremely healthy and full of a wide variety of nutrients. In fact, two compounds found in natto are so healthy that they are extracted and also sold as dietary supplements: nattokinase, an enzyme, and natto K-2, an extremely bone and heart healthy form of vitamin K.

Even though BOTH of these compounds are derived from natto, they are not at all alike. Natto K-2 is used in formulas targeting bone and heart health as a unique form of Vitamin K. Nattokinase, on the other hand, is an enzyme that promotes healthy circulation and balances levels of fibrinogen in the body. Therefore, the nattokinase in the pain product does NOT contain any vitamin K, any more than natto K-2 contains any circulation-enhancing enzymes! The best analogy I can think of is the orange. An orange is a food. You can also extract vitamin C from an orange, and you can also extract fiber from an orange. The resulting vitamin C would not have any fiber, and the fiber would not have any vitamin C, even though both are from the orange. I hope this helps answer your question!

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally