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Miso is a typical Japanese cooking spice that is famous for its distinctive salty taste. Consuming miso turns out to have healthy benefits, here’s the list!
Miso is a popular Japanese cooking spice. Miso is fermented soybeans in the form of a fine paste. Generally yellow in color with a savory salty taste for cooking.
Historically, miso or miso paste originally came from China, but was brought to Japan around 1,300 years ago as a natural food preservative.
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Miso is the result of fermenting soybeans with koji (Aspergillus oryzae) which acts as a fermentation agent. Miso is most often prepared as a soup with the addition of various vegetables, tofu, seaweed, and seafood cooked in dashi broth.
On the market, miso is also offered in white and red, which differ in terms of taste and salt content. Generally, white miso is a type of sweet miso, while red miso indicates a longer ripening time and higher salt content.
Quote Health (1/10/2024), miso is basically a fermented food that contains antioxidants and probiotics. Consuming it can bring the following 4 healthy benefits:
1. Prevent oxidative stress
Fermented soy products, including miso, contain antioxidants. This compound helps prevent cell damage and disease by neutralizing free radicals that appear due to exposure to pollution, ultraviolet light and smoking.
Excessive levels of free radicals can cause oxidative stress and contribute to chronic disease. By consuming foods rich in antioxidants, such as miso, help control these free radicals.
2. Healthy intestines
 Photo: Getty Images/Alexander Pyatenko |
Making miso involves microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast which function to metabolize food. The final product will produce a distinctive food aroma and taste.
The nutritional profile of the food will also increase, one of which can be healthy for the intestines. Miso itself contains probiotics such as Bacillus species, which are healthy for the intestines.
These probiotics also produce antimicrobial compounds and increase the absorption of food nutrients. Apart from that, its function is to prevent constipation and diarrhea.
3. Healthy heart
Consuming miso may benefit heart health. Even though miso is high in sodium, it also contains lots of fiber and healthy compounds. Both can support heart health.
In research conducted in Japan with a randomized controlled study on people with moderately high blood pressure and high blood pressure, it was proven that they experienced a decrease in blood pressure at night within 8 weeks. The participant is known to have been fed miso soup.
But although miso soup can lower blood pressure, the effect is limited and requires further research.
More details are on the next page.
