Health Benefits of Miso

Miso is a particularly common fermented sauce in Asian countries, but it has also found its way into the western hemisphere. While miso is still unfamiliar to many, it was most likely eaten in Japanese miso soup by people who are acquainted with it. It's highly nutritious and associated with many nutritional advantages, including improved metabolism and a healthy immune system.

The very first thought that occurs to mind when someone mentions the word miso could be soup. But it makes sense since miso soup is divine and a popular commodity all over the world at sushi bars and Asian cuisine restaurants. However, miso is rich in taste and nutritional advantages that its addition to your diet will be worth it.

Health Benefits of Miso

The following are the significant benefits of miso:

• Great Source of Probiotics

Perhaps the realization that miso is a fermented product brings you to this point. One way the intestines benefit from fermented foods like miso is that they include probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria correlated with various beneficial effects, including decreased inflammatory response, good digestion, and promoting proper functioning of the immune system.

Although experts typically notify that probiotics and fermented foods alone are unlikely to have a major effect on gut health and there is not a lot of evidence directly connecting miso intake to better gut health, integrating miso foods into a healthier diet packed with other good-friendly foods such as fibers and vegetables can certainly not do much harm.

• Maintenance of High Blood Pressure

Miso has an elevated salt concentration, it is related, according to both clinical and experimental studies, to the mitigation of high blood pressure. Scientists assumed the sodium discovered in miso behaves differently than sodium chloride itself. Lengthier fermentation intervals of soybeans, rice grains, and barley grains over three months can affect the metabolic functions.

The research conducted indicates that rats with systolic blood pressure consuming two percent of sodium chloride were dramatically improved, but these results were not encountered by rats consuming the same quantity of salt from miso. While sodium consumption increased, rats' blood pressure did not rise when they consumed miso in their regular diet.

• Miso Improves Immunity

Miso provides nutrients that can help improve the activity of the immune system. The probiotics in miso, for example, can help improve your intestinal bacteria, in turn, improve immunity and reduce the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, a diet high in probiotics will help decrease the chances of being ill and make you feel better more easily from illnesses, like cold or flu.

Furthermore, the daily intake of probiotic-rich foods such as miso will decrease the need for antibiotics to combat pathogens by up to thirty percent. Various probiotic strains will affect your health differently. More experiments are required using miso-specific strains before we can draw conclusive results.

• Supports the Development of the Nervous System

Miso includes a host of B vitamins, namely B1, B2, B3, B5, and B9. Incorporating each of them has different ways of helping the body: the B3, B5, and B9 help the nervous system's proper functioning. Considering that the nervous system regulates posture and orientation, the five senses, and brain cognitive processes, having enough is of paramount importance.

B vitamins also serve to supply energy for the body, which is why you may feel tired without enough. B vitamins are important for the development of energy. They are included in the processes of the breakdown of carbohydrates into a functional source of body energy—another excuse to stock up on miso and other high-vitamin B foods.

B vitamins are water-soluble, so they are not processed as fat-soluble vitamins inside the body. Even though they are not present in the body, it is critical to get sufficient consumption of all essential B vitamins.

• Maintains Good Health during Pregnancy

The Vitamin B9 content in miso, also known as folate, may help women, particularly in early pregnancy. Folate is essential to prevent specific birth defects, which affect the formation of the spinal cord, called spina bifida.

• Enhanced Bone Health

Vitamin K is another mineral miso that is abundant in. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that performs a significant role in blood coagulation, which is essential for the healing of wounds and injuries as well as for bone health. Not having enough vitamin K could contribute to osteoporotic fractures, so having a sufficient intake is crucial.

• Cancer Preventive Properties

Miso can provide protection against some cancers. Stomach cancer may be the fastest growing. Observation-based studies have shown a correlation between high-salt dietary habits and stomach cancer on many occasions. Considering the significant salt content, though, miso doesn't seem to raise stomach cancer's likelihood as other high-salt foods do.

For example, one research attributed miso to salt-containing foods like salted cod, dried meats, and pickled vegetables. Specialists assume this may be attributed to protective compounds present in soy, theoretically counteracting the salt cancer-causing effects. Animal research also says consuming miso will minimize the risk of cancer of the lungs, liver, stomach, and breast.

This seems to be particularly true for varieties that ferment for three months or longer. Fermentation with miso will last from a few weeks to as long as three years. In particular, prolonged fermentation periods yield darker, better flavorful miso. Research findings estimate that daily miso use will minimize liver and breast cancer risk by fifty percent in humans.

Protection from breast cancer is particularly effective for postmenopausal women. This seasoning is also rich in various antioxidants, which can further defend your body's cells from free radical damage, cancer-related cell harm. Nonetheless, further experiments are required before we can draw firm conclusions.

• Enhances Heart Health

One study showed that daily intake of miso could help defend against strokes, in rats at least. It must be achieved, though, along with committing to a low-salt diet. Further research showed that daily miso soup intake was correlated with lowered heart rate but did not directly affect blood pressure.

Although further study is required, which requires broader trials of participants in humans, that being said, it's likely the cardiovascular system will benefit from daily miso intake.

Nutritional Value of Miso (100 grams)

Calories in Miso and their Recommended Daily Intake

There are 199 calories in hundred grams of miso, and its recommended daily intake is 6 grams.

Ways to Consume Miso

The following are the best ways to consume miso:

• 15-Minute Miso Soup

Soup is one of the most common miso consumption methods, and if you have never prepared miso before, it's a delicious dish to start with. It's made of green vegetables and protein-rich tofu in addition to miso paste, rendering it excellently-rounded enough to be the main dish for dinner and not just an entrée.

• Miso Paste

Miso paste is so tasty that a single spoonful will turn bland dishes into super delicious ones in no time.  It is used here with raspberry and red cabbage, which reaches all sorts of varieties of tastes. Think of it as a substitute for salad dressing, full of nutritious benefits for the stomach.

• Miso Fried Rice

Using miso with your fried rice is a simple way to incorporate your recipe into more complicated tastes. Please add tofu or poultry in this dish to the protein, and substitute any leftover food you have on hand to make it better and much more flavorful.

• Miso Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower alone can taste somewhat bland. But that's just what renders it such a beautifully nutritious chameleon for cooking. This simple recipe demonstrates how to use miso paste and garlic powder to roast cauliflower, making it a delicious, sweet, and sour side dish with a little kick. To introduce another dimension to the already rich flavor profile, finish it with coriander and lemon slices.

• Miso-Flavored Noodles

Lovers of ramen, here's one for you. Gulping the noodles in this platter has the same gratification to dig into the cherished soup. Although the recipe does not contain broth, it is simple to incorporate the noodles into one if you wish. It takes about twenty minutes to put it together, and the meal is vegan and very tasty.

Side Effects of Miso

misoMiso is overflowing with health benefits for the whole body. Though if you're allergic to soy, steer clear, as miso is made of fermented soy. It's also important to be conscious of salt's average consumption when eating miso because it can be rich in sodium. Just one tablespoon has more than six hundred milligrams, around thirty percent of the total daily maximum sodium consumption.

Final Word

Miso is a nutritious, nutrient-rich condiment that certainly needs having on hand. The fermentation method used to manufacture it may be helpful, possibly improving metabolism, increasing the immune system, and increasing to combat diseases. If you intend to try miso, note that its taste can be intense and very salty. A little amount could be going a long way.

References:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-miso-is-healthy
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6470805/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5313421/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3695331/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6969983/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31371810/