Nutritional Value and Fatty Acid Profile of Selected Fermented Food Products (Cheese, Sauerkraut, and Natto) as Vitamin K Sources: Compositional Assessment in the Context of Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Background/Objectives: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain leading cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. With increasing attention to vitamin K intake’s effect on health, comprehensive knowledge of vitamin K dietary sources is important. This study aims to determine the nutritional value of selected fermented food products (cheese, sauerkraut and natto) as a dietary vitamin K sources and to evaluate their lipid quality in the context of cardiovascular health. Methods: Two kinds of cow’s milk cheeses were selected. Regarding sauerkraut and natto, both commercial products and laboratory-produced samples were taken for comparison. Contents of phylloquinone (PK) and menaquinones (MKn) and fatty acids profiles were analyzed. Moreover, the following lipid quality indices were evaluated: Peroxidisability Index (PI); Atherogenicity Index (AI); Thrombogenicity Index (TI); and Hypocholesterolaemic/Hypercholesterolaemic (HH) ratio. Results: Sauerkraut demonstrated the highest phylloquinone content, while the highest content of MK-7 was found in natto. The fatty acid profile of natto was characterized by the highest proportions of linoleic acid (C18:2) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3). Natto’s lipid quality indices were the most favorable compared to cheese and sauerkraut. Conclusions: Based on its MK-7 content and lipid quality profile, natto demonstrates the greatest nutritional potential among the analyzed fermented products. These findings are based on compositional analysis and require confirmation through clinical studies investigating the cardiovascular effects of regular consumption of these specific products.