Me, Madonna and our mutual love of the Japanese superfood "natto"

At last, I officially share something in common with Madonna.

In fact we have been soul mates, of a kind, for years.

I just never realised it until today, and neither has she it would seem.

It appears we both have a love of a Japanese delicacy made from rotten soya beans.

I discovered this fact only today, years after my love affair with the stuff began when I was living in Tokyo.

The Daily Mail claims the secret behind Madonna’s youthful appearance at the age of 53, her athletic body and her ability to lay on stage performances that would leave someone half her age panting for breath, is her diet, or more specifically its influence on her gut flora.

We have all known for years that she exists on a strict macrobiotic food plan and merciless exercise regime to keep herself in tip top condition.

Helped by her personal chef, Mayumi Nishimura, she enjoys a diet of whole grains, vegetables and seaweed with miso, soy, and fermented soy beans.


Fermented soy beans, or natto, is a staple food in Japan. 

When I first read this I knew exactly what they were talking about, “Madonna likes natto!” I thought to myself.

When I lived in Japan I quickly came to learn about this mysterious foodstuff which smells so bad  only the Japanese can tolerate it.

As well as the stink, it tastes like - well, rancid soya beans.

But speak to any Japanese person and they will swear it is the elixir of life.

They absolutely believe natto is the holy grail of healthy eating, and consume  it in vast quantities.

Given that the Japanese have a longer life expectancy than the average pie and chips eating Brit, they may have a point.

Speak to any non-Japanese about natto and they will immediately regale you with tales of the stench, the foul taste and texture like snot.

They are sort of right, although after the first couple of times of trying it, I grew to like it, and then to love it.

A hangover from my wonderful time in Japan is I have a freezer constantly stocked with natto bought from the Japan centre.

Although I was aware it is fermented with a special kind of bacteria, I did not know until today that the reason Madonna is such a fan is because natto boosts probiotics in the gut.

This, it is claimed, is the basis for a healthy immune system, a happy digestive tract, and the youthful vigour her Madgesty is famed for.

Soya beans are fermented with the bacteria Bacillus subtilis to make natto, which is usually eaten with rice for breakfast.

It smells like off cheese, and when you eat it it comes away in big foaming globules of slippery beans which have the texture of slime in your mouth.

But it also has a gorgeous nutty flavour, and when mixed with mustard and soy sauce - the traditional way of preparing it - it is very tasty.

It contains pyrazine, compound which reduces blood clotting, and high levels of vitamin K, so there is some basis to the health claims it would seem.

All this time, while I could only dream of being close to the queen of pop, we were sharing an intimacy that neither of us were aware of, separated merely by a bowl of bubbling soya beans.